Purchasing chemicals, where?

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NorthTx!

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Dec 3, 2014
45
Frisco/Texas
As a brand new pool owner (pool just got filled on Monday), I am wondering where people purchase their supplies. If you can tell me where and what brand you buy for the following, I would appreciate it:

6% bleach.
borax.
baking soda.
calcium chloride dihydrate.
stabilizer.

Thanks,
 
I would be shocked if you ever need baking soda or calcium chloride or borax for that matter in TX.

Stabilizer(aka conditioner, cyanuric acid) you can get at pool stores or Walmart.
There are a few threads that discuss the best places to find liquid chlorine ... there is really no 6% available any more. It is all 8.25% for the regular bleach or 10% / 12.5% from pool stores or in bulk.

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Do you have a Recommended Test Kit already?

Please add your pool details to your signature as described HERE as it will help us help you.
 
Hello North Texas,
In Hurst, the cheapest place to get 8.25% Bleach is always Wal-Mart - I don't care for Wal-Mart, but I do go there for Great Value Bleach - It's normally 2.94
If you are new to this, the only thing you really need to watch for is the Production Dates. I once bought some Bleach on sale, by the case, and it ended up not working well at all.
It would not raise Cl levels like it should, and it didn't last very long.
After much heartache, and a lot of searching I found out that all of the "Case Price Bleach" was 14 months old.
I was able to return everything that was not used - bought current date bleach, and all was well again.

I have never had top buy any of the other products you asked about - Just Bleach for me.
Once you get your stabilizer right, you really won't have to worry about that going forward.
I would say get it to 40 or so and it should be fine.
There is nothing you can "pour in" to get it down - so just be careful not to get it too high
 
bleach. - I buy 8.25% Kroger brand concentrated bleach at Kroger or 10% liquid chlorine from Lowe's
borax - 20 Team Mule Borax from Kroger, but as others say you need to wait until you know what you are doing and need/want to do this
baking soda - Also from Kroger, but you probably don't need any
calcium chloride dihydrate - I don't even know what this is. :)
stabilizer - Pool chemical aisle at Lowe's

You also will need muriatic acid which I also buy at Lowe's

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p.s.
likely all you are going to need for a while is bleach to chlorinate and muriatic acid to keep the ph down, assuming you have a gunite/plaster pool. Hardness and alkalinity aren't really an issue here especially not at first.
 
My local Home Depot has 5lb jug of stabilizer ($20)and 2gal pack 31.4% Muriatic acid (can't remember how much)
Lucky for me a pool store is 3/4 mile down on the street I live on.
I get 10% 2.5gal carboys $5.15 out the door.

Never really needed much else... never have to shock/slam, pool water is always perfect.
 

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Bleach 8.25% at walmart. 3.94 gal. The walmart brand
Borax - I never have bought any. I dont need it.
Baking Soda - Walmart in the pool section. 8.00 for a 12lb bag
Stabilizer - Walmart pool section. HTH Brand, 15.00 for 4lb jug.
Calcium Chloride - Walmart. HTH Brand (Calcium Plus or Calcium up or something like that) 9.00 for a 4 lb jug.
Muriatic Acid - Hardware store about 300 yards from where woody lives. 7.25 gal.

NorthTx! said:
As a brand new pool owner (pool just got filled on Monday), I am wondering where people purchase their supplies. If you can tell me where and what brand you buy for the following, I would appreciate it:

6% bleach.
borax.
baking soda.
calcium chloride dihydrate.
stabilizer.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
 
Bleach -- Big jugs of Great Value (bottom shelf) at Walmart, or the pool stuff in the garden center or Home Depot, depending on where I am during the week. I like using the 12% when I can get it but it's not any cheaper than the above. Honestly, when the pool is runnig well, I don't stock more than I need for a week or too and just but it while I am out doing other shopping.

Borax - Walmart but the last box sat around so long it went back into the laundry room I don't need it often.

Baking Soda - Walmart in the pool section. I don't need it often. Last bag got hard before I needed it again, I just broke off clumps.

