Brad Means Does My Job: Pool Cleaner

Harlem, GA -- One glance at the pool, and you know this is no ordinary maintenance job. This is a deep clean.

Ariel Monge is with Pete Alewine Pools and Spas, and he's certified.

Ariel Monge, Pete Alewine Pools and Spas: "The best thing there is is when it comes to pools is get a certification from the Health Department. It tells people they're safe, and they got somebody with experience taking care of their pool."

Today's job will involve several steps. Ariel puts me on skimming duty, first. I skim dirt, leaves, and the occassional critter.

Brad: "I just scooped up a cricket."

Once the surface is done, you can focus on the rest of the pool. Enter the wasteback system.

Brad: "It's like a vacuum cleaner?"

Ariel: "It's like a vacuum cleaner. We're trying to suck the algae out of the pool."

This unit is basically a brush on a stick connected to a really long blue hose, connected to a machine, connected to a really long extension cord.

Brad: "You can see the results right away. The algae just disappears and the clean pool bottom comes back."

To make sure your pool's filter system works, you need to clean the skimmer basket. Ariel's found all sorts of things in there.

Ariel: "Water moccassin snakes..."

Brad: "Water mocassins?"

Ariel: "And black widows..."

Brad: "So, you never just shove your hand down in there?"

Ariel: "No, I always double check."

Maybe it was inexperience, maybe it was the fear of venom, but this part was tough.

Brad: "So, just reach in there and grab it?"

Ariel: "Reach in there and grab the basket. It's all the way at the bottom."

Brad: "Is there a handle?"

There's not a handle, but there is a hunk of junk in there. The basket was so full of swimming pool salad that it wouldn't come out right away."

Finally, the toughest of all our cleaning tools...

Chlorine.

Brad: "You tell me...just dump?"

It goes in our newly spotless skimmer basket, and seconds later, the jets shoot out blasts of pool cleaning power.

Throw in a bottle of algae bomb, And we're done. A couple of days later and the pool has gone from this (dirty)...to this (clean).

Ariel: "It's an amazing feeling because I love to do this job, first of all. I love to make people happy. It makes me feel like I reach one of my biggest goals in life."

Brad: "Make other people happy? Make other people have fun?"

Ariel: "Yes sir."

All in a day's work for a certified pool operator and his sidekick...

So do you have a job you think I should do? Just let us know, and I will do my best to get to work. The email address is bmeans@wjbf.com, or just go to our Facebook page.