I am a stranger at the pool store

[subedoo]

I'm on my third season as a pool owner and have only been to the pool store twice -- once out of town to buy pool parts and once last year to a small store in town for testing supplies (bought a Taylor kit online the first year). The people at the local pool store don't know me and wouldn't have a need to know me since we purchased the pool used, put it up ourselves and I use BBB. I went straight for the Taylor supplies and picked up what I needed, four different bottles. The store owner asked who I was buying for and I replied, "Myself." He said, "No, I mean what business." Again, I told him they were for me and my backyard pool. He didn't even know how much to charge me as the billing for businesses is done by the "bookkeeping employee." All he, or other front counter staff, ever had to do was write it up. They didn't have to know how much to charge for bottles. He said most residential users just use the strips. I said, "I know," and smiled. I was waiting for him to ask me what I used for sanitation but I was disappointed. He did not. Maybe he knew already.

Anyway, thanks to this board, I am practically a stranger to the local pool store. :-D

 

[Crzyfrlss1]

That makes two of us

I haven't stepped foot in a pool store yet this year.
Although I need to go soon for some filter sand and thats it.

 

[heikejohn]

Our Wal-Mart had filter sand for about $5.00 a bag this spring.
The pool store charged me twice that much last year. (We replaced the sand after converting & we dumped it when we closed the pool.)

 

[Crzyfrlss1]

Our Wal-Mart had filter sand for about $5.00 a bag this spring.
The pool store charged me twice that much last year. (We replaced the sand after converting & we dumped it when we closed the pool.)

My wal-mart doesn't even sell that

 

[waste]

Subedoo, welcome to TFP!!

Let's hope you remain strangers with the pool stores

 

[TizMe]

Whats a Pool Store? I was in our pool store once this year to buy caps for our uprights and THATS ALL !!

 

[Guest]

Don't blow off the pool store, if they sell liqiud chlorine in refillable carboys it is often a better deal than bleach!

 

[duraleigh]

Don't blow off the pool store, if they sell liqiud chlorine in refillable carboys it is often a better deal than bleach!

Hear! Hear! This forum is full of anecdotal evidence that Pool Stores that carry LC are the cheapest source of chlorine. No pool store in my area carries it but I know it's big in FL, CA, and TX.

 

[uwimage]

I also don't totally blow off my local pool store, I just don't take them water samples anymore :lol:

They are still fine for polaris parts, filter parts, pump parts...yes, it might be a little more than Ebay but I do like to support my local smaller business' in the area.

Of course they have sold me expensive products in the past that I now get from Target (borax), but for the most part I have two stores in the Richardson/Plano area that don't over do it and are pretty up front. Just at the beginning of the season from one store I got a coupon to buy one get one free of D.E.; Yes, $18 is more than $13 at Lowe's but to get two bags for $18, pretty good deal!

Remember to support your local owned/operated business' too...just don't get taken advantage of.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

This was the first summer I got by with one visit, for a part for my filter. They have good deals on LC too but it's not a convenient drive for me, so I just get it at Walmart usually.

 

[tootie]

My last brief encounter with my pool store was last week...And it was not a pleasant one :grrrr:
Now that I have some CYA reagent ,I'm back in business and they are OUT :lol:

 

[AnnaK]

Pool store LC is the best deal around for me. They're closer than the X-Marts, the chlorine is more cost effective per ounce, and they carry whatever PVC parts I need, saving me a trip to the hardware chain stores.

I chose not to buy their chemicals but I do from time to time have them test my water for things I don't test for, such as borates. Some day I may need a repair beyond my skills or a referral or whatever. I'm not burning those bridges.

 

[Swimgirl]

I've stopped in to get liquid chlorine before, but I have found it's a better buy at Home Depot or Lowe's. But I did decide to use cal-hypo for shock for awhile (I pulled a muscle in my side, making it more difficult to handle the liquid chlorine, and my calcium is low enough to get away with it), so I did go into the pool store to get it. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't seem to find it anywhere else. I was happy because there was a sale on it, which made it actually a little cheaper to use than bleach! :lol:

 

[MikeInNH]

For me the pool store is good for a big jug of 12% chlorine and pieces parts now and then. Love those re-usable jugs.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I was at the pool store today. Looking (early) for a new winter cover. No deal, to early. 12.5% on sale for $2.79, I bought 4 gals! Good buy. This was only my second visit this year....my first was for a filter part.

So I had called there a couple weeks ago and asked if they carried Polyquat 60 Algaecide, for winterizing. Was told, yes, they do. Today, no deal. They don't carry it. Should have known. So their expert, comes over to answer the cashier's call about my inquiry...he says "now, you know, algaecide is a preventative for algae, it won't treat an algae outbreak...." (I can only guess that he was confused by my buying so much chlorine, that maybe I had an algae problem.) "I know", I answer, with a knowing smile of course. He continues...."you want to be careful with algaecides because they contain copper and that will cause green hair." As if somehow implying that Polyquat 60 has copper in it. I'm pretty sure it doesn't, which is why it's so readily recommended on TFP. But I left it alone, wondering to myself, why then, if you are so concerned about customers putting copper in their pool, do you have two full shelves full of various brands of copper algaecide, and another 2 shelves of Pool Frog products?.....