Stabilizer - Walmart pool section. HTH Brand, 15.00 for 4lb jug. I just but it when I need it, once... twice a year.
 
Re: that 2 pack of MA at Home Depot- Unless you have a new pool whose pH rises constantly, I wouldn't suggest stocking up on the muriactic acid as I consider it a PITA to store. I only keep one jug at home, especially as I rarely need much of it. I wish I could buy smaller jugs of it just so I wouldn't have to store the extra.
 
I only buy 1 gallon of acid at a time as well for a few reasons. I don't use much at a time and I have to keep it separate from other chemicals (don't ever store acids and oxidizers together!). I keep the jug outside, in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.

For the bleach, cheap stuff (8.25%) wherever you can find it. For the 10% and 12.5%, big box home centers and pool stores. My best deal near me is the 12.5%.

Baking soda - grocery store. Much cheaper than buying Alkalinity Up at the pool store.
 
Thanks, now for the big question.
My pool was filled over last weekend and my PB guy came out on Monday afternoon and added some chemicals (not sure all what he added) and put us through pool school. Thus, last night (Wed) I tested the water. I had 0 chlorine and the Ph was low. I texted the guy who came out and he said Chlorine wouldn't show up in a test for a week.
Is this true?????
I'm concerned that my inline-chlorinator is not working. Should I add chlorine, wait, contact my PB to check out the chlorinator?

Thanks
 
NorthTx! said:
Thanks, now for the big question.
My pool was filled over last weekend and my PB guy came out on Monday afternoon and added some chemicals (not sure all what he added) and put us through pool school. Thus, last night (Wed) I tested the water. I had 0 chlorine and the Ph was low. I texted the guy who came out and he said Chlorine wouldn't show up in a test for a week.
Is this true?????
I'm concerned that my inline-chlorinator is not working. Should I add chlorine, wait, contact my PB to check out the chlorinator?

Thanks
Click to expand...

OMG! He really said *that*??? Oy. Chlorine is testable after minutes, just enough to circulate it well to get an accurately mixed sample of water. Now CYA (Stabilizer) does take about a week to appear on tests, but you go on the assumption it is in there (for whatever known amount you added, at the least).

I don't know about your inline chlorinator but you need to get some good old bleach in their STAT! Otherwise you're asking for trouble from algae and any other contaminate that may have entered your pool in the mean time. Use PoolMath to tell you how much liquid bleach to use per your desired FC.
PoolMath can also guide you in raising your low pH.
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I suggest you buy a TF-100 test kit, do you own testing, add some chlorine and and never, never call that guy again.

Inline chlorinators are nice for vacations, assuming you can afford the extra stabilizer in your water. If you plan for it, it can be nice to add a few pucks while you are out of time.
 
NorthTx! said:
Thanks, now for the big question.
My pool was filled over last weekend and my PB guy came out on Monday afternoon and added some chemicals (not sure all what he added) and put us through pool school. Thus, last night (Wed) I tested the water. I had 0 chlorine and the Ph was low. I texted the guy who came out and he said Chlorine wouldn't show up in a test for a week.
Is this true?????
I'm concerned that my inline-chlorinator is not working. Should I add chlorine, wait, contact my PB to check out the chlorinator?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Do you know for sure he added Pucks to the inline Chlorinator?

If he did, and it has adequate flow, you should absolutely be seeing some FC residual by now.

Since you are newly starting, you are losing a fair amount from sunlight each day because the stabilizer level is low. (Presuming he didn't add some)

He shouldn't have with a new pool, and Pucks/Inline Chlorinators are great for new startup. The chlorinator should be adjusted to give you some residual that you should be seeing by now. It should not take a week.

What are you using to test with? And as above, please add your pool details with the instructions link Jblizzle suggested in his post.
 
I've added my signature. Not sure why it's not showing.
17000 gallon in ground pool with Hayward equipment. Quartz plaster with chlorinater and ozonator.
Testing with multiple kits. Here's what I get:
FC: 0
TC:0
CYA: 30
TA: 80
PH: 7.4
Phosphates: 500
 

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