thanks for the info. i have not added anything whatsoever to my pool based on what they told me. i was kinda shocked that they did not try to sell me anything. they did however tell me that adding bleach to my pool was not the best thing to do. when they said that i just kinda smiled and thought, ok here comes the sales pitch. but there was not one. i just kinda wanted to see what the water was like. i only have a cheap test kit, which only shows chlorine and PH. i am really looking forward to get my test kit. i actually got mine off of ebay. it will probably be here on Tuesday. i have been using borax to keep PH in check. i will be buying more bleach when i go to grocery store on saturday. got enough now to last til tomorrow. this forum has been so informative i just find myself sitting each night reading for hours, mainly pool school