Fired my Pool guy

Jump to latest Follow Reply
C

chavezone

0
Sep 7, 2018
47
Las Vegas
Just fired my pool guy, been a long time since I cared for my pool.
What's the best deal for tabs and shock, need everything.
Want chlorine that is not super weak like some of the Wal-Mart brands I've used in the past.
I also need advise on a good water test kit
 
Order a TF100 test kit
The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want.
I also have the SpeedStir. It makes testing much easier.

Trichlor (tabs) are not sustainable as a chlorine source. "Shock" is not a product, but liquid chlorine is. The tough part here in the desert is getting fresh liquid chlorine. You may have some pool supply stores in LV that have fresh liquid chlorine.

The best method here in the desert is a SWCG. But with your size pool, that will take some planning. A VS pump would also help as you would need long pump run times to chlorinate your pool in the summer.
 
mknauss said:
Order a TF100 test kit
The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want.
I also have the SpeedStir. It makes testing much easier.

Trichlor (tabs) are not sustainable as a chlorine source. "Shock" is not a product, but liquid chlorine is. The tough part here in the desert is getting fresh liquid chlorine. You may have some pool supply stores in LV that have fresh liquid chlorine.

The best method here in the desert is a SWCG. But with your size pool, that will take some planning. A VS pump would also help as you would need long pump run times to chlorinate your pool in the summer.
Click to expand...

I have updated my signature, I did upgrade my set up a few months back and now have a VS pump and sand filter.
My pool guy was great don't get me wrong , he was just doing a price increase and I recent took a large pay cut so trying to cut down on the spending.
So maybe I am wrong here but I have always been told that powdered shock was the way to go because the liquid shock wasn't strong enough and would evaporate quicker.
We rented a house years ago that had a pool and a pool guy, he only used liquid chlorine and a tab floater.
It seemed to me that because he would use a cheap chlorine that he would compensate the pump timer run time , ge would run the timer 12-16 hours on a pool that was maybe 15k gallons and it still struggled in the summer, was always trying to go gteen, there was a pine tree near by so that was a major factor
 
I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.

Proper water chemistry testing and understanding the FC/CYA relationship will clear up much of your concern.

So maybe I am wrong here but I have always been told that powdered shock was the way to go because the liquid shock wasn't strong enough and would evaporate quicker.
Click to expand...

Chlorine is chlorine. Understanding the side effects of what else is in the chlorine product (trichlor and dichlor - solid forms of chlorine - also have CYA; Cal - Hypo, also has calcium; and liquid chlorine also has water). The CYA and Calcium are not removed from your water unless you drain that water and replace it with fresh.
 
Once again, tabs (trichlor) are not sustainable. Occasional use when you are unable to add liquid chlorine on a daily basis is OK. So buying a huge tub of them is not a good idea.

Also, most of the tabs sold at big box stores have copper in them - look for the word 'blue' in their name. DO NOT use those under any circumstances. The copper builds up in the pool water and will stain it, turn blonde hair green, etc.
 
chavezone said:
My pool guy was great don't get me wrong , he was just doing a price increase and I recent took a large pay cut so trying to cut down on the spending.
So maybe I am wrong here but I have always been told that powdered shock was the way to go because the liquid shock wasn't strong enough and would evaporate quicker.
Click to expand...

Sometimes the reason we do something initially leads to something really better and unexpected in the end. Taking care of your own pool because your pool guy was going to raise prices and your lower income aren't great obviously. But if you follow this through, you will be in such a better place and will wonder why you paid the guy all along to have him take care of the pool. Great job making the switch! Before long, your reason for doing it yourself will be because a) it's easy, b) it's cheaper and c) it offers personal satisfaction.

FC gets used up from a) sunlight and b) organics, that's it. Nice and easy. The method (tabs, liquid, etc.) in which you add chlorine to your pool doesn't change the basis of what chlorine does or make one "better". All are chlorine. However, as Marty is highlighting, using pucks also adds other chemicals (and bleach adds water with the chlorine but thankfully water is OK), which can, over time, cause other issues. So for most people, tabs are not sustainable. BTW - The reason tabs contain both chlorine and another chemical, is because chlorine is not stable as a solid. So generally either calcium or CYA is added to make a puck.

The reason you may have heard that liquid chlorine evaporates, is actually because someone is telling you that, because liquid chlorine doesn't also contain CYA (stablizer - which makes FC last longer) it will get oxidized or burnt off by the sun more quickly - which is absolutely correct. However, the TroubleFree Pool Care (TFPC) method will have you add or maintain your CYA level separate from your chlorine additions to avoid that. Problem solved. Technically, if you have to raise your CYA, you can use pucks to raise it by a certain amount with each puck, but then you have to stop when your goal CYA is reached. TFPC, at it's core, is understanding what each chemical you add to your pool does, and giving you the ability to make educated pool decisions based on that.

Enjoy your newfound pool independence once you get past the learning curve!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply