I am a new pool owner and a new member to this forum.
It has been VERY helpful. Lets see if someone can help with this.
I have only four pool stores within reasonable driving distance of my home. The first few weeks of my new pool I frequented whichever store was closest to me on my errands for that week. I could not get the pool to balance.
So for the last month or so I have embarked on a little test. I have added only three chlorine tabs a week and one bag of quality shock on Thursday nights. Saturdays I took four sample bottles and visited each store. I was surprised to see the variance in read outs and recommendations, for example:
1] Add 2 1/2 lbs liquid chlorine-all else is good.
2] All is good but add 1 cup muriatic acid.
3] all is good - do nothing.
4] all is good add four lbs soda ash.
And this is all on the same day from the same water!
Imagine my surprise and concern that after four weeks I can not even get TWO reports to be similar in any test period.
But what really ticks me off is that this Thursday I did the rounds before I added any chem, I expected to see low readings in chlorine, and I did, from .02 to .07. BUT I ADDED nothing and went back today and the chlorine readings from the same places show levels of 1.3 to 2.2.
It is evident that the science of pool water testing [at least in Jacksonville fl] is at best a turkey shoot. I assume there is too much of a opinion factor when by the person taking the readings as evident by two of the four stores being the same corporation [Pinch a Penny] but in different locations-so the procedures and equipment are the same. Oddly enough there's are the least consistent and also the ppl who always recommend the most quantity and variation of chem.
The purpose of my experiment was to hopefully establish one of the four companies that had at least a consistent base line that I could trust and then adjust accordingly form there. But after a total of six comparisons I can honestly say i'm likely just as accurate by looking at and smelling the pool.
So here is where I need help. What Shall I do - How can I test the pool and trust that I am maintaining a good safe pool and not a mixing ground for corporate Americas chemical companys?
Uncovered 14,000 gal with spa.
It has been VERY helpful. Lets see if someone can help with this.
I have only four pool stores within reasonable driving distance of my home. The first few weeks of my new pool I frequented whichever store was closest to me on my errands for that week. I could not get the pool to balance.
So for the last month or so I have embarked on a little test. I have added only three chlorine tabs a week and one bag of quality shock on Thursday nights. Saturdays I took four sample bottles and visited each store. I was surprised to see the variance in read outs and recommendations, for example:
1] Add 2 1/2 lbs liquid chlorine-all else is good.
2] All is good but add 1 cup muriatic acid.
3] all is good - do nothing.
4] all is good add four lbs soda ash.
And this is all on the same day from the same water!
Imagine my surprise and concern that after four weeks I can not even get TWO reports to be similar in any test period.
But what really ticks me off is that this Thursday I did the rounds before I added any chem, I expected to see low readings in chlorine, and I did, from .02 to .07. BUT I ADDED nothing and went back today and the chlorine readings from the same places show levels of 1.3 to 2.2.
It is evident that the science of pool water testing [at least in Jacksonville fl] is at best a turkey shoot. I assume there is too much of a opinion factor when by the person taking the readings as evident by two of the four stores being the same corporation [Pinch a Penny] but in different locations-so the procedures and equipment are the same. Oddly enough there's are the least consistent and also the ppl who always recommend the most quantity and variation of chem.
The purpose of my experiment was to hopefully establish one of the four companies that had at least a consistent base line that I could trust and then adjust accordingly form there. But after a total of six comparisons I can honestly say i'm likely just as accurate by looking at and smelling the pool.
So here is where I need help. What Shall I do - How can I test the pool and trust that I am maintaining a good safe pool and not a mixing ground for corporate Americas chemical companys?
Uncovered 14,000 gal with spa.
