Welcome to the TFP pool!
First, understand yo are not alone. I bought a house with a 23,000 gallon in ground gunite (concrete) pool and had no idea how to take care of it. Like you, we find that many times people turn to friends/relatives with a pool or the local pool store to "learn" how to take care of it. The friends/relatives generally can tell you how they take care of those, but generally don't have a depth of knowledge to say why what they do works or maybe doesn't work. Again, like yourselves many people show up here thinking that an outbreak of algae once or twice a year is "normal" and that you drain and refill your pool evey couple of years because the water gets "stale". I'm here to tell you , both ar false.
First, pool store employees primary goal is to sell stuff, not necessarily get your pool in perfect condition. As to whether that is because of improper training, lack of knowledge or just to sell stuff I will leave up to you. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their advice and testing. The pool store want's you to have "a shed filled with white bottles of pool chemicals that had mysterious names and purposes". Unfortunately the pool industry has evolved into sales by scare tactics, misdirection, misinformation and marketing hype. Go in to the store and tell them your Total Alkalinity (TA) is low and they are going to sell you baking soda in a fancy package at four times the cost of WalMart. Do they have a right to make a profit, yes - but lets be reasonable. Heck, even their definition of "low" can many times put you on a pH roller coaster that's hard to get off of. Is that lack of knowledge or a sales technique to sell you more chemicals to control your pH????
What do we propose? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. Which leads to
TFPC tenet - Never put chemistry in your pool when you do not know the outcome
For almost everything the pool store sells, there is a generic "twin" that you can get at your grocery store or big box store. Alkalinity low like I used as an example? You can go to the pool store and buy Alkalinity Up in a fancy bottle or you can stop by Walmart and pick up baking soda.
So, to control your pool you need to know what is going on. Many folks have a Saturday morning ritual, dip a bottle of water out of the pool and take it to the pool store (they give you the bottle for free). They test it and sell you what they say you need to "fix" what ails your pool. But, you will find not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Plus, the results of their "testing" is used to convince you that you need to buy things. Why do you think that testing is free?
But, what can you do?? You need your own accurate test kit! Order a
TF-100 Test Kit ™. The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want. Even then it is a little short on the reagent & powder for the FAS/DPD test.
While entirely optional, I also have the
Speedstir Magnetic Stirrer and
Sample Sizer Measuring Tool. They speed testing and accuracy.
Please don't go to a pool store for a test kit. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. The
TF-100 Test Kit ™ and the K-2006 have this test while very few other kits do. The kits sold at the pool store generally won't won't cut it, but be careful pool store employees are known to say “it's the same thing”. Generally it's not!
You mentioned 3" tabs. We really are not against their use. We are against their uncontrolled use. The pool store tells you that they are the easiest way to get chlorine in your pool. They are. But, they don't tell you (or really don't understand) that the 3" tabs also add CYA (also known as stabilizer or conditioner) to your pool. All pools need stabilizer, but not too much. Others here can give you the scientific details if you want, but lets just say CYA locks the ability of chlorine to sanitize. The more CYA you have the more chlorine you need to keep in the pool to keep algae at bay.
While talking about chlorine understand, chlorine is chlorine is chlorine. The chlorine in bleach is the same chlorine in the 3" tabs and is the same chlorine that is produced by a salt water chlorine generator (SWCG). They are just different methods of adding the chlorine to you pool water.
So, TFP is not "against" anything - it's "for" knowledge. The knowledge is condensed in the
Pool School.
How much
Pool School have you read? Start with these:
There are several items things every pool owner should know about swimming pool water. We share details on the basics of Pool Water Chemistry.
www.troublefreepool.com
Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.
www.troublefreepool.com
Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.
www.troublefreepool.com
So again, welcome to TFP!!
