I knew I was Pool Stored when...

[proavia]

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!

More proof that they are clueless - like we really needed more......

 

[Jimrahbe]

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

BDY, @BDY

Just jump right in.. There are a lot of people here with all kinds of backgrounds. Most likely for almost any question, there is someone that knows the answer. Just answer what you know..

As a moderator, you would think that I would know everything.. but nothing could be farther from the truth. I tend to answer what I know, and shy away from things I have little or no experience with. I can't even spell Khemistry, but I don't need too because we have some great members that do. I don't answer many questions about SLAMing because I have never had to perform a SLAM, but we have plenty of member who have.

I guess my point is... don't worry about what you don't know, just think about all the things that you do know.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[VinnyinNJ]

I think I was kind of lucky in that the only "pool stored" I got was buying chlorine from them; I probably did buy unneeded stuff but nothing comes to mind. When I bought my first pool they had a pool school which basically was a Baqua sales pitch; Baqua at the time was about 5X as expensive as just using chlorine. At the time I was using Trichlor and Cal hypo with Cal Hypo being the base chlorine. About 3 to 5 years into pool ownership someone mentioned about using bleach once to me and I looked on the internet and found a site talking about the BBB method which was interesting to me. TFP wasn't around then but the founding members of TFP were on the site. I was amazed on how you can use "ordinary household products" to take care of a pool. I became hooked and basically never had an issue with my pool, I did use Trichlor for vacations. I came right to this site when we talked about getting another pool so I can learn new things and brush up on previous things. A SWG was decided on based on the info here.

 

[an1vrsy]

While living n SoCal, I wasn’t pool stored. I was too much of a pessimist. If they tried to sell me something, I would just decline and go home and interwebs search it first. I worked in IT so I knew I could find an answer on line. Unfortunately I was one of those false know it all persons. I would take the occasional water sample to the local mom and pop pool stores, surprisingly no Leslie’s were located near by. The worse/best advice I got was every five years to dump my water and refill. Because my CYA would get too high, although they never said that, they said my water was old. Looking back it had to be high CYA. I only had a K-2005 test kit.

The 18th year, I had missed my 15th year water dump (3rd dump), so by year 18 the pool had scale and green on the walls and the wise wife said “the scale looks horrible, do something.“ I drained the pool, the pool store recommended a service that would bead blast the scale and acid wash. I did that. When I asked what chemicals he was going to add after he was done and I filled the pool, he said that wasn’t part of his service.

Back to the interwebs, found TFP. Don’t understand how I didn’t find them earlier with my previous journeys to the ‘web. Found out I didn’t know jack about pool water or anything related to maintaining a pool. Bought one of the recommended test kits.

I learned so much and became so confident with the TFP mind meld that after we sold our SoCal house and moved to Las Vegas. With the TFP knowledge gleaned and confidence watching/reading others do it, I did my own owner build. Thanks @PoolStored for starting this thread.

 

[Mdragger88]

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

You don’t have to know everything- no one does! Sharing your unique experiences & knowledge is all that’s needed for contributing. Most folks just need reassurance that this way of doing things will work if followed. The patchwork of niche knowledge/experience all working together towards a single goal is what makes TFP so great! Everyone has something special to offer.

 

[kul]

I didn’t get pool stored, but my pool guy constantly told me bad information and I got suspicious. I was tired of paying for his attitude and poor pool management so started searching online so that I could do it all myself. I was overwhelmed and luckily found TFP where so many provided me with insights and things that made sense and worked for me. I try to help others when I think I might know something, but sometimes I still have questions myself.

 

[RookiePick]

Haven't been pool stored yet as a new owner and having the fortune to find here early in the piece.

I was sceptical of the way "everyone else" seems to do it that I know. Seems to be a general acceptance of algae in the pool and "sorting it out" when, not if, it gets out of hand. I figured it makes no sense for pools to be set up to be like that and started looking around.

TFP principles seem to make sense to me and look to have a scientific base, although I'll readily admit I haven't delved into the guts of the CYA/FC research.

Personally, I think I also like the concept of 3 pool turnovers per day but this principle doesn't look like there needs to be any clash with TFP.

Very happy so far. Confident it will remain so if I keep my end up and have solid fall back plans (SLAM) if I do lose the handle on things.

 

[nobody291]

I went to the pool store all the time for the first 2 years after we moved into our house with a pool. I was PoolStored when I went in and their test told me that my phosphates were high. So, I did the phosphate treatment, which was slow and required me to backwash my filter a few times. After spending the money and putting the effort into treatment, I went back, and my phosphate levels were not meaningfully different (on their test at least). So, their solution, of course, was for me to do more phosphate treatments. Plus, I needed to drain a third of my pool for dissolved solids, and my chlorine was too high. I almost never had a "perfect" pool store test...almost every time I went in, their test showed that I needed at least one magic potion.

