First off, the helpful information bits:
I was sold a large salt water pool and told it's much easier to maintain than straight chlorine and I'd basically be dealing with chronic high pH levels and adding some salt (once or twice a year)....and that's it!
Then they recommended I go to Leslie's to have my water tested, and it's been down hill from there.
Since then, I've had to do something new every week. My pool only started to get used in late March of this year (brand new), so it's barely 2 months old/open. I had a pool company managing it. They'd come out every week for about 10-15 minutes, and I paid $48 a visit. I eventually fired them because I wasn't willing to pay that much for so little work. They barely skimmed or scrubbed my pool. And they used a floater when I was told once the salt levels even out, that wouldn't be necessary. So they kept charging me for the tabs every month.
Anyway, Leslie's has had me do the following since I started going:
- Buy a bunch of CYA and dump it in (now up to 80ppm)
- Buy noPHOS and use every week
- Use around 56 fluid ounces of Muriatic Acid every week
- Instructed me to add salt every month
- Told me to buy shock and use every time anyone swims
- Told me to buy Chlor Brite for low FLAC
- Told me to buy hardness plus for low calcium
- Sold me $133+ of chemicals for some spots/stains I'm seeing that look like metal, but not sure
Mixed into this, I'm also supposed to scrub my entire pool every time I add chemicals. And, some of the procedures tell me to clean out my filter cartridges before and after (which also requires me buying filter clean solution).
I heard about TFP and got my hopes up, but did some research. People say 'use the Taylor Kit", whatever that is, because it's been around decades longer, uses pool industry data, and the CDCs recommendations. I'm not sure what Leslie Pool uses, but the amounts are much lower as compared to TFP. And since they're lower, that means following TFP will be more expensive.
To make matters even worse, I can talk to 6 different people in this industry and get 6 totally different answers. Who do you trust? What info do you use? This was an EXPENSIVE thing to build, and I want to maintain it properly, but I already have a full time job and don't need another one.
Bottom line, I hate this pool now and would NEVER have even considered buying one if I knew it'd be this complicated and involved. It literally takes close to 90 minutes to scrub my pool, due to size, and you want me to do this 4 or more times a week? You really want me to buy and use hundreds of dollars in chemicals every month? And on top of that, do quarterly filter cleanings, changes, and all the rest?
I'm a bit emotional at the moment (if you couldn't tell), so I'm hoping y'all can talk me off this ledge, because I just feel like selling my house and pool and moving on at this point.
- The size of your pool in gallons (Roughly 33,000 total)
- If your pool is an AG (above ground) or IG (in ground) (In ground)
- If it's IG, tell us if it's vinyl, plaster/pebble, or fiberglass (Plaster/PebbleTec)
- The type filter you have (sand, DE, cartridge) (Cartridge)
- If you know, tell us the make and model of your pump and filter. (Pentair everything, I have two variable speed pumps and a standard cartridge filter with 4 catridges)
- List other known details of the pump - Horsepower, Single speed, 2 Speed or Variable Speed (Variable speed pumps, 2 of them, I can look up model number if needed)
- List any other equipment you have: SWG, second pump, etc. (IC40 SWG, second variable speed pump, spa air pump, Pentair home automation, auto-fill and drain, ??)
- List what test kit you use to test your water (Leslie's pool store right now)
- Please mention if you fill the pool from a well or are currently on water restrictions (normal city water, no restrictions)
I was sold a large salt water pool and told it's much easier to maintain than straight chlorine and I'd basically be dealing with chronic high pH levels and adding some salt (once or twice a year)....and that's it!
Then they recommended I go to Leslie's to have my water tested, and it's been down hill from there.
Since then, I've had to do something new every week. My pool only started to get used in late March of this year (brand new), so it's barely 2 months old/open. I had a pool company managing it. They'd come out every week for about 10-15 minutes, and I paid $48 a visit. I eventually fired them because I wasn't willing to pay that much for so little work. They barely skimmed or scrubbed my pool. And they used a floater when I was told once the salt levels even out, that wouldn't be necessary. So they kept charging me for the tabs every month.
Anyway, Leslie's has had me do the following since I started going:
- Buy a bunch of CYA and dump it in (now up to 80ppm)
- Buy noPHOS and use every week
- Use around 56 fluid ounces of Muriatic Acid every week
- Instructed me to add salt every month
- Told me to buy shock and use every time anyone swims
- Told me to buy Chlor Brite for low FLAC
- Told me to buy hardness plus for low calcium
- Sold me $133+ of chemicals for some spots/stains I'm seeing that look like metal, but not sure
Mixed into this, I'm also supposed to scrub my entire pool every time I add chemicals. And, some of the procedures tell me to clean out my filter cartridges before and after (which also requires me buying filter clean solution).
I heard about TFP and got my hopes up, but did some research. People say 'use the Taylor Kit", whatever that is, because it's been around decades longer, uses pool industry data, and the CDCs recommendations. I'm not sure what Leslie Pool uses, but the amounts are much lower as compared to TFP. And since they're lower, that means following TFP will be more expensive.
To make matters even worse, I can talk to 6 different people in this industry and get 6 totally different answers. Who do you trust? What info do you use? This was an EXPENSIVE thing to build, and I want to maintain it properly, but I already have a full time job and don't need another one.
Bottom line, I hate this pool now and would NEVER have even considered buying one if I knew it'd be this complicated and involved. It literally takes close to 90 minutes to scrub my pool, due to size, and you want me to do this 4 or more times a week? You really want me to buy and use hundreds of dollars in chemicals every month? And on top of that, do quarterly filter cleanings, changes, and all the rest?
I'm a bit emotional at the moment (if you couldn't tell), so I'm hoping y'all can talk me off this ledge, because I just feel like selling my house and pool and moving on at this point.
