New Pool Owners

[indianaguy]

Hi, I have posted a couple times here about Radiant Pools. We have ours ordered,( 24'x 52" round,semi in ground) Just waiting on dry weather to do the install.We ordered our pool from our local pool shop. And of course they gave us the sales pitch about buying our chemicals from them.

They like many other pool shops do a spring pool chemical sale. 20% off. Keep in mind this is a first pool and we will have a big learning curve as to the care of the pool and all that goes with it.So wondering if for the first season new owners like us should buy the chemicals from our pool shop, and then shop next season for better pricing?

Just thinking if we had an issue our pool shop would know what chemicals we are using.

We see so much about NOT buying from pools shop due to pricing, but by looking at our shops inventory of chemicals, everyone in our area must buy their pool supplies from them. Huge amount of stock.

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

20% might results in a decent price if they sell liquid chlorine. You can use this calculator to compare liquid chlorine deals: http://poncatechsquad.com/dan/calc/chlorine/

You could certainly buy the stabilizer from them (or check prices compared with Walmart).

You should not buy any solid chlorine (tablets or powders). And without test results, you will not know if you need to adjust the pH or TA ... although you could test your tap water and get a decent idea.

Have you read through Pool School and ordered your Recommended Test Kit?

Here are some you should read first:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

 

[indianaguy]

Thanks for your reply, Yes I have read the Pool School section several times, along with lots of other great info. here for us first timers.

I see you say to stay away from the chlorine tabs. The owner of the pool shop has been going over start up and maintaining of the pool. He says go with the Chlorine Tabs. Test kit will be coming with the pool along with start up chemicals etc.

Thanks for the info, and we will keep studying the info. here.

 

[bridgman]

I think the message here is not so much "don't buy from the pool store" as "understand what's going on in your pool and don't blindly buy the stuff the pool store *tells* you to buy". It's the "buying stuff you don't need" that costs the $$$ AFAICS.

For example, I find that buying chlorinating liquid for pools is cheaper than buying bleach, although that varies from one city/country to the next.

I see you say to stay away from the chlorine tabs. The owner of the pool shop has been going over start up and maintaining of the pool. He says go with the Chlorine Tabs. Test kit will be coming with the pool along with start up chemicals etc.

Problems come when you use tabs for too long... for example you could start with tabs, monitor the CYA level and switch to bleach / liquid chlorine when the CYA level gets high enough (see Handy Reference), but the general thinking here is that it's simpler and less error-prone to add the right amount of CYA (stabilizer) once and then use bleach / liquid chlorine from the beginning.

The test kit they give you probably won't measure CYA...

 

[jblizzle]

Read the last link I provided and you will see why tablets are not a good idea ... lowers the pH and worse, raises the CYA to levels that are impossible to keep appropriate chlorine levels as shown in the FC/CYA Chart.

I was in the pool store last night to buy some cellulose fiber to try in my DE filter. I asked how much their liquid chlorine was and they asked if I used a lot of it and I said, not really, I have a SWG but need to boost the FC level (I just found out it drifted too low with the warmer weather). Both employees immediately said that I should not use the liquid as it will make my pH and TDS (a bogus parameter) go up and I should use their powdered products ... I almost felt bad for them when I challenged and corrected everything that came out of their mouths ... they had no idea who they were dealing with

 

[bridgman]

Like two punks in a bar threatening to punch out Chuck Norris

 

[RobbieH]

All that liquid chlorine is going to raise your salt level, in your salt pool! Oh no!!!

 

[Patrick_B]

I think the message here is not so much "don't buy from the pool store" as "understand what's going on in your pool and don't blindly buy the stuff the pool store *tells* you to buy".

The cornerstone of what we teach is this.

Knowledge and understanding of what is going in the pool, the effects of adding it...intended effects, as well as the side effects. Pucks and powders unfortunately have some side effects. Adding Cya, or Calcium, and lowering pH in the case of pucks. Once you understand these fundamentals you can use whatever you want to control FC, but this is the reason we like to use Bleach. It has extremely minimal side effects. The upside to it, is that it almost always winds up costing less than sold forms of Chlorine.