Re: Why so much hate on pool store's water test?
Pool store CYA testing is just begging for algae IMO. Pool store FC testing at pool stores that only uses OTO or DPD (as opposed to FAS-DPD) is laughable and misleading if you've got algae and are attempting a SLAM without a test kit.
It is the one pool related investment that can pay for itself. Yet, the one so many resist. Hilarious right?
Pool stores have conditioned the masses to buy magic potions instead of science. Next up: Pool Stores Selling Used Cars! This car is great! I tested it and it is wonderful! You don't even need to test drive it yourself, just trust me! You just need to put this fuel system protector in every week so you don't have crud buildup that could cause issues (phosphate stuff). You also need to hang a new air freshener every so often or it will not be as great as you want (clarifier). Just one more thing, each time you have any strange engine sounds at all you must use a bottle of our special easy-idle engine protector (algaecide). Also, since something is already wrong, drop a packet of this one-time magic engine corrector in the gas tank (solid shock packet)..well actually, your engine is really bad so make it two...and two in three days. What's that? You don't want to have to bring your car to the shop very often or even check the fluid levels daily? Try these engine-b-gud pucks - you just throw them on top of the engine and they dissolve into magical engine goodness (trichlor tablets). You should also buy a special engine-b-gud dispenser that will deteriorate fast, so it also requires replacement often too (floater). You want to make sure this car will last a really long time, isn't that right? Well we have our own, special, ultra high end car-correcter-contraptions that will, of course like magic, keep everything just right (cya reducers, ph lock-in products, calcium for vinyl pools, metal preventives for little/no metal pools, copper algaecides, selling someone with a sand filter a cart filter, selling someone with a cart filter a de filter, selling someone a de filter a quad de filter, etc.).
I could be wrong, but I'm not sure anyone would buy a used car without test driving it, especially if they told you that you'd need all that to keep it running right.
Buy a test kit. Can't go wrong with TF-100 and K2006C is great too. Colorblind, maybe consider the other one. Second guess yourself a lot, buy the CYA standard solution. Clumsy, lazy, perfectionist, or fun loving? Add the speedstir and sample sizer.
Then, instead of buying magic, you've invested in science. From there you can spend as little time and money as possible to keep your TFP indeed a trouble free pool through very minimal maintenance and dosing.