Pool Store quote of the day

[cowboycasey]

This is the place to put the famous quotes from your visit These were from today

CYA locks in chlorine and has nothing to do with the FC level

Phone call while I was there

60 psi is not to high, you should be at 40 though... oh you just put stabilizer in, sorry, you just wasted money because you now have to backwash... come on in and we will get you some more stabilizer

 

[Donldson]

Technically from a chemical rep, but close enough:

If you are having trouble with a green pool that just won't clear up, change the sand in the filter. 90% of the time it is a filtration issue.

Literally the exact opposite of my experience here.

 

[Casey]

I won't be able to add to these as I haven't been in a pool store in YEARS!

 

[MarianParoo]

A different angle... I have been helping my new neighbors with their pool. (Still slamming, but sparkly and no CC's, btw). I sent them to the pool store to get a new pump basket o-ring. The pool store clerk asked them where they lived and the clerk knew that was my neighborhood. He asked them if they knew me, and they said yes, Marian is our neighbor and she is helping us get our swamp cleaned up. The clerk said:

Trust her. Mrs. Paroo really knows her pool chemistry.

I do buy parts and stuff from them to support small, local business in our area. They know that I use the methods on this site and I discuss pool chemistry with them, but respectfully out of earshot of any customers. They are my original installers, close my pool every year with warranty, and also installed a new liner and auto-cover several years ago, so they know me pretty well.

I decided to add this "non-pool $tore bashing post" because... Well, because... Uh, because... I think it's cool that I can have that type of mutual-respect relationship with my local service. Too bad they're not all like that!

 

[Swampwoman]

^Marian, I have the same relationship with my indie pool store/builders/techs. I was in looking at vinyl liner samples last weekend, sitting in a chair near their sample indoor pool, and another couple was asking questions about something up at the counter. The front counter guy pointed to me and said "Ask her what she thinks, she's our resident chemistry expert "

OTOH, I do stop by leslies now and then for toys etc. and I have a hard time holding my tongue. I've tried on occasion to privately help some of the young clerks understand the what's-so, but turnover is high so its kinda pointless.

But the all time stupidest-things-in-quick-succession that I've heard in a pool store was a few weeks ago when I wandered into a local chain while doing a phosphate test experiment (to see how any out of 4 stores would have test concordance...the answer is none, btw) that was doing a "pool school" seminar by a mfg rep, touting sequentially the need for each product.

It was absolutely unbelievable and there had to be about 50 folks there drinking the koolaid. I should have recorded it

 

[tim5055]

While I don't have exact quotes, some things I have been told in the past-

- Bleach will destroy my equipment

- I should go ahead and use pucks, because their liquid chlorine is stabilized also

- I HAVE to keep my TA above 100

- My CYA of 100 was within their acceptable range. This one is funny because the 100 they read was just because of the test limit. I know for a fact at that time I was in the 150-170 range.

 

[Donldson]

Oh, I just remembered a great one that almost made me laugh out loud at the guy:

TDS, that's all that undissolved stuff in the water...

Yes, he believes that the Total Dissolved Solids is undissolved stuff in the water. I mean, acting like TDS is an important parameter I am prepared for, but that just floored me!

 

[NeedMoreSun]

My CH of 80, in a vinyl pool, will melt all my pipes like butter. (I did bring it up just a tad anyway to avoid foaming, but still checking my pipes daily in fear!)

 

[Blake1989]

I wonder what they would say if this happened:

Pool store employee: sir, you need chlorine tablets to chlorinate your pool
Customer: These tablets you speak of, do they add anything else to your pool?
Employee: They add a little stabilizer to your pool as well
Customer: but too much stabilizer increases chlorine demand correct?
Employee: uh...
Customer: therefore costing the consumer more money and time?
Employee: ...
Customer: stabilizer really only leaves your pool from water replacement and rainwater correct?
Employee: sir..
Customer: so what do I do if my CYA gets too high?
Employee: drain your pool?
Customer: -door to store closes behind him-

 

[aeh0603]

Here is a list of some of the things the pool store has told me in the past 6 months:

1) Chlorbrite (dichlor) is the highest quality chlorine they had and it does not add anything bad
2) Liquid chlorine is bad because it adds salt to the water
3) My pool water was "old" and needed to be drained/replaced
4) Clarifier is the only thing that will clear up cloudy pool water, the filter and chlorine alone will not work

Needless to say, I now know most of these statements are not true and I am very happy with the TFP method (the part about liquid chlorine adding salt is true, but there is not nearly enough to be "bad" for the pool). I'm just thankful I didn't buy everything they recommended!

 

[IrwinK]

Asked pool store to test my tap water in preparation for filling my new pool.

At first they refused to test saying "no sense in testing as tap water changes daily."

I insisted and they ran the test then gave me all sorts bad advise and tried to sell me pucks with all sorts of extra stuff in them.

I am going to post more about this and the test results on a separate thread.

 

[eqbob]

Had to buy some more tabs while the pump was down. Went to local place to get the.
Employee: you didn't bring me in any water to test!
Me: I do my own chemistry
Employee: it's kind of complicated. You really should let us advise you.
Me: Thanks, but I've got it.
Employee: well then bring it in so I can test it and tell you how good you're doing!
Me: I see if I remember the next time... (Eye rolling as I left the store)