I paid for my liquid chlorine and left. Ugh, I had to shower after. :grrrr:

 

[Firefly2000]

I'm fairly new around here, and new to pool ownership and maintenance as well. This forum has helped me finally solve problems that no pool shop could help with.

Consider the following:
If I'm sick, I go to a doctor and I normally get better.
If my pet cat is sick, I take him to the vet and he normally gets better.
If my pool is sick, one would naturally assume that you go to the experts at the local pool shop. WRONG. This is very frustrating to me!

I have found out the hard way that the only way to solve pool issues is to educate yourself with information on this site, and to ask questions to the experts here (who have no interest in selling you something).

A public thanks to all those expert contributors!

I now only go to the pool store for liquid chlorine.

 

[MikeInTN]

I was at the pool store today. Looking (early) for a new winter cover. No deal, to early. 12.5% on sale for $2.79, I bought 4 gals! Good buy. This was only my second visit this year....my first was for a filter part.

So I had called there a couple weeks ago and asked if they carried Polyquat 60 Algaecide, for winterizing. Was told, yes, they do. Today, no deal. They don't carry it. Should have known. So their expert, comes over to answer the cashier's call about my inquiry...he says "now, you know, algaecide is a preventative for algae, it won't treat an algae outbreak...." (I can only guess that he was confused by my buying so much chlorine, that maybe I had an algae problem.) "I know", I answer, with a knowing smile of course. He continues...."you want to be careful with algaecides because they contain copper and that will cause green hair." As if somehow implying that Polyquat 60 has copper in it. I'm pretty sure it doesn't, which is why it's so readily recommended on TFP. But I left it alone, wondering to myself, why then, if you are so concerned about customers putting copper in their pool, do you have two full shelves full of various brands of copper algaecide, and another 2 shelves of Pool Frog products?.....

I paid for my liquid chlorine and left. Ugh, I had to shower after. :grrrr:

I stopped by the new Leslie's up here to check to see if they had a Jandy valve (they didn't), and decided to look at what they charge for PQ60...they wanted $74 a gallon for it.. Isn't that just a bit overpriced???

EDIT: Hmmm...maybe not so overpriced...just did a Google search, and it looks like the going rate is $17 - $20 per quart, so that's about average. Wow.....

 

[chem geek]

EDIT: Hmmm...maybe not so overpriced...just did a Google search, and it looks like the going rate is $17 - $20 per quart, so that's about average. Wow.....

At the recommended dose for a typical pool, it's around $2-3 per week in maintenance cost (3 ounces per 10,000 gallons). You can look at it as insurance if your chlorine ever gets too low for whatever reason (high bather load, unusually hot and sunny, forgetting to add chlorine, etc.). Of course, if one had 50 ppm Borates in their pool then that's also an algae inhibitor and you don't have to add it every week (unless there is a lot of dilution). Using chlorine alone with an FC appropriate to the CYA level will prevent algae growth so these additional chemicals are not needed, but they do work. PolyQuat is particularly useful for closing a pool over the winter (along with chlorine) or when doing an ascorbic acid treatment to remove metal stains (since the chlorine will go to zero).

 

[MikeInTN]

EDIT: Hmmm...maybe not so overpriced...just did a Google search, and it looks like the going rate is $17 - $20 per quart, so that's about average. Wow.....

At the recommended dose for a typical pool, it's around $2-3 per week in maintenance cost (3 ounces per 10,000 gallons). You can look at it as insurance if your chlorine ever gets too low for whatever reason (high bather load, unusually hot and sunny, forgetting to add chlorine, etc.). Of course, if one had 50 ppm Borates in their pool then that's also an algae inhibitor and you don't have to add it every week (unless there is a lot of dilution). Using chlorine alone with an FC appropriate to the CYA level will prevent algae growth so these additional chemicals are not needed, but they do work. PolyQuat is particularly useful for closing a pool over the winter (along with chlorine) or when doing an ascorbic acid treatment to remove metal stains (since the chlorine will go to zero).

Yep, that's why I was looking for it - for when I close the pool in the fall. Any idea on the recommended dosage for winterization?

 

[chem geek]

I wrote to Buckman Labs (the makers of most PolyQuat products) about this a while ago and the following is their recommendation on how to use the product for closing a pool:

In our recommended approach for winterization, the pool should be "shocked" with about 5-10 ppm chlorine to destroy any lingering oxidant demand, to remove any residual ammonia or chloramine, etc. After a couple of days, adjust the pH back to 7.2-7.6 and add Polyquat 60 at the maximum rate allowed by the label. This approach allows you to have the maximum benefit from both chemicals. One more point about winterizing: after the addition of Polyquat 60, be sure to keep the circulation pump on for at least 24 hours to make sure that the Polyquat 60 is thoroughly distributed throughout the pool.

The latter point about keeping the pump running for a while has to do with PolyQuat 60 being quite viscous (thick and slow to dissolve/disperse).

Richard