I knew I was Pool Stored when...

[PoolStored]

With the influx of springtime new members rolling in, oddly, I found myself astounded at the number of members that have been Pool Stored. I don't know why it struck me this year, after helping so many that have been pool stored in the past, and even having the username PoolStored, but nonetheless, I'm astounded.

Why don't you share your "I knew I was Pool Stored when..." story so members can see we've all been there? I'll go first.

New pool owner during winter (came with the house). Pool Store told me that the UV system needed to be replaced, $1000 ("it will sanitize your pool"). What did I know? (Hint: NaDa). Sure, replace it! They opened the pool, fired up the puck chlorinator, and replaced the UV. I followed their instructions on adding pucks...two weeks later pool turned green. Daily 45 minute trips to the Pool Store (over 10 days) with water samples that turned into daily $50 purchases...clarifiers, algaecides, shock, phosphate removers. At one point I finally realized they had given me the same water results, but a different chemical set. #PoolStored.

TFP and @mknauss saved my pool, and a bunch of $$ over the years. Knock wood, no second SLAMs in my pool.

Share your PoolStored story and who here helped you save your pool, and join #TeamPoolStored, where "The first step is admitting the Pool Store is the problem," and the second step is "Get a good test kit."

If you found value from TFP, please consider becomming a supporter. We are entirely member supported and a non-profit...and no advertising!

Become a TFP Supporter

Help Support TFP Trouble Free Pool is run by a dedicated group of volunteers that … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[dfwnoob]

I found TFP while I was still in the closing process for my house. They never even had a chance to Pool Store me. In fact, my running side quest in pool ownership is to continue to stick it to pool stores by literally never setting foot in them unless something is so critically broken that I need a replacement same day.

.. and to deal with that I now have a commercial account the local supply house

 

[Newdude]

I was poolstored when.....

I was told that Mineral Springs was not salt. It was minerals, you see, which justified the exorbitant cost. The bags were $38 instead of $5 (at the time, and they're $50 instead of $8 now). Every spring I would need between 16 and 20 bags of 'beginnings' to rebalance after the winter rains added up. Then they'd hit me hard with spendy calcium I didn't need in a vinly pool, and baking soda with a fancier name and price tag to match.

I opened this spring and needed six $8 bags of salt, and three $5.67 gallons of bleach. It was about $700 cheaper the TFP way.

#teampoolstored.

 

[EmilyOTR]

Same as Newdude. I was poolstored when they convinced me to get Mineral Springs. NEVER AGAIN. $40 for salt? Thankfully I found TFP before I opened our pool the first time and it's been TFP cared for the entire time I've owned it!

 

[BDY]

Found TFP early on but still had to go to store. Walked into Leslie’s - said “I need granular stabilizer” and they said “oh you mean shock”….

Now on the other hand - my pool builders staff must have been trained by the pool store — they are convinced I have my pools chemistry all out of whack but cannot explain any of the “why” to me.

and my pool builder himself cannot for the life of himself understand why i wanted a SWG, large filter, VSP, and automation (well, demanded more like, by the end).

So I am very glad I started life with TFp from day 1

 

[midlifecrisis]

I contracted my pool and construction was mostly complete by the time I found TFP. I was already in with the UV/Ozone generator and Puck Chlorinator. Found this site two weeks after go live, and promptly turned the Ozone/UV off. I never used the Puck chlorinator. I have since removed both, and installed an SWG.

I've never been to a pool store, and only plan on doing so if I have no other alternative. I plan to contribute some of what I save as donations to TFP each year.

 

[FlappyLipps]

I never got a chance to get pool stored.
Local pool guys here wont do above ground pools which lead me to do it my self.

 

[kimkats]

I was poolstored when......

One day a couple bought a foreclosed house with an above ground pool. It had sat for 6 months with nothing done to it. LOTS of leaves and stuff in the water. This couple did NOT want a pool so let it sit for another 3 months while they rehabbed the house.

Well, the inside of the house got cleaned, repainted, ect. They then moved into the house. They thought since there was this big pool with a deck around it might as well see what they could do with it. Went to the pool store and told them "we know nothing about taking care of a pool". Spent LOTS of $$ that did nothing The female of the couple got tired of spending the $$ so she drained most of the water out and scooped and scooped and scooped (well you get the picture). Once all of the stuff was scooped up she added water to the pool and took the pretty, clear water to the pool store where she bought LOTS more stuff to keep the water pretty and clear.

A year goes by and the pretty pool (who the couple's male person fell in love with having) is getting harder and harder to keep clean and clear. Green stuff started growing on the sides. Back down to the pool store for more $tuff. 6 more moths and things went from bad to worst

One day the female is brushing the pool AGAIN (she HATED that pool) when she saw a crack in the bottom of the liner and ran her foot over it....... that caused the WHOLE bottom to tear apart and ALL of the water went rushing out almost taking her with it!!!