Thankfully I found TFP a few years ago...I've installed a SWG on my own, I do my own testing, and my pool is simple and inexpensive

 

[WiLdErSiDe]

I'm another one of the lucky ones. I found this site during the building process and it has been an absolute Godsend. After a year of pool ownership I have never had algae, never had a cloudy pool and never had to slam it. I'm pretty anal about checking my FC during the summer but I'm getting more and more relaxed now and can almost predict it. I tell everyone I know that has a pool about TFP methods but when most people see the test kit they freak out and act like I'm a mad scientist. Some people I know just blindly throw shock in their pool after a weekend of swimming and call it good. Many times they wait till they see a problem and then try to react to it. It really makes you think before you get in someone elses pool.

 

[achenx75]

I've always been a cautious guy when it comes to things I have to spend my money on. New purchases often involve researching a lot online. So when I became a first time pool owner last year, I treated pool stores like a car dealership and saw them as shady salesman that just want your money. I researched online and was definitely overwhelmed by so much info from Youtube videos to Reddit posts and other various forums online. But many sources always pointed back to a site called "troublefreepool.com".

I found a wealth of knowledge here and was having fun learning things. The thing I love about TFP is everyone's attitude here. Everyone here is so eager to help, despite them probably repeating the same advice 100s of times on other newbie posts. Any advice on the pool I need, I google the question followed by 'troublefreepool'. I treat this site like my pool bible. There was also a post last season about the Explorer E30 pool cleaner being on sale for like $200-300 less than what other places were selling for. That was amazing by itself.

Only times I go to the pool store (typically National Pool and Spas) is to find equipment or chemicals that are priced well as compared to online and now I get my liquid chlorine there. Home Depot nearly doubled their prices since last season so I called around and my pool stores sell 5 gallons of 12.5% LC for $32.99, with a $10 charge for the 5 gallon container that you can bring back.

Thanks to TFP for saving me so much money and headache!!!

 

[midlifecrisis]

Some people I know just blindly throw shock in their pool after a weekend of swimming and call it good

Savages...

 

[Decoy205]

I’m in the “We bought a house with a pool” club.

I grew up with an above ground pool but I never really learned how to take care of it. I’m sure we used pucks and shock bags back then.

We moved into our current home in July 21 and it has an old 21’ ABG steel pool. It looked well maintained but I could tell I was going to need to be replaced it at some point. I was happy as I love pools and hadn’t had once since an intex that I turned green in 2016. Lol

The pool was clear and looked great and it was already late in the summer so I followed the prev owners instructions, shock the pool and vac once a week and keep pucks in the floater during the week. I tested with the basic combined chlorine and ph test once a week and was puzzled at why every Saturday morning before adding shock I had almost no chlorine.

In august I ran out of shock bags and pucks so went to Leslie’s. They sold me a box of 16 shock bags, and said you can buy the small bucket if pucks but there is a shortage now so you may want to get the bigger one. I of course figured more pucks is cost effective and I may not be able to get it next year so spring for the $150 bucket! Probably spent over 200 bucks that day.

The summer was over fairly quickly so I didn’t have a chance to really ruin it and it stayed clear. Before closing I went to Leslie’s to get help for what to do. Bought an overpriced cover some “closing chems”

Shocked the Crud outta the pool based on their testing and closed it up clean.

That winter the pool leaked. The cover dropped way down and I knew I was going to have a big issue. We planned on replacing the liner in the spring.

That’s when I found TFP. So in Jan 22 I started reading up here. We learned that the pool was probably toast. So we decided to start the process of replacing it. Then in May 22 a tree fell on the pool.

I was always a forum member on various sites. Mostly music related and I know how much you can learn from a community of like minded people. You guys had my back through the new pool build and all my questions and anxieties were answered.

I had to pay way more than I would’ve liked for a new above ground pool but I feel extremely confident in the care of it now. I haven’t been back to a pool store except to replace my pump which died at the end of last season.

What I find fascinating is that the industry is fully based on ignorance. In other industries it doesn’t seem to me that companies can get away with ignoring things like the Chlorine to CYA relationship. Pools are a luxury I guess so not enough owners care to care and rather just “pay someone”

Sorry for the long post but TLDR. I’m glad my instinct to do research online brought me here.
Today I thought my water level dropped and freaked out . But my water was just still and so clear lol.

