I'm dropping a quick (okay, now that I read my post, it is not quick) note to thank the TFP folks. I have been following the TFP documentation and forum guidance. Not only have I been able to drop having a pool guy, but I have also broken my dependency on Leslie's made-up AccuBlue results.
So, a little background...
I have had the same pool company for years, and I paid a premium for their chemical and sweep service, which is just them emptying my skimmers and basket on my robotic pool sweep, which I was doing already. They also would kind of half-donkey sweep sides and steps. Again, I do that myself at least once a week and much more thoroughly. I started to look closely at the summary email they would send and it would always have the same three numbers for Chlorine, pH and Alk. I would never see measurements for CYA or Hardness. The more I dug in, and started observing what they were doing, I learned that they were not doing much. Checking my pool camera, I often saw that the pool guy was neither testing nor adding chemicals. To make matters more frustrating, I got my own (Taylor) test kits and started verifying their numbers, only to find they were off, sometimes significantly.
So, I started taking samples to Leslie's. They would give me the AccuBlue readouts, which would significantly differ from what the Taylor tests showed. I read, researched, asked questions, and became proficient at testing. Also, importantly, I started using the Pool Math App. This allowed me to record (sometimes daily) test results and calculate incremental changes that helped me perfect my pool. Once I became proficient at testing correctly, I learned to trust my results and adjust my pool based on the TFP method.
Fast-forward to now. I do not spend a fortune on Leslie's snake oil additives and expensive add-ons. I don't need a chlorinator, either. I just incrementally maintain things and use the Pool math app to track changes. My pool is crystal clear and gorgeous and saving me a bunch of beer money, so again, thank you TFP.
So, a little background...
I have had the same pool company for years, and I paid a premium for their chemical and sweep service, which is just them emptying my skimmers and basket on my robotic pool sweep, which I was doing already. They also would kind of half-donkey sweep sides and steps. Again, I do that myself at least once a week and much more thoroughly. I started to look closely at the summary email they would send and it would always have the same three numbers for Chlorine, pH and Alk. I would never see measurements for CYA or Hardness. The more I dug in, and started observing what they were doing, I learned that they were not doing much. Checking my pool camera, I often saw that the pool guy was neither testing nor adding chemicals. To make matters more frustrating, I got my own (Taylor) test kits and started verifying their numbers, only to find they were off, sometimes significantly.
So, I started taking samples to Leslie's. They would give me the AccuBlue readouts, which would significantly differ from what the Taylor tests showed. I read, researched, asked questions, and became proficient at testing. Also, importantly, I started using the Pool Math App. This allowed me to record (sometimes daily) test results and calculate incremental changes that helped me perfect my pool. Once I became proficient at testing correctly, I learned to trust my results and adjust my pool based on the TFP method.
Fast-forward to now. I do not spend a fortune on Leslie's snake oil additives and expensive add-ons. I don't need a chlorinator, either. I just incrementally maintain things and use the Pool math app to track changes. My pool is crystal clear and gorgeous and saving me a bunch of beer money, so again, thank you TFP.
