Small pool/Expensive test?

[skbarnett]

Okay, okay, I know that I am not supposed to believe everything the pool store tells me, but it is hard since they are the so-called experts and I am the inexperienced new pool owner. I have a Intex metal frame pool that holds 3,861 gallons. I've been following the BBB method as best I can for a week, but I'm still learning. I went to the pool store yesterday to buy the CYA and the test kit. When the lady found out that I was using bleach to sanitize my pool, she looked at me like I was from mars or something. Bleach??? Are you kidding? I insisted that I was no insane. She acted like she had never heard of anyone doing such a thing. She talked me out of the test kit by saying it was really only for people running big community pools and professionals and such. I should just bring my water there and let HER test it, etc. So, I've addd the CYA, but now have no way to test to see if it worked. Since I have such a small cheapy pool, is it worth investing in the good test?

I'm looking at this pool as my practice one. We'll move up to something more permanent in a year or two.

Thanks so much for your help. This website has been an amazing learning experience!

Karen

 

[dravenone]

Who would you trust, yourself with a proven kit most on this site use or someone testing for you looking for a way to sell you stuff? Get the test kit, you said its a practice pool right? So practice testing too . Read the active ingredient on bleach and liquid chlorine, they are the same. Don't let the poolstore shake your confidence, with the test kit you will know what your pool needs and with pool school you will know how to achieve it.

 

[reebok]

probably a good thing though, because it's unlikely it was a recommended test kit. have you read about the test kits in pool school?

 

[randytsuch]

Or you can buy the full testkit from here
http://www.tftestkits.net/

Not cheap, but it has all the tests you need, to keep your water looking good.
Especially if you're moving to something bigger and better in a year or two, you will already have a good testkit, and know how to use it.

Randy

 

[dropride]

My pool is just over 5000 gal. but with the problems i had last year with baqua i made the switch and bought the good test kit. Knowing what is going on with my pool made the cost of the kit worth it. You might want to check the pool stores for liquid chlorine, i called around and found it was cheaper to buy than bleach.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Well, IMHO, it is cheap, considering all the money you will save by NOT going to the Pool Store and being pressured or tempted into buying unneccessary chems!

 

[waste]

Karen, welcome to TFP!!

Don't worry about not knowing everything about your pool, yet There is a fair chance that you actually know more than the "expert" in the pool store - at least you have a pool 8)

It's your pool and your decision - the best way to care for a pool is to do it yourself, including the testing. If you really want a trouble free and less expensive to maintain pool, the quality test kit is a necessity :!: For $100, you could become a lifetime member here, get the TF kit at lifers' discount and buy a couple weeks worth of chems from Wallyworld or similar.

For the store employee to tell you that good kits are only for pros is asinine Why would proper chemistry be less important for your pool?!? (I'm thinking she wants you to spend the $100 on a single visit to her store and keep you coming back again and again to spend another $100 every week or 2, and she knows you won't do that if you have your own good and accurate chem numbers)

I'm glad you found us! Please listen to us and follow what we say, we know more than she does about any aspect of pools (except scr#wing pool owners :lol: ) - I've been in the industry for 21 years and will gladly go 'toe to toe, nose to nose' with her if she tries to give you any flack about what we advise here

 

[skbarnett]

Thanks everyone! I do feel better now. The kit was a big taylor kit -- it looked like the one recommended here. But I will buy it online rather than going back to that store and dealing with the weird looks.

You guys are awesome!

Karen

 

[Butterfly]

Hi Karen and welcome to the forum

You have gotten great advice! I agree that you will save $$ by having your own kit. We saved more than enough money from our first pool store trip to more than pay for our kit and become a member.

There is a really good feeling when you KNOW your water is balanced and sanitized. Your pool, along with the kit, will give you total confidence should you decide to "move up to something more permanent in a year or two".

Hang around, ask lots of questions, and read Pool School.

Enjoy your pool! :lol:

 

[Guest]

Karen, I've worked in pool stores and we purposely discouraged people from buying good test kits so that we could test their water . The idea was to have them come in weekly and to sell them something each week, even if it was just a bag of shock and a jug of liquid chlorine! A good test kit is going to save you a lot of money in the long run. It doesn't matter how small or inexpensive your pool it. It's still a pool and the water chemistry does not change. In fact, with one of the inexpensive pop ups with their very undersized filters good water chemistry is even more important since there is much less room for error. a good test kit is really a necessity

Taylor makes several 'big' kits. Most likely the kit was the K-2005 which is NOT the one we recommend. We recommend the K-2006 which uses a different chlorine test but is otherwise identical. Taylor actually has several kits more expensive than these two kits that are designed for large community pools, etc.