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Review content:
I had used my former pool service company for over 14 years until they went out of business in early 2010. Having been very pleased and not had to explore alternatives since 1995, I was really starting from scratch when they closed. I conducted a thorough internet search and read many reviews, and obtained quotations from 3 service companies. Aqua Clean was the more expensive than the other 2 at $185/mo (and compared to $135/mo I was paying with my former service) but I was impressed with the glowing reviews I found on several internet sites. Even though it was a significant step up in cost, I was willing to pay for great service and hired Aqua Clean in May 2010. \r
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Perhaps I should have been more skeptical of the fact that all online reviews were 5-star and had nary a negative comment. As the saying goes, what seems too good to be true usually is. From the start, Matt asked if it was ok not to leave service tickets. I said that was fine, rationalizing that I only threw them away so why waste the paper as long as the job was being done. What I discovered is that I then had no confirmation that service was even being provided, and based on observation it appears there were times they did not show up at all, and when they did the service day was very inconsistent and unpredictable. \r
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The condition in which the pool was maintained was mediocre at best. Whenever a problem existed, I would typically give a week or two to see if it would be subsequently corrected, but after a while I would bring the deficiency to Matt's attention. I give him credit for always being friendly and responsive in his communication, and seemingly interested in providing good service. I always gave the benefit of the doubt - everyone can make mistakes, and how they are handled is what's most important. Unfortunately, the words and expressed interest never matched the service delivered. The filter was not cleaned properly and as frequently as required, and on a number of occasions I did it myself since the pressure had risen so high I was concerned about the effectiveness and burden it was placing on the pump. When I initially hired Aqua Clean, the first thing Matt told me was the filter was undersized and needed to be replaced. While at the time I respected his opinion, it had always worked perfectly fine and I did not go for the change. Residual chemicals were frequently sitting on the bottom of the pool, and wouldn't disappear for days or sometimes never before the next service date when more were dumped in. I bought a brand new Polaris when Aqua Clean started servicing the pool, and it was destroyed. Matt told me the design was bad and that's why the bag kept getting torn - but even if this is true - Aqua Clean never raised the issue with me and was quite content to let the Polaris troll around in the pool with a shredded bag for months. The Polaris supply line separated in half, and for 5 weeks they let is just sit on the bottom of the pool obviously non-functional. The skimmer return line was clogged 3 times while Aqua Clean was my service provider, and two of those times they told me to call Butchers Pool to get it unclogged - I had to arrange and pay for the service myself. I cannot prove that Aqua Clean was responsible for clogging the line, but in the prior 15 years this never once occurred to my knowledge. Everything had worked fine for 14 years until I hired Aqua Clean, then suddenly it all turned to a headache. I could go on and on, but in summary, it was a very disappointing and ineffective service which I terminated at the end of January 2011.
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