The couple took down and sold the rest of the pool. After a while the male said he wanted a new pool. She said sure IF he could find a way to take care of with OUT using the pool store. Well he found TFP! She bought a test kit BEFORE she let him order the pool to make sure she could do the tests. Turned out they were easy and fun to do.

Now look at the female! She is a MOD on TFP! Funny how things work out!

I told that story to let you know the P$ does not care about you or your pool. All they want is your wallet. TFP DOES care about you and your pool AND all we want is smile and thanks!

Now that I know what I know about pools my pH and TA was way off and the CYA was SUPER high. I do not remember the numbers I was given but do remember having to buy this and that each and every time I went in the store. The out of balance pH and TA cause my liner to "dry rot".

Kim TFP MOD

 

[RLP]

I was lucky enough to never give them the chance. My brother told me about this site last year when I put the pool in. Its stunning how clear the water is using this method.

I do purchase muriatic acid and liquid chlorine from a locally owned small biz pool store. It is super convenient for me, and the prices are pretty reasonable. They have been in business for a long time.

I just smile when they start asking about my TA and phosphates, and do I need any clarifier.

 

[W.J.Christy]

My pool was "completed" in September of 21'. My builder never had pool school, gave me an equipment run down, or really any other information other than "you can swim in it now". I had friends with pools and a pool store just down the way so that's where my journey began. Based on their advice, I bought 2 50lb buckets of pucks, a bucket of shock, and some stabilizer (no one told me the pucks were stabilized.)

During the fall and winter of the next year I made weekly trips to the pool store to test the water and make sure it was good (you never really close in Texas). Every time I went, there was always something. I was also testing my water with the basic taylor kit at this time too. I could never understand why my results didn't match the pool store. The basic kit just wasn't easy to work with so I started looking for a better alternative. I stumbled across TFP and found out about the DPD test and immediately ordered the 2006 (not C which I later regretted) kit.

It was there that my pool store journey ended and my TFP journey began. I had the PS test the water a few times after I bought the 2006 kit but it never really matched. Soon, I gained confidence in my testing and stopped going all together. Through this site, I also found out about the wonders of the SWCG. I had one installed before I opened in spring 22'. I then sold the buckets of pucks and shock (made money on those due to the shortage) and haven't looked back.

Because of this site, my pool is far cleaner, more sparkling, and (IMHO) more inviting than any other pool in my neighborhood. I have had no algae, no need to slam, and I only needed 1 2.5 gallon jug of LC this year. The only reason why I needed that jug was to bump up the chlorine in the cold months when the SWCG would not turn on due to water temp, and to bump up the chlorine as spring got going and I was getting my settings worked out.

Bottom line, the methods on this site are the least expensive, easiest, and most effective out there. Thank you to trouble free pool for all the help and advice!

 

[JamesW]

Customer reacting to their pool store water report with recommendations.

 

[Mdragger88]

I was thankfully never poolstored! I couldn’t afford to be
About 10 years ago I did my first “SLAM” with a cheap oto 6way kit (I don’t recommend attempting this), & a whole bunch of cheap bleach on my teeny tiny intex pool after growing tired of having to keep dumping it every week. I had run across the BBB method when googling “green pool” & “shock not working”.
My husband thought I was crazy stirring bleach into my bubbling green cauldron in the backyard like a mad wizard because I “read it on the internet “.
Suddenly it all made sense after reading about the fc/cya relationship that’s not mentioned on any “shock” or tablet package. Also that ph & ta are married & Trichlor/dichlor really jack up their relationship & POolMAth!! A godsend! No more toilet paper math & conversions for me with my tiny puddle!
I dove deep into chemgeek, jason lion, & waterbear’s research/explanations to be certain I wasn’t going to melt my kid’s skin off in the beautiful blue vat I was able to reveal.
@mknauss , @duraleigh, & @Jimrahbe ’s clear, calm & concise replies to posts when I searched for answers to my own questions sealed the deal - they were always consistent with their advice unlike other places in the wild(pool stores) or on the vast interweb…

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

I found TFP 5 years ago, 2 years before finally building our pool. We've never had algae, scaling, or corrosion. I just buy muriatic and cyanuric acid from the hardware store. I do like borates for easier ph management and Orenda 10,000 for cheap insurance. I throw in the robot every couple weeks, brush every 2 or 3 months, and manually vacuum maybe twice a year. My chemistry has become so predictable that I test fc and ph weekly-ish, others monthly.

Can't over state how easy it has been thanks to having TFP from the beginning.

 

[Kaylee34]

I was on the verge of being poolstored.

Bought a house with an inground pool and knew nothing except keep the water level high enough to go in the skimmer. Vaguely recalled things like "shock" "pink slime" and "backwash" from a relative that had a ABG pool a long time ago. Met the pool guy for the pool inspection prior to closing. He told me everything was in great shape but the equipment was old. Quoted me almost $8000 to replace it. My eyes glazed over. Quoted me $125 a week for maintenance. No way could I afford any of that... but too late to back out now.

