I'm paying about $76/month for a chemical only pool service. The price doesn't bother me but, my pool is green about 30% of the time. After reading about the BBB method I'm considering trying to take care of it myself again. So I need to buy a quality test kit, the cheapest bleach I can find, some borax and baking soda,read a little bit and I should be good right? Is it really that easy?
Is it really that easy?
- Thread starter David0408
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,570
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
We prefer to coin the method TFP -- you use what your pool needs. Not all pools need baking soda or borax. Mine never has. It does need chlorine and muriatic acid and Cyanuric Acid.
You do need a quality test kit. TF100 from TFTestkits.net or Taylor K2006C. The TF100 is what I have.
I suggest you read Pool School - Getting Started and Pool School - Pool Chemistry to start and post up your questions in the appropriate forums.
Take care.
We prefer to coin the method TFP -- you use what your pool needs. Not all pools need baking soda or borax. Mine never has. It does need chlorine and muriatic acid and Cyanuric Acid.
You do need a quality test kit. TF100 from TFTestkits.net or Taylor K2006C. The TF100 is what I have.
I suggest you read Pool School - Getting Started and Pool School - Pool Chemistry to start and post up your questions in the appropriate forums.
Take care.
I believe it is easier for you to take care of your pool than it is for a pool service that only visits weekly to take care of it. When making adjustments to determine what your pool needs readings only once a week is not enough. So if you believe that one visit a week is not enough then taking care of the pool yourself is the only option.
There is a learning curve, but for me it has been a fun journey. I do have the nerd gene and work out of my home. Your mileage may vary.
If you choose to accept the mission, all the help and information is hear that you will need. Good luck!
There is a learning curve, but for me it has been a fun journey. I do have the nerd gene and work out of my home. Your mileage may vary.
If you choose to accept the mission, all the help and information is hear that you will need. Good luck!
- Jan 4, 2016
- 5,289
- Pool Size
- 44000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
During the swim season, I spend about 30 minutes to an hour per week for testing, buying and adding chems. "TFPC for beginners" (linked in my signature) really helped when I started out. All I buy is muriatic acid, chlorine and cyanuric acid.
The PoolMath app is pretty handy, or you can do it all on the computer at PoolMath (linked at the top of every page).
The PoolMath app is pretty handy, or you can do it all on the computer at PoolMath (linked at the top of every page).
Also beware of the cheapest bleach you can find. We're fans of "plain ol', regular ol', unscented bleach", but sometimes the cheap stuff is cheap for a reason. It may be a very low concentration, old, or exposed to conditions (heat) that weaken it.
I'm using some stuff right now that turned-out to be less of a value than my mental calculations in the store isle assumed. By the time I actually calculated it, I paid almost exactly what name-brand laundry stuff costs. (yet I had to carry and store twice as many bottles)
I'm using some stuff right now that turned-out to be less of a value than my mental calculations in the store isle assumed. By the time I actually calculated it, I paid almost exactly what name-brand laundry stuff costs. (yet I had to carry and store twice as many bottles)
David....it really is THAT easy...IF....you pay attention to the great folks here and the trove of info on this site. I was in questioning the same things when I found this site this past spring. I read, listened, and asked lots of questions. My pool has never been as pristine clear as it s now...in fact just last night as I went out to pull a water sample...I looked in...yep..I could see Beijing! So jump on in, the water is GREAT! 
New pool owner here, as of earlier this year. I found the TFP method of pool maintenance to be very easy. I was 100% successful at keeping my pool crystal clear all season, every single day, and this is how I'm going to maintain it from now on. I've literally never had a 'pool guy' or set foot in a pool store, and I plan to keep it that way. And when I say "crystal clear", I mean my water was as clear as air. Sometimes if it was really still you basically couldn't tell there was water in the pool. If you want to see a transition from green to clear, checkout my SLAM thread here.
