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Pool Service and the CST Exam, Illustrated: Test, Balance and Dose in the Same Order One Topic on Every Page

The water loop, pumps and filters, free chlorine and CYA, pH and alkalinity, the saturation index, dosing math, green pools, entrapment and bonding. Each topic gets its own page: the drawing first, then what you need to remember. 70 illustrated pages.

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Every topic, its own pageEvery part of the water loop drawn, with the explanation right beside it
70 illustrated pages9 parts, from the water loop to the final review
Up-to-date sourcesBuilt on the VGB Act, NEC Article 680 and the CDC MAHC · Independent book, not PHTA material
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Look Inside the Book

Every page has one big drawing and a box with the numbers and steps you need to know:

Impeller, volute, basket, lid O-ring, shaft seal: the whole pump on one page.
Impeller, volute, basket, lid O-ring, shaft seal: the whole pump on one page.
Free chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium, CYA and TDS: six gauges, six reference ranges.
Free chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium, CYA and TDS: six gauges, six reference ranges.
7.6 + 0.7 + 2.1 + 1.9 − 12.1 = +0.2: balanced.
7.6 + 0.7 + 2.1 + 1.9 − 12.1 = +0.2: balanced.
1.4 lb baking soda ≈ +10 ppm TA per 10,000 gal; 20,000 gal 60→90 ppm ≈ 8.4 lb
1.4 lb baking soda ≈ +10 ppm TA per 10,000 gal; 20,000 gal 60→90 ppm ≈ 8.4 lb
Test → pH → chlorine by CYA → brush → filter 24/7 → clean filter → retest daily
Test → pH → chlorine by CYA → brush → filter 24/7 → clean filter → retest daily
Formed stool/vomit: 2 ppm, pH ≤7.5, 25 min · Diarrhea: 20 ppm for 12.75 h without CYA
Formed stool/vomit: 2 ppm, pH ≤7.5, 25 min · Diarrhea: 20 ppm for 12.75 h without CYA
NEC 680.26: 8 AWG solid copper bonds pump, ladder, rails, heater and water
NEC 680.26: 8 AWG solid copper bonds pump, ladder, rails, heater and water
7.48 gal/ft³ · 8.34 lb/gal · pH 7.2–7.8 · LSI −0.3 to +0.3 · CC 0.4 · spa 104 °F.
7.48 gal/ft³ · 8.34 lb/gal · pH 7.2–7.8 · LSI −0.3 to +0.3 · CC 0.4 · spa 104 °F.

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These are real pages from the book. The table of contents is the full one: 9 parts and 66 topics.

The Problem Isn't You. It's How It Was Explained to You.

You're at the kitchen table after the route with a practice problem: a pH of 7.6, water at 84 °F, a calcium reading and an alkalinity reading. The question asks if the water is balanced, and you're stuck on step one.

The manual covers it in two dense paragraphs: factors, a table at the back, a correction for CYA, a constant. By the time you find the temperature factor, you've lost track of the pH.

7.6 + 0.7 + 2.1 + 1.9 − 12.1 = +0.2: balanced.

In the book, the saturation index is one page. The formula is a single row of boxes, 7.6 + 0.7 + 2.1 + 1.9 − 12.1 = +0.2, each box drawn with the reading it comes from, and the result lands on a gauge: balanced.

The same goes for the six numbers on one dashboard, the universal dosing formula, the green pool order, priming a pump and bonding under NEC 680. Each one has its own page.

You go over the page once, plug in your own readings and get the index without opening the manual again. And when a customer asks why the plaster is etching, you can show them the number.

COMPARE FOR YOURSELF

The Same Topic, Two Ways to Study It

THIS
  • The manual: line after line
  • Six water readings explained only in words
  • You show up to the exam still unsure
Proper maintenance of swimming pool water requires the technician to monitor several interrelated chemical parameters, including free available chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid concentration and total dissolved solids. Each parameter must be maintained within the recommended limits established by applicable standards, since a deviation in one parameter may influence the behavior of the others. For example, total alkalinity functions as a buffer affecting pH stability, while cyanuric acid reduces the effective sanitizing capacity of free chlorine.
FOR THIS
  • The six readings drawn as gauges
  • Each reference range in its own box
  • You see it and you get it
Free chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium, CYA and TDS: six gauges, six reference ranges.
CONTENTS

Take a Look at the 9 Parts and 66 Topics

The water loop, pumps, filters and heaters, testing, water chemistry, water balance, dosing math, green and cloudy pools, safety, and the route and exam review: 70 pages, all illustrated

