Integrity of the pool stores

[bharkin]

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Build Type: Vinyl
Volume: 19500 gallons
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Latest Test Result Summary:
FC: 7.0 (4 hours ago)
CC: 0.0 (4 hours ago)
pH: 7.4 (4 hours ago)
TA: 80 (4 hours ago)
CH: 175 (4 hours ago)
CYA: 30 (4 hours ago)

So here are my latest results. Just for giggles, I took a sample to my pool store to see what they’d say. As expected, I needed a ton of chemicals. They said I had NO chlorine at all. Imagine that.

 

[RonsPlc]

Let me guess... your phosphate levels were through the roof? ?

 

[Richard320]

So did they just rush through a drop test, or use a strip, or a strip and reader, or some other method?

 

[bharkin]

So did they just rush through a drop test, or use a strip, or a strip and reader, or some other method?

They used some new machine that BioGard uses, with a disk they put water in and it spins around under a cover. Although, I didn’t actually see him use my water to test.... And then he wouldn’t give me the test results print out, just threw it away..

 

[bharkin]

Let me guess... your phosphate levels were through the roof? ?

Said I had no chlorine whatsoever. At the beginning, I said my chlorine might be a little high, I just shocked before the anticipated rains this weekend.

 

[Richard320]

So did they just rush through a drop test, or use a strip, or a strip and reader, or some other method?

They used some new machine that BioGard uses, with a disk they put water in and it spins around under a cover. Although, I didn’t actually see him use my water to test.... And then he wouldn’t give me the test results print out, just threw it away..

Ah.... The Bioguard Profit Center.


j/k. I have no idea what it's really called.

 

[Donldson]

I have been saying it a lot recently that those machines aren't there to make the testing more accurate, they are there to insinuate that the testing is accurate. Something shiny and advanced looking to get the mark, ahem, customer in the door and talking to a salesperson. Its sole purpose is to make sales, nothing more, nothing less. Once a sale was not going to be made that piece of paper was useless to the clerk, so it was disposed of.

Sadly the number of people recently who insist that they don't need to do their own testing because of the fancy electronic tester at the pool store shows that the machine does exactly what it is on the counter to do.

 

[Oly]

I expect them to hold your sample against their forehead, close their eyes then slowly and confidently proclaim your water chemistry test results.

 

[bharkin]

 

[RMcGirr83]

You mean like one of these? BTW I only go there and do this so it's on record.

 

[mknauss]

Love it -- pH will be too high after you add the other unnecessary items we are selling you!!!

 

[JediKnight]

Love it -- pH will be too high after you add the other unnecessary items we are selling you!!!

That's exactly what happened to us. PH was usually low, then after adding the pool store "necessities" it went really high.

 

[Arizonarob]

I’m not allowed in the Leslie’s closest to me. I pulled out a water sample printout from the other Leslie’s 2 miles away, when the guy told me my TA & PH were “through the roof”. I said, “but the other store 2 miles away said it was fine, SEE”
He asked me to leave and not come back.

 

[mknauss]

I said, “but the other store 2 miles away said it was fine, SEE”
He asked me to leave and not come back.

86'd from a Pool Store!!!! That is rich ---------------

 

[Donldson]

? I think that qualifies you to be our mascot

 

[Arizonarob]

? I think that qualifies you to be our mascot

 

[Torturedzen]

Did you ask WHY you couldn't see the printout. If so, what did they say?

 

[bharkin]

Did you ask WHY you couldn't see the printout. If so, what did they say?

I did. He said they don’t do that. I asked about the gentleman picking supplies over to my right. He ignored me.

 

[powelowe]

I use the K2006c test kit and the bioguard test (It's called "ALEX") is pretty close, but they usually underestimate calcium. The big problem is they want you to overdose on chems.

 

[Red]

You mean like one of these? BTW I only go there and do this so it's on record.

On the positive side, the BioGuard report actually mentions Saturation Index. Maybe it gets the term out there. On the few times I've talked with people in the pool industry (not the people in pool stores), when I mention CSI, I start to have a better conversation with them because I can speak a bit of their language (thanks to TFP). I had one guy I was talking to tell me that probably 5% or less of residential pool owners know what that is.

Maybe if I'd found TFP years ago, I wouldn't have had all the scaling on my pool plaster that people at two different pool stores couldn't figure out.