I've read on a few threads that this forum doesn't care for store tests. Why is that? 
Store Test vs. Home Test
- Thread starter DaveRTX
- Start date
Because they are historically bad.
Take a sample to 3 stores, get 3 different answers. Go to the same store multiple days and the results show changes that are not chemically possible.
Often summer employees with little training are doing the tests ... and do you think they are careful?
Then the fancy computer testers and read-outs ... do you know when it was calibrated? Do you know if the person that calibrated it knew what they were doing?
And of course there is the typical spouting of non-sense and high pressure scare tactics to separate you from your money.
Take your pick of reason
Take a sample to 3 stores, get 3 different answers. Go to the same store multiple days and the results show changes that are not chemically possible.
Often summer employees with little training are doing the tests ... and do you think they are careful?
Then the fancy computer testers and read-outs ... do you know when it was calibrated? Do you know if the person that calibrated it knew what they were doing?
And of course there is the typical spouting of non-sense and high pressure scare tactics to separate you from your money.
Take your pick of reason
Here are your test results:
FC 3.45 - BUY CHLORINE REDUCER
CC 0.00 - OK
TC 3.45 - OK
pH 8.17 BUY pH REDUCER
TA 18 - BUY ALKANLITY UPPER$
CH 124 BUY CAL PLU$
TDS 543 - DRAIN POOL 50% (after adding all chemicals so we can sell you more!)
CYA 94 - OK
Phosphates 500 - BUY PHO$FREE, LOT$
I can give you bad results and try to sell you things right here on the internet. Just saved you a trip to the store!
In all seriousness, testing at stores usually has the whiz-bang appearance of being super accurate (extra decimals and "exact" results) but they are more like guesses than accurate results for the reasons jblizzle mentioned. Drop based home testing with a good test kit is the best and most convenient way to know the chemistry of your pool.
FC 3.45 - BUY CHLORINE REDUCER
CC 0.00 - OK
TC 3.45 - OK
pH 8.17 BUY pH REDUCER
TA 18 - BUY ALKANLITY UPPER$
CH 124 BUY CAL PLU$
TDS 543 - DRAIN POOL 50% (after adding all chemicals so we can sell you more!)
CYA 94 - OK
Phosphates 500 - BUY PHO$FREE, LOT$
I can give you bad results and try to sell you things right here on the internet. Just saved you a trip to the store!
In all seriousness, testing at stores usually has the whiz-bang appearance of being super accurate (extra decimals and "exact" results) but they are more like guesses than accurate results for the reasons jblizzle mentioned. Drop based home testing with a good test kit is the best and most convenient way to know the chemistry of your pool.
JVTrain....LOL....you are so right. I do believe the 'test results' are skewed whichever way it allows them to tell you that you need to buy something. And, yeah, many of the people working the counter do not have much knowledge of pool chemistry.
Dave,
I looked back at about 10 years of pool test results and, now that I've learned much more here - especially about the importance of SI - I can see how they could have done much better for me. Sometimes I was told to increase this or that and I can see now that the pool really didn't need it. Often my SI was kept in the scaling range rather than closer to zero which is where it should be. I'd suggest getting a good test kit like the Taylor K-2006 and doing your own. Like someone here told me when I started a thread about this same concern - the pool store is just that...a store...as in a place where you BUY things. I have dealt with the same store for 25 years and have a good relationship with many of the people there, but I can see how the results and advice have been inconsistent over the years. Now that I have a newly renovated pool, I want to take matters into my own hands to make sure the water balance is maintained better than I knew how to do before.
Dave,
I looked back at about 10 years of pool test results and, now that I've learned much more here - especially about the importance of SI - I can see how they could have done much better for me. Sometimes I was told to increase this or that and I can see now that the pool really didn't need it. Often my SI was kept in the scaling range rather than closer to zero which is where it should be. I'd suggest getting a good test kit like the Taylor K-2006 and doing your own. Like someone here told me when I started a thread about this same concern - the pool store is just that...a store...as in a place where you BUY things. I have dealt with the same store for 25 years and have a good relationship with many of the people there, but I can see how the results and advice have been inconsistent over the years. Now that I have a newly renovated pool, I want to take matters into my own hands to make sure the water balance is maintained better than I knew how to do before.
The side conversation about providing more detail in the TFPC method was moved to Requesting more detail about the TFPC method . Zea3
Thank you folks. I will invest in a good test kit.
Thank you folks. I will invest in a good test kit.
Similar threads