IThe Pool Is One Water Loop · pp. 5-10
  1. The Whole Pool in One Drawing
  2. Suction Side vs. Pressure Side
  3. Skimmer, Weir and Main Drain
  4. Returns, Valves and Flow Direction
  5. Pool Volume: Gallons First
  6. Turnover Rate in One Formula
IIPumps, Filters and Heaters · pp. 11-20
  1. How a Centrifugal Pump Moves Water
  2. Priming and Losing Prime
  3. Single-, Two- and Variable-Speed Pumps
  4. Total Dynamic Head and the Pump Curve
  5. Pipe Size and Water Velocity
  6. Reading the Pressure Gauge
  7. Sand Filters
  8. Cartridge Filters
  9. DE Filters
  10. Gas Heaters and Heat Pumps
IIITesting the Water Right · pp. 21-26
  1. Where and How to Take a Sample
  2. ppm: What the Number Means
  3. DPD vs. FAS-DPD Chlorine Tests
  4. Free, Combined and Total Chlorine
  5. Test Strips, Kits and Photometers
  6. The pH Reading Trap
IVWater Chemistry: Ranges as Gauges · pp. 27-35
  1. The Six Numbers on One Dashboard
  2. Free Chlorine: The Sanitizer
  3. Hypochlorous Acid and pH
  4. pH: 7.2 to 7.8
  5. Total Alkalinity: The pH Buffer
  6. Calcium Hardness
  7. Cyanuric Acid: Sunscreen With a Cost
  8. Combined Chlorine and Breakpoint
  9. Salt Chlorine Generators
VWater Balance and the Saturation Index · pp. 36-41
  1. Balanced Water: Not Hungry, Not Scaling
  2. The Langelier Saturation Index Formula
  3. Correcting Alkalinity for CYA
  4. LSI Worked Example
  5. Temperature Changes the Balance
  6. Total Dissolved Solids and Dilution
VIDosing Math for Real Gallon Counts · pp. 42-49
  1. The Universal Dosing Formula
  2. Liquid Chlorine (Sodium Hypochlorite)
  3. Cal-Hypo and Trichlor: What Each Adds
  4. Raising Alkalinity With Baking Soda
  5. Lowering pH and Alkalinity With Acid
  6. Raising Calcium Hardness
  7. Adding Cyanuric Acid
  8. Dilution Math: How Much to Drain
VIIGreen, Cloudy and Stained · pp. 50-55
  1. Green Pool: The Order That Clears It
  2. Algae Types: Green, Mustard, Black
  3. Cloudy Water: Five Causes
  4. Metal Stains: Iron and Copper
  5. Scale and Organic Stains
  6. Fecal and Vomit Incidents
VIIISafety: Entrapment, Electricity, Chemicals · pp. 56-63
  1. The VGB Act and Drain Covers
  2. The Five Types of Entrapment
  3. Dual Drains and the Emergency Shutoff
  4. Equipotential Bonding (NEC 680)
  5. GFCI and Clearances
  6. Chemicals That Must Never Mix
  7. Storage, PPE and the SDS
  8. Barriers, Gates and Spa Temperature
IXOn the Route and Before the Exam · pp. 64-70
  1. Every Stop in the Same Order
  2. Opening and Closing a Pool
  3. Spa Service in One Page
  4. Answering the Customer
  5. The Service Log: Your Record
  6. Most Common Mistakes Side by Side
  7. Final Review: Numbers to Know Cold

One Page, One Topic, All Clear

Think of it this way:

It's Monday morning and a customer's pool has gone green. Free chlorine reads close to zero, CYA is high, and the owner is standing next to you asking what you're going to do. You need the order, not a guess.

You open the green pool page and the order is drawn as a path: test, pH, chlorine by CYA, brush, filter 24/7, clean the filter, retest daily. Each step is a box with an arrow to the next one.

Test → pH → chlorine by CYA → brush → filter 24/7 → clean filter → retest daily

The same goes for the pump (impeller, volute, basket, lid O-ring and shaft seal in one drawing), the dosing formula, the bonding grid under NEC 680, fecal incidents and the numbers to know cold. Each one is on its own page.

Pool Service Technician Illustrated has 9 parts and 66 topics, all drawn, with dosing problems worked out for real gallon counts and a final review of the numbers to know cold.

What you see drawn, you don't have to memorize.

What's Inside Pool Service Technician Illustrated:

Ipp. 5-10

The Pool Is One Water Loop

The whole pool in one drawing, suction side vs. pressure side, skimmer and main drain, returns and valves, pool volume and turnover.

IIpp. 11-20

Pumps, Filters and Heaters

How a centrifugal pump works, priming, pump speeds, total dynamic head, pipe size, the pressure gauge, sand, cartridge and DE filters, gas heaters and heat pumps.

IIIpp. 21-26

Testing the Water Right

Taking a sample, what ppm means, DPD vs. FAS-DPD, free, combined and total chlorine, strips vs. kits vs. photometers, the pH reading trap.

IVpp. 27-35

Water Chemistry: Ranges as Gauges

The six numbers on one dashboard, free chlorine, hypochlorous acid and pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, CYA, breakpoint, salt chlorine generators.

Vpp. 36-41

Water Balance and the Saturation Index

Know if the water is balanced: the LSI as one row of boxes, alkalinity corrected for CYA, a worked example to +0.2, plus temperature and TDS.

