I knew I was Pool Stored when...

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I test my water with my Taylor K2006c kit before I go to the pool store. I like to see how their numbers differ from mine and my least favorite test is the CYA test, so it's nice to see their result. I'm amazed at all the things they try to sell me. (I buy liquid chlorine from them because the closest Walmart is 35 minutes away, so the convenience is worth it to me.) I do have a couple of questions for you:
1) Metals - they consistently tell me I have .1 Iron and want to sell me 2 qts of Pool Magnet Plus (Is this iron level a problem?)
2) TA - mine is 70-80. They want 125-150 - why do you think they want it that high? (Probably to sell me the 17.5 lbs of "Balance Pak 100")
3) Low Optimizer "1"; Ideal being 30-35 for water clarity and softener. What the heck is Optimizer? They want to sell me 29 lbs of it....my water is beautifully clear... Again, I only buy chlorine.

So, thanks to TFP, which I joined a little over two years ago after letting my pool guy go, I've had beautiful water, never a spot of algae and so far it's been
"trouble free". While I was there, they sold a young guy over $120 in products. I slipped him a piece of paper with this website and said to do a little research because they were selling him stuff he probably didn't really need. He looked at me like a deer in the headlights.... Thank you for being here for us!
 
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Denise O said:
1) Metals - they consistently tell me I have .1 Iron and want to sell me 2 qts of Pool Magnet Plus (Is this iron level a problem?)
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Nope.
Denise O said:
2) TA - mine is 70-80. They want 125-150 - why do you think they want it that high? (Probably to sell me the 17.5 lbs of "Balance Pak 100")
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The want it that high because they primarily sell pucks for chlorination, which are very acidic. A high TA buffers the acidic effects of the pucks. Your TA is perfect.

Stay out of the pool store and stop getting water tested...just an opportunity for them to sell you potions.

Sincerely,
PoolStored.
 
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PoolStored said:
Nope.

The want it that high because they primarily sell pucks for chlorination, which are very acidic. A high TA buffers the acidic effects of the pucks. Your TA is perfect.

Stay out of the pool store and stop getting water tested...just an opportunity for them to sell you potions.

Sincerely,
PoolStored.
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Awww, come on....Sometimes it's fun to see their test results... It's free with the chlorine purchase. I did pay $5 once to have them test my same water twice in a row. Not a surprise to have them get different results; one saying my PH was too low and the other too high. Don't worry, I won't fall for their tactics. Thanks for your replies. #Didn't get Pool Stored thanks to this group!
 
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Denise O said:
Awww, come on....Sometimes it's fun to see their test results... It's free with the chlorine purchase. I did pay $5 once to have them test my same water twice in a row. Not a surprise to have them get different results; one saying my PH was too low and the other too high. Don't worry, I won't fall for their tactics. Thanks for your replies. #Didn't get Pool Stored thanks to this group!
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Each of us fine-tunes our own method of pool care, and if that works for you, that's great. But don't forget that many people read these threads, and many of those don't post or ask questions. So what might be "fun" to you might sound like something to try for others. With very few specific, rare exceptions, using a pool store for testing, or for validating your own testing, will result in nothing but worry and trouble. For typical common tests: FC, pH, CH, TA, CYA and SALT, never go get those tested at a pool store. If their results are different from yours, that tells you absolutely nothing of value. And by that same logic, if their results are identical to yours, that also tells you nothing of value.

As an example, to which you can relate, all that "fun" really did for you is make you doubt yourself and your testing. The most important thing I learned here (of many, many things): do not mix and match pool care methods. You cannot take some advice from us, a little from the pool store, another tidbit from a neighbor who used to have a pool, etc. and try to form some sort of frankenstein method. Pick one and go with it. If that is TFP, great. But squeezing pool store advice into what we teach here is a recipe for failure. I had to learn that the hard way.

Practice your testing if you are not confident with it. Ask here if you are having trouble getting consistent test results. We'll help you sort it out. Otherwise, use good, consistent testing procedures (that we teach) and then TRUST YOUR OWN RESULTS. When we advise: "Stay out of the pool store for testing," we mean it, and for good reason. 100s of years of combined man-years of helping others fix the mess left behind from using pool store methods has taught us that, you don't need to relearn it... just trust it.

Ya know, if ya don't mind me sayin'...

PS. And as another example, one man's use case: since I took over my pool care, I have used exactly four chemicals: chlorine, muriatic acid, cyanuric acid and salt. That's it. Absolutely nothing else (unless you count suntan lotion). My pool water has been perfect, clean and algae free since 2017. Whatever the pool store most assuredly would have tried to sell me obviously wasn't needed.
 
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Denise O said:
While I was there, they sold a young guy over $120 in products. I slipped him a piece of paper with this website and said to do a little research because they were selling him stuff he probably didn't really need.
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Not all heroes wear capes! Bravo 👏👏👏
Btw - on your next tftestkits.net purchase you can request tfp & tft business cards in the notes section.
You can also print some if you like
 
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Denise O said:
Awww, come on....Sometimes it's fun to see their test results... It's free with the chlorine purchase. I did pay $5 once to have them test my same water twice in a row. Not a surprise to have them get different results; one saying my PH was too low and the other too high. Don't worry, I won't fall for their tactics. Thanks for your replies. #Didn't get Pool Stored thanks to this group!
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I REAAAAALY don't understand the magnetic attraction of going to the pool store. (I do, but that is a psychology lesson for a rainy day).
 
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Dirk said:
Sorry, no. But I can offer you the TFTM (Trouble Free Tank Method). It's actually quite easy. I invented it right around the time I gave every last bit of my marine tank equipment (tank, pumps, chemicals, filter media, etc, etc) to a local grandma and her granddaughter who were going to use it to raise tilapia. I never heard from them again, and I've never had any more trouble with my tank since.

