Meet Jay Daniels with Aqua-Leisure Services, who has been in the pool industry for over 35 years. Jay worked for companies in San Diego then moved up north and has his own company for the past 22 years. Jay’s company focuses on warranty, repair and renovation work with all the major manufacturers of pool equipment. We caught up with Jay at one of our Raypak Pool Trainings to learn more about him and why he chooses Raypak time and time again.

We asked Jay what he thought of our heater training and he said, “It’s great, because new things come up all the time in this industry. It’s nice that companies like Raypak offer these types of schools where we can learn about new products, and it really helps. I hope more people come to these types of classes because it’s well worth it! If you’re going to be in the pool industry, you need to know how to fix it, too.”

We offer a wide range of training opportunities at Raypak where attendees dive into technical product insights, foundational knowledge, field best practices and more while broadening their understanding of different types of pool heating solutions.

We asked Jay how many Raypak training certificates he has to date, and he said somewhere between 60-80 certificates from Raypak training sessions!  He has been a warranty station since the 90’s and takes great pride in staying up to date on the latest technologies and product offerings. He even has a few industry colleagues he mentors, and one joined him for the heater training where this interview took place. Jay believes in empowering people in the industry through training, education and mentorship.

We wanted to know why he chose Raypak for replacements. He replied, “I only do repairs, mechanical and remodels, so I love the equipment side of things within the pool industry. And Raypak has been an incredible partner over the years. My customers love Raypak because I can offer them a 3-year warranty and they know I will be the one taking care of their systems”.

He got started in the industry by accident – he was working for an electrical contractor who was working on pools, and the more he saw the pool side, the more he started to enjoy the pool business. He eventually moved to work at Teledyne and Jandy and after 15 years, decided to start his own business.

While sourcing products for customers, Jay judges how the homeowners use their pool and helps them pick the best products for their personal home and ideal pool and spa experience. Residents are also becoming savvier when it comes to sustainability and doing their part to lower their carbon footprint. We offer heat pump options that can be tied to solar paneling to help heat home pools. Learn more about our Crosswind V here and read another customer testimonial on the subject here (link to Los Feliz interview blog post).

On the topic of sustainability and future energy regulations Jay had the following to say, “It’ll be interesting to see how we can incorporate electrical heaters into homeowners’ arsenals moving forward. It’s great that the industry is working harder to make products that will work into our future sustainability efforts.”

It’s always insightful to hear from pool pros on how they see the industry evolving, especially when it comes to sustainability. At Raypak we pride ourselves in being next generation thinking. We want to leave our world in better shape than we found it. We’re focused on innovating Raypak products with intent, engineering solutions with lifetime sustainability in mind, from material selection to smart features to responsible recycling. Ultimately, our products are designed to meet our customers’ needs, giving them greater control over their energy and water consumption while helping to lower their environmental impact.

In his closing remarks he says, “We look forward to working with Raypak in the future! It’s a good business to be in when you have been doing it for as long as I have.”

Thank you, Jay, for your insights and your time. We are proud to have you as a Raypak PRO warranty provider after all of these years.

Jay is in the Thousand Oaks / Ventura County area and can be reached at 805-241-3186 and he handles everything from repair to remodel.