VIpp. 42-49

Dosing Math for Real Gallon Counts

Turn a reading into pounds of product: the universal dosing formula, then liquid chlorine, cal-hypo, trichlor, baking soda, acid, calcium, CYA and how much to drain.

VIIpp. 50-55

Green, Cloudy and Stained

Clearing a green pool in order, algae types, five causes of cloudy water, metal, scale and organic stains, fecal and vomit incidents.

VIIIpp. 56-63

Safety: Entrapment, Electricity, Chemicals

VGB Act drain covers, the five types of entrapment, dual drains and the shutoff, bonding under NEC 680, GFCI, chemicals that must never mix, storage and SDS, barriers and spa temperature.

IXpp. 64-70

On the Route and Before the Exam

Every stop in the same order, opening and closing, spa service, answering the customer, the service log, common mistakes and the final review.

At the end of the book: Dosing problems worked out for real gallon counts and a final review page with the numbers to know cold.

SHOW ME WHAT'S INSIDE

Plus: 2 Free Books

Pool Tech Practice Questions: Exam-Style Questions with Explained Answers

BONUS 1: «Pool Tech Practice Questions: Exam-Style Questions with Explained Answers»

Value on its own: US$ 17.90

Test yourself on chemistry, hydraulics, equipment and safety the way the CST exam asks it, and see in one line why each answer is right.

Route Quick-Reference Cards: Ranges, Formulas and the Most Common Mistakes

BONUS 2: «Route Quick-Reference Cards: Ranges, Formulas and the Most Common Mistakes»

Value on its own: US$ 14.90

Every target range, dosing formula and turnover calculation on a few printable cards to keep in the truck, plus the most common mistakes side by side with the fix.

Pool Service Technician Illustrated with 2 Free Books

  • Pool Service Technician Illustrated: 70 illustrated pagesUS$ 63
  • BONUS 1: Pool Tech Practice Questions: Exam-Style Questions with Explained AnswersUS$ 17.90
  • BONUS 2: Route Quick-Reference Cards: Ranges, Formulas and the Most Common MistakesUS$ 14.90
  • High-resolution PDF to printIncluded
Total value US$ 95.80
YOUR PRICE:
US$ 27
You save US$ 68.80
YES, I WANT POOL SERVICE TECHNICIAN ILLUSTRATED FOR US$ 27

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PDF by email: We email you Pool Service Technician Illustrated as a PDF, together with the two free books. It's a single payment: no installments, no extra charges.

Who This Book Is For

You're new to pool service

You're new to pool service

The whole pool drawn as one water loop, so you know what every piece of equipment does before you run a route on your own.

Your CST exam is coming up

Your CST exam is coming up

The chemistry in a fixed order and the dosing math worked out for real gallon counts, plus exam-style practice questions to check yourself.

You already run a route

You already run a route

A reference to keep in the truck: ranges, formulas and the green pool order, one page each, for when a customer asks why.

Everything You Get Today

US$ 95.80US$ 27
YES, I WANT POOL SERVICE TECHNICIAN ILLUSTRATED FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.

30DAYS
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30-Day Guarantee

Try Pool Service Technician Illustrated for 30 days, bonus books included.

We refund everything if the file won't open, if the book isn't what you see here, if you were charged twice or if the email doesn't arrive. Just email us.

You pay once. No subscriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it for me if I already run a route?

Yes. It starts with the water loop, then gets into dosing math, the saturation index and reading the pressure gauge, with worked examples. New techs start from zero. If you've been at it for years, it's the reference you keep in the truck.

Where does the content come from?

It follows the topics of the CST course and uses published references: the VGB Act and ANSI/APSP/ICC-16, NEC Article 680, ANSI/APSP/ICC-11, the CDC Model Aquatic Health Code, CPSC guidance, and product labels and SDS. Every range and interval is marked so you can check it against the current version and your local code.

Is this official material?

No. It's an independent study book. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by PHTA, any county or any school.

Does it replace the certification course?

No. It's a study and review book: it doesn't give you a certificate, a CST card or continuing education credits. You still take the course and the exam, and your state or county requirements still apply. The product label and your local code always take priority over the book.

Are the practice questions the ones on the exam?

No. They were written for this book and cover the exam topics. They aren't official exam questions.

When and how does it arrive?

The book and the 2 bonus books come as PDFs by email, sent to the address you enter at checkout.

Do I have to pay every month?

No. It's a one-time payment.

Can I have it on paper?

Yes. The PDF is printable, so you can print the pages you need and keep them in the truck.

How does the refund work?

You have 30 days. We refund everything if the file won't open, if the book isn't what you see on this page, if you were charged twice or if the email doesn't arrive: just email us.

Before You Close This Page

No more rereading the manual with nothing sticking.

You see the LSI and the dosing math drawn out, and that's it.

You walk into the exam knowing where every number lives.

Drawings make studying faster.

The book is right below.

One-time payment: US$ 27 · Guarantee: 30 days · PDF by email

YES, I WANT POOL SERVICE TECHNICIAN ILLUSTRATED FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.