Ah, memories. Looking back on it, wow, taking care of a 12000 gallon pool is nothing compared to trying to keep a few $10 fish alive in 75 gallons of salt water. They are similar: you really enjoy it for a few minutes a day, and the rest of the hours you just hope it doesn't turn green.
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I'm about to switch to this method with my poorly-maintained 55-gallon tank. For some reason, I thought it would be "fun" to take care of. Unfortunately there's just about no overlap between pool water balancing and fish tank water balancing, apart from the alkalinity/pH relationship, and those are a lot harder to adjust without killing your fish.
In the pool: keep chlorine, kill any algae and other micro-organisms, balance pH. Easy.
In the tank: absolutely no chlorine ever, yet still somehow prevent algae from appearing, maintain the bio-filter, maintain the temperature, reduce nitrates/nitrites, feed the plants, feed the fish, add CO2 for the plants, bring a water sample to the store for guess-strip testing and receive the same lecture you'd get at the pool store... and I can't even go for a swim in it. (Side note: I actually have a very nice test kit for my tank, but it's also more work than testing pool water.)

You wouldn't think so without prior experience, but somehow maintaining 55 gallons of water is a lot more work and worry than the 13,000 gallons in the pool. I'll save myself the money and time and take the family to the aquarium once a year. We have a really nice one 30 minutes away.
 
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UKjames said:
I got “fish stored” Today. Starting up a tank for the first time. Can tell I was done but luckily only 20 pounds spent on portions. Any body know of a TFT (trouble free tank) site?!
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3ppm of liquid chlorine daily while waiting for your test kit to arrive.

I'm pretty confident the fish won't be giving you any trouble at all by the time the kit rolls in!
 
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A pool really is easier than a fish tank. It's their sizes. The economies of scale are inversely proportional. You can get away with a lot in a pool, because you'd have to make a large mistake to create a problem, which most times is easy to fix. Plus, the pool's users are not trying to breath it or drink it. It's the tiny relative size of a fish tank that makes it so challenging. The tiniest bit of a mistake, a little too much of this or a little too little of that, and you can kill a tank in minutes. And a saltwater fish tank is 100x worse, where a salt water pool is silky and comforting and actually easier to maintain.

I had gotten rid of my fish tank before I took over my pool, so I never had to run them at the same time. So it's just now that I'm giving any thought to comparing the tasks. I had a very elaborate test kit for the fish's water, but never learned how to use it properly, or what to do about the results. @UKjames is right, a TFT is needed, and makes me all the more grateful for TFP, without which I'd have 12000 gallons in trouble instead of just 75.

It was hard admitting defeat, which was likely why I clung on to the tank longer than I should have. That and the last little blue damsel fish that survived incredible torture. I couldn't give up until he did! I really wanted to make it amazing, and it was a few times, but I just couldn't get sustained success. Not like I've been able to do with my pool.

I guess the point is, if you've ever had a fish tank, taking care of a pool is way easier, especially if you follow along with us here at TFP!
 
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I was pool stored when they told me that I will need to buy 61 1lb bags of BioGuard Burnout 3 at $10/bag to essentially do a single SLAM-equivalent procedure. $610 vs $42 it's costing me to get 7 gal of 10% Bleach from Walmart.

bioguardburnout3.webp
 
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I was first finessed/hustled by a local, family-owned pool store when I was setting up my first Intex pool and wanted to support a local small business. The local pool store owner (older, set in his ways, and I wasn’t about to argue with him lol) told me I needed dichlor and a COPPER ALGAECIDE!!!!! I am not kidding at all. The dichlor wasn’t too bad of a purchase since I did pool chemical research in Pool School and I needed to quickly get CYA in my water (it was very low and my stabilizer wouldn’t arrive from Amazon for a few days.) I was able to chlorinate my new pool and add CYA all at once. Obviously, I was very carefully testing and logging my CYA into PoolMath. The algaecide was never even opened and I should’ve thrown it in the trash but I let it sit in my pool chemicals cabinet lol.

Thank God I found this site so I knew to get a reliable test kit (TF-100, for the win!!) and knew what my CYA was and watched it very carefully and used PoolMath while I used the dichlor. Now the copper algaecide, I was a dummy and bought it (the pool store owner was quite aggressive and kind of intimidated me, tbh) but NEVER USED IT!! My neighbor asked if he could buy it off me. I warned him about what I learned from TFP and told him if he still wants it, I am giving it to it to him for free. I do not need that kind of karma in my life by accepting money for that mess. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
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dBsooner said:
Or will it be worse karma now that you "gave away" that poison?
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I tried to educate him and absolutely refused to take any money for it. I warned him of the consequences and he said “I’ve been using it for years and no green hair or staining here!” (that family are all brunettes lol hence the “no green hair” argument from him lol). He was gonna go waste his money on it regardless, so I’d rather someone ruin their pool with a free product (and my unsolicited advice) than him purchasing the same thing at ridiculous pool store prices. I WARNED HIS BUTT THOUGH! So yeah, I think karma should spare me this time at least. 🥴🥴
 
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thefloatqueen said:
I tried to educate him and refused to take any money. I warned him of the consequences and he said “I’ve been using it for years and no green hair or staining here!” (Whole family is brunettes lol hence the no green hair). He was gonna go waste his money on it regardless, so I’d rather someone ruin their pool with a free product (and my unsolicited advice) than him purchasing the same thing at ridiculous pool store prices. I WARNED HIS BUTT THOUGH! So I think karma should spare me this time at least. 🥴🥴
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Okay, I concur. You saved yourself with the full on graphic warning of green hair and liner staining. His own fault at this point.

told you so GIF
 
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