Best chemical testing kit and liquid bleach

[momandpop]

I’ve owned an above ground 33 ft in diameter pool for about 15 years. I’ve had my battles, but I seem to have a sweet spot the last 5 yrs. I will share my routine, but as I’ve been taking time to read this website, I am realizing I’m spending more than I need to. I’m scared to change bc my water is always crystal clear.
Here it goes: once I get my levels good (my CYA is 45) I backwash and shock (3 lbs) once a week. 24 hrs later I do routine Algaecide (6-8 oz).
I’m using an old bio guard kit that tests my chlorine, PH, TA and acid demand. I use the pool store to test my CYA. I tried strips but didn’t like them. It’s getting harder to find the chemicals for my test kit though.
I’d like to use liquid bleach if it’s that much cheaper. After covid my shock went sky high!! I’m using calcium hypochlorite 65%. I also keep chlorine tablets in my skimmer 1-2per week.
Financially we are struggling to keep this pool going.
Please help with a better test kit and how to use liquid chlorine and save money. Thanks!!!

 

[Parac]

The best kit is the TF-Pro from tftestkits.net

Additional reading here: Test Kits Compared

 

[sande005]

Hard to estimate without knowing more, but that has never stopped me from taking a wild guess at it.

Since you've been succeeding in keeping it clear (more about that in a minute...), just comparing costs -
Using WalMart pricing near me, you're spending $17.88 on Cal Hypo, and maybe $7.99 on the two tabs. Those amounts of course can fluctuate wildly depending on where you buy, what you buy, and how much at once. But let's say $25.87 per week.
The amount of chlorine roughs out to about the same as 3 gal of 10% liquid, which is $5.67 at my WalMart. $17.01 per week. So a savings of $8.86 per week.
Normally here, algicide is thought of as an unnecessary item. So you save that expense, too.

The BUT - based on what you are adding, your pool seems to use up about 4-5 ppm of Cl per day. That's reasonable. Only adding pretty much on a weekly schedule means, though, that you have a chance of dropping too low toward the end of the week. Which courts an algae explosion. When you get your new test kit, you should test several times a week to see what the levels really are, based on your CYA level. After a period of time you will learn the swings of your pool, and can adjust testing as needed. You may have to add more initially to get to a level higher than you were used to (maybe from 3-4 to 8), but your day to day usage will be as before to keep it near 8. The catch is you should add much more frequently - daily, or at most every couple of days. THEN you don't need the algaecide.

The other factor - having to get to the store to buy more cases, lug them, store them, etc......

If you update your location to the city in Georgia, others can likely direct you to the best deals, to save more.