This was an average day this summer:
$76 would buy me 2 month's worth of chlorine for my pool (8.25% Great Value brand at Wal-Mart for $2.47/bottle). My pool uses roughly a half-gallon of chlorine per day, and gets a small dose of muriatic acid ($7/gallon at Lowe's, only needed one gallon for the entire season) every week or two. That, plus the initial dose of CYA at startup (maybe $16 worth?), are literally the only chemicals I've ever added to my pool.
This was an average day this summer:
$76 would buy me 2 month's worth of chlorine for my pool (8.25% Great Value brand at Wal-Mart for $2.47/bottle). My pool uses roughly a half-gallon of chlorine per day, and gets a small dose of muriatic acid ($7/gallon at Lowe's, only needed one gallon for the entire season) every week or two. That, plus the initial dose of CYA at startup (maybe $16 worth?), are literally the only chemicals I've ever added to my pool.
- Jan 4, 2016
- 5,289
- Pool Size
- 44000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
sccm, that's a great testimonial and thanks for adding your costs. Great answer for the OP, very helpful.
sccm, that's a great testimonial and thanks for adding your costs. Great answer for the OP, very helpful.
Relatively new owner here - second year with our pool. Our pool was much like sccm's pool all year this year. Between the pool cover, and the salt water chlorine generator, our pool was virtually maintenance free - really! I attribute it all to what I learned here. Bonus results from a well-balanced pool - we closed it today and the SWCG was like new and I haven't had to clean it since it was installed on the new pool (7 months of use).
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,121
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
This is an overhead night shot of my pool. The pool is 9ft deep. It looks as if there isn't any water in it at all! YES - TFP works!!
Ok, I just bought the TF100. So when I get my kit I assume I should run all seven tests to see where everything is and then adjust from there?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,570
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Absolutely!
Please read the links I provided earlier. One is how to set up a signature. That will help us help you.
Take care.
Piece of cake. I bought a house with a pool about 4 years ago. At first, I used to check my levels almost daily. Now, I check once a week. I installed a salt water generator, so my chlorine level stays very consistent. I am at the point where I add acid on Saturday mornings, and clean the cartridge filter about once a month. I bet I spend $75 a year on my pool, and it looks perfect all the time.
The test kit is the best tool you can have, good choice.
The test kit is the best tool you can have, good choice.
I just finished my new pool the beginning of June, I researched this site during construction and got a ton of valuable input. I also did the pool school and printed off quick notes. I do all my pool maintenance, so yes, it really is that easy! I spend $50-60 a month on 10% chlorine from Wal-mart during the summer. Now that its fall, I've switched to Home Depot regular plain bleach which is 8.25% $2.99 a gal (not the outdoor bleach which is around 6% and more expensive). I bought a Tf100 kit. Now I wanted to learn my pool and it's chlorine usage so I test FC for the exact chlorine level and PH daily. Also by a bag of baking soda from Sams. It's about $7 and is cheaper than paying $22 for the exact same thing in the pool store. A lot of the guys I work with I've tried to get them to go to TFP and do the pool school and take care of the pool their self. They won't listen and i hear about their Algae, cloudy water and cost of pool maintenance all the time. They can't believe all I add to my pool is chlorine or bleach, Muriatic acid and baking soda. I've never had to slam my pool, never had Algae or cloudy water all summer long. I spend about 15 min a day testing PH and FC and cleaning my skimmer socks. On the weekend I spend about 45 min cleaning the baskets in my pumps, and leaf catcher, doing a full test CH, TA, PH CYA FC CC and CSI. My pool looks like this everyday
_SKA4592 by Beccah-shawn Alberti, on Flickr
_SKA4590 by Beccah-shawn Alberti, on Flickr
_SKA4594 by Beccah-shawn Alberti, on Flickr
_SKA4592 by Beccah-shawn Alberti, on Flickr_SKA4590 by Beccah-shawn Alberti, on Flickr_SKA4594 by Beccah-shawn Alberti, on Flickr
wayner
LifeTime Supporter
- May 31, 2012
- 839
- Pool Size
- 100000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
+1e9
A Salt water system makes it even easier as you don't have to worry about buying Cl all the time. Just get the salt and CYA levels right at the beginning of the season (if you have seasons) and there is very little maintenance.