I had a house with a very large, very expensive, very needy hole in the ground, that I didn't want in the first place, and no choice but to deal with it or fill it in. I checked on filling it in. No way unless I got all kinds of special permission and permits. Winning to lottery to afford to do it was secondary...

There was a shed full of "stuff". Brushes and nets, hoses everywhere, rectangle things, plastic water bottles that don't hold water? round plates, square plates, fittings, bags, baskets, massive tarps, a pile of what looked like oil spill booms...??... talk about confused. Some tank looking heavy thing with a mile long electrical cable. Buckets of shock, two kinds of pucks, PH up, PH down, dry acid (as opposed to wet acid?) bottles of clarifier, algaecide, muratic acid, something called "perfect weekly". OH MY!! What's this? Ooohhh... it's a test kit. I know what that is. Finally something I recognized. Its so old, the labels are worn off and I can't remember how many drops of yellow and how many of red and what's what.

I took lots of pictures and off to the pool store with some water I went. They tested my water... said I needed all kinds of expensive chemicals ...... $600 worth.... or else I'd have a green pool. Showed them the photos of all the "stuff" and chemicals... when it became obvious they didn't know any more about all this than I did, I knew I had to do something else. I went to another pool store. Maybe they had a more experienced employee... not really.... Counted my good fortune in that I didn't spend $600 of stuff I already had.

Came home and hit the internet. I found TFP almost right away. I devoured pool school. Ordered a TF100 Pro test kit. Until that showed up, I tossed a few pucks in the floater, sprinkled a little shock around and brushed like a madwoman. Pool was getting a little cloudy and had a green tint... Test kit came and I was hooked.... I need to SLAM. Done, easy. Learned how to operate my single speed pump and the DE filter. This was not hard. Then the dog discovered the floater and decided it made the BEST TOY EVER. Destroying floaters was annoying but taking the chance of him eating pucks was terrifying. I had to find another way. Enter thoughts of SWCG..... call on the collective knowledge of TFP.

Last year, I converted to saltwater. Replaced the old DE filter and single speed pump with a cartridge filter and variable speed pump. Replumbed the pad, ran all new electrical and built a cool pool hut to house everything. Total cost was less than half what the pool guy quoted me. The "stuff" in the shed is thinned out to what I need and I know how to use all of it. The chemicals are gone. Not a puck on the place. My pool is crystal clear, easy and fast to maintain and costs me little more than electricity to run the pump. My electric bill also dropped over $100 a month.

Many, many thanks to @Texas Splash , @mknauss , @Jimrahbe , @Newdude and everyone else at TPF. I've gone from having a pool I didn't want to a pool I brag about having.

 

[Jimrahbe]

I've gone from having a pool I didn't want to a pool I brag about having.

Kaylee,

People like you are the main reason that most of us volunteer our time here at TFP.

Thanks for your support.

Jim R.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I was almost Grocery Stored. It is convenient that my local Safeway grocery store sells chlorine. Not so much when it's over a year old. I check their stock when I pass by and there is nothing newer than the date shown on the left in the photo. So I went to Ace instead.

 

[BDY]

Kaylee,

People like you are the main reason that most of us volunteer our time here at TFP.

Thanks for your support.

Jim R.

The question is how do us newbies who are converts start helping? It feels like must take years to get that same knowledge base!

 

[clambert1273]

The question is how do us newbies who are converts start helping? It feels like must take years to get that same knowledge base!

If you see something you know the answer to then jump in. If it's wrong it will be corrected. Never worry about chiming in IMO

 

[proavia]

The question is how do us newbies who are converts start helping? It feels like must take years to get that same knowledge base!

Don't be shy - if you know the answer, chime in. Bonus points if you provide a link to supporting areas of the site.

 

[Metalmushpuff]

I was lucky to find TFP fairly early on. I became suspicious of the pool store on our second trip, when the brand new employee behind the counter had to keep redoing the test because he was clueless. After that, we took a sample across the street to other pool store, where we were given wildly different numbers and a 7 page printout of the various chemicals we needed. I left there empty handed and good thing because if I had listened, we surely would have had to drain the pool. After brief misadventure with a pool service that turned out to be a bunch of lying liars that lied, I found TFP and never looked back.

Thanks to TFP, I finally understood why I needed to keep adding acid and figured out why I was holding chlorine with the SWCG. I followed the SLAM and my pool water turned the color I had been expecting, instead of the weird greenish hue that everyone kept saying was fine. Now my water is crystal clear and feels amazing!

On my last trip to a pool store to stock up on acid (they are the cheapest), I overheard the employee telling someone that “chlorine won’t kill algae, it only bleaches it out so you can’t see it. Only algaecide kills algae!“ It was all I could do not to interject!