I'm starting to get a handle on the chemicals. I'm not seeing any difference between the TFP method and other methods. Aside from not shocking the pool every week. What's the difference?
TFP vs Everyone else.
- Thread starter GuardianOcean
- Start date
JoeSelf
Gold Supporter
#1 - Only putting in exactly what your pool needs, when it needs it.
#2 - Testing yourself.
#3 - no ALGAE
#2 - Testing yourself.
#3 - no ALGAE
Go,
The main difference is that we test and know before we add anything to our pools what it will do...
On a personal level, I never have to add PhosFre, Algaecides, Clarifiers, or any of the other Magic potions that the Pool $tore sells... including that weekly dose of "shock".
Our way is knowing what you are doing, and not the Hope and Pray method used by most pool owners..
Thanks,
Jim R.
The main difference is that we test and know before we add anything to our pools what it will do...
On a personal level, I never have to add PhosFre, Algaecides, Clarifiers, or any of the other Magic potions that the Pool $tore sells... including that weekly dose of "shock".
Our way is knowing what you are doing, and not the Hope and Pray method used by most pool owners..
Thanks,
Jim R.
You all forgot the fact that the TFP forum is a valuable resource that doesn’t cost a dime.
Other methods, i.e. pool store advice & products kept my pool looking OK (not great) for awhile. Then I found I couldn't get rid of the 3-4 algae blooms per year. The water looked sort of cloudy and dull. It was making our skin very dry and everything that got near the water reeked of chlorine. After massively "shocking" the pool, adding $$$ of "this will take care of it but come back if it doesn't" and another week of brushing clouds, yes clouds, of algae from the walls, I got mad then got online and found TFP. My pool is crystal clear, no chlorine smell, zero algae in 2.5 years and my wallet has more money in it by far from the savings. It's fun managing my pool and fully agree that knowing what is in your water is very important. It is your pool to manage as you like....but I will never use another method.
Most pool owners I know just add chlorine and run the filter until the water clears up and call it a success. They use test strips which are not accurate which is why they end up brushing the walls, back-washing and shocking regularly. I speak from experience, I was one of them. I still used chlorine, baking soda and cyanuric acid and a little calcium but I was measuring with test strips. I learned from the local pool store employees and figured that they knew what they were talking about.
After learning this TFP method of testing I started asking friends how they care for their water and two of them told me that they didn't even have any method of testing the water, not even test strips. They just add more chlorine and whatever else the store will sell them and regularly battle algae.
I asked the same question as the OP when I first found this site and it took a while to learn that there is nothing new in the world here. I am still using the same chemicals that I always used but I'm doing it accurately now and the results are worth my time and effort. I haven't needed to brush the walls of my pool yet this season. I run a robot vacuum once or twice a week and that's it.
Now I get sick of all of the testing and adding chlorine but I prefer it to battling algae.
Mike.
After learning this TFP method of testing I started asking friends how they care for their water and two of them told me that they didn't even have any method of testing the water, not even test strips. They just add more chlorine and whatever else the store will sell them and regularly battle algae.
I asked the same question as the OP when I first found this site and it took a while to learn that there is nothing new in the world here. I am still using the same chemicals that I always used but I'm doing it accurately now and the results are worth my time and effort. I haven't needed to brush the walls of my pool yet this season. I run a robot vacuum once or twice a week and that's it.
Now I get sick of all of the testing and adding chlorine but I prefer it to battling algae.
Mike.
One of the main things TFP teaches different than most methods is the [FC/CYA]CYA/Chlorine relationship[/FC/CYA]
BINGO!
I was about to post that.
Pool stores preach unlimited CYA (until the TDS gets too high and/or you have "chlorine lock") and 1-3 FC is ideal. Except for the weekly shock where they drive it up to 10. And the algae shock where it's sorta up to the clerk... anywhere from 10 FC to 40 FC, although once we did have someone report what they were sold and it worked out to 67 FC.
Bigdog43
0
Yep, the pool store folks I've come in contact with are generally either not very knowledgeable or being deceitful. Not sure which is worse. They will not recognize the relationship between CYA and FC. They'll sell you the triclor tabs all summer so they can sell you something else to help get rid of the green in your pool.
At least in my area, I couldn't get someone in a pool store to acknowledge that bleach was the same liquid chlorine. They were trying to tell me that liquid chlorine wasn't a valid option because it loses is potency so fast, "but here, try some trichlor tabs!"
Most people as just lazy and don't want to put in the effort to learn the TFP method. I got friends that make me cringe in the way they take care of their pool. I try to show them the way until I'm blue in the face...
Priceless...
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Maybe my pool store here is just really good. They seem to be on the same page, so I didn't much understand the difference.. but yeah, if you all have pool stores who don't know what bleach contains and tell you not to bother testing your water.. well. that makes sense.
- - - Updated - - -
Maybe my pool store here is just really good. They seem to be on the same page, so I didn't much understand the difference.. but yeah, if you all have pool stores who don't know what bleach contains and tell you not to bother testing your water.. well. that makes sense.
I had recurring algae blooms, calcium scaling, cloudiness until I followed TFP method.
no more buying largely useless algaecides and magic clarifiers with TFP method.
no more buying largely useless algaecides and magic clarifiers with TFP method.
- May 31, 2018
- 90
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
It sounds cynical, but pool stores are in business to sell you things, not help you maintain clear water with minimal products. Some places are legit and well staffed by people who care. Others (like the one by me) are here to ensure I walk out the door a little bit lighter in the wallet.
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
I can vouch for that. There was one local mom & pop pool store that sold proper test kits too and recommended cya be 80 or less.
But no other stores in town did.
It's kinda rare.
However, I know they would also love to sell me a small bucket of (for example) ph up for a highly marked up price, when I can just
buy 20 mule team borax or washing soda at a vastly lower price at the grocery store.
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