TFT 100 vs. Leslies Free testing

[Wildcat]

Other than the fact that Leslies wants to sell me unnecessary chemicals, why shouldn't I use their free service? OK, I am not going there every day, but if I go there once or twice a week I save 20% or more on the cost of doing it myself. They sell, and seem to use Taylor test products just like TFT100. Is it just because of consistency, using the same test kit every day? Newb trying to figure it all out

 

[duraleigh]

well, you paid $68.00 for a kit that you can trust, is repeatable, and will yield FAR more accurate results than anything you can get from Leslie's

The testing is free at Leslie's because they only charge you what it's worth and not a penny more.

Why would you be more inclined to put your pool in the (usually incapable) hands of somebody trying to sell you something rather than in your own capable hands armed with a capable tool?

 

[JohnT]

The results from Leslie's aren't going to be accurate. Most stores would do well to beat random numbers with their testing.

 

[BoDarville]

One of the basic tenets of managing your pool is maintaining the proper chlorine (FC) level in your pool according to your CYA level. Each and every time I have taken a sample of water to the pool store for testing, their CYA reading was twice what I recorded using the TF-100 just minutes before using the same water sample. If I managed the pool according to their test results, I would be using almost twice the chlorine that I really needed. No money savings in doing that, is there?

 

[mynewpool]

I like the fact I can test from my home and not have to drive somewhere. Also with my test only my water is going in the test tubes. No telling how many different pools have been tested in that same vial. I bet they don't clean them out either.

Plus I like to know what my results are when I want them not when I have to rely on a store to be open.

 

[8corneflakes]

the pool store that used to rip me off used a computer named 'alex'. apparently, it needed calibration to work correctly. Who knows how often it gets calibrated. This is the same reason I don't trust the scales in other peoples bathrooms...they always read 5 pounds heavier

 

[Richard320]

inconsistency-in-readings-t61728.html

Be sure to look at the table - it isn't formatted great, but you'll see the problem I'm sure. Test results shouldn;t bounce around like that.

 

[Wildcat]

Thanks, I got the replies I expected. Consistency and a non-biased sampling. I'm all in!

 

[flarfum25]

I ordered my TF100 kit a couple weeks ago now and I love it. Having said that, the results I have gotten from *my* Leslie's have never been crazily different from either one day to the next (I did go a few times in a row, a few times) OR from the testing I have done myself. BUT (and it's a huge 'but' IMO) I have heard enough things on here to keep me plenty happy just trusting myself from here on out. Maybe I got lucky at my Leslie's. Maybe the 2 employees who I saw each time were more careful or better trained than another might be. Maybe the vials were cleaned properly. Maybe they won't be next time. Plus, I bought the magnetic sitrrer with my TF100 and it's a lot of fun to test myself with that : )