 

[koffey]

Found this place before I walked into a pool store. I only go there to buy LC cause its in bulk and cheaper than anywhere else.

Enjoying the site/posts/threads is what keeps me around now that I can completely care for my pool without going broke or green. People here are great and there's always something to learn. Keeping it all in my brain is the hardest part. Looking forward to one day upgrading my pool to something BIGGER AND BADDER AND DEEPER! <---- that's all shift key

 

[Davegnh]

I bought a small intex pool on a whim which I owned for 3 years. I used the Clorox system from Lowes they had bags with different numbers on them. Did as it told and tried to maintain chlorine at 1-3 ppm with pucks because above 3 is dangerous (right). With a small pool keeping it clean is hard have a few kids jump in and can lose the little chlorine fast. Every 3-4 weeks water would get green I would then throw in extra shock and Algaecide (never worked) and most likely I would just drain and refill several times a summer. Luckily I found TFP when researching about pool builds before I had my in ground pool built and have had crystal clean water ever since.

The only time I was really pool stored after I got my pool built my plaster start up instructions required me to have "formal" pool store test results for the warranty. First time in a pool store I ended up buying some of their fancy calcium chloride, baking soda and acid because I was there and it was convenient.... They got me for a few hundred $$$ before I realized they had a 5-10X mark up on that stuff.... Haven't been back since.

 

[patp19]

…….

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

Please explain how you pulled that off? (Getting a commercial account with local supply house)
I am envious.

 

[ActivFam]

We purchased an above ground pool in 2014 and watched the recommended "how to care for your new pool" videos on the pool store's website. It discussed adding chemicals and testing with a strip but never in any detail. They did mention to be sure to bring in your water to test if you have questions. That should have been my first clue--they want you back in the store to keep buying all their Crud chemical$.

The first couple years things seemed to go ok for us but then my CYA got out of control and you know what happened. A cloudy teal green pool that no one could seem to diagnose because my FC, pH, ALK were all fine except a very HIGH CYA/stablizer level which I was told at pool store was fine because it just meant I had a lot of chlorine protection. Oh my.

I went home and googled high CYA and found TFP, bought my TF100 kit and followed the methods here, and have had a sparkling pool ever since! I convinced my brother to buy the TF100 when he got his pool. I offer to go test friends' pools when they have problems, some just refuse to learn.

If I need a pool part immediately, I go to the pool store. I shake my head when I see people lined up for water testing and being given all that expensive junk. I always try to whisper to a few about TFP method and I hope a few listen and join here.

 

[TKpoolOH]

I found TFP when I started seriously planning on building my swimming pool. TFP has been immeasurably helpful. No pool store for me! It would've helped if all the mods, experts, and guides on here could have been clairvoyant to tell me the PB I was selected was a dirtbag . In all seriousness though, I want to thank the TFP Mods, Experts, Guides, etc. for everything. All of us who have joined TFP are grateful more than you can possibly imagine. Who knows, maybe one day I'll ascend like @kimkats!

Funny Story: As I'm starting up our brand new pool, we have a bit of a cloudy water issue. Working on it through TFP. Told my wife it's being taken care of. She goes, "Did you put algaecide in it?" No need. I'll have to show her TFP should something ever happen to me.

Thank you TFP! I can't figure out how often all of you guys on here on the site. You're constantly responding, it's amazing. If this was a business, customer service would rival that of Nordstrom or something!

 

[Decoy205]

Maybe there should be another thread about “pool build horrors” for terrible pool contractor stories. There seems to be a lot of those. I would love to have an in-ground one day but man some of the stuff people deal with is awful!

 

[doncaruana]

I kind of had a two-prong experience when I first had my pool built. The first was the cycle of 2-component additives they push on you. I always tell people that the pool store doesn't care if they take one level out of whack while "fixing" another, because, hey, they'll something to fix THAT one (and mess the next one up while they're at it!). But that was helped by the testing process. "Oh your total alkalinity is bad...now your cholorine...now your pH". At the time I didn't know any better. But I had started reading and learning here so one day I packaged up enough water for 3 samples and locked them up tight and put them in garbage bag -no sunlight. And drove to 3 different stores nearby. Each one had wildly different results! And none of them matched my own (taken with a taylor set back then). Then I knew it was "No more pool stores for me, I'll ride with TFP!"

 

[doncaruana]

Maybe there should be another thread about “pool build horrors” for terrible pool contractor stories. There seems to be a lot of those. I would love to have an in-ground one day but man some of the stuff people deal with is awful!

Oh man... I have a TON of those stories too!! LOL