Pool Store Honesty Test

[john0886]

So... just out of curiosity after purchasing my own test kit, I decided to go to the pool store to see how much the results differed. I tested my water immediately before filling up the bottle they provided to take to get tested, so there should be very, very little variation between the samples.

My Results:
FC 9.5
PH 7.1 (Yes, it's a bit low)
TA 100
CH 210
CYA 65

Pool Store Results:
FC 9.7
PH 8.3 ()
TA 109
CH 75 ()
CYA 113 ()

I was also reccomended OVER 30 POUNDS of random pool potions, which I find quite humorous honestly.

I feel badly for the customers in front of me who were absolutely scammed. The employee testing their water was very persistent that the Combined Chlorine needed to be HIGHER than the FC.

I'm so thankful to the TFP community for getting me on track with things, and educating me on the way pool stores actually work.

Thank you to everyone who has helped! I truly appreciate it.

 

[john0886]

 

[zea3]

Imagine how unhappy you would be after spending hundreds of dollars on all that stuff and adding it to the pool, to find that the next week your pool was cloudy and turning green! Then going back for hundreds of dollars in additional products to "fix" the pool!

 

[SoCal_Pool_Owner]

My favorite part is CYA of 113 is A-OK with a green check mark but the concern with a red circle is CH in a vinyl pool...

 

[john0886]

Imagine how unhappy you would be after spending hundreds of dollars on all that stuff and adding it to the pool, to find that the next week your pool was cloudy and turning green! Then going back for hundreds of dollars in additional products to "fix" the pool!

Exactly! So glad I found this forum.

 

[john0886]

My favorite part is CYA of 113 is A-OK with a green check mark but the concern with a red circle is CH in a vinyl pool...

I know right?!

 

[HeyEng]

Looking at the names of the "magic oils" with the registered trademark symbol next to them (and goofy names, too..."Lo n' Slo" and "Pool Juice"??! Really?) reminds me of a MLM scheme that is run by a guy/gal who will be featured on "American Greed" in the very near future.

 

[john0886]

I don't see how someone would want to add something called "Pool Juice 911" into their pool....

 

[HeyEng]

I don't see how someone would want to add something called "Pool Juice 911" into their pool....

I told my wife about this and when I mentioned "Pool Juice" she grimaced and said "EWWWW!!! NO!!!!" and I agree with her.

 

[HeyEng]

And wow...this "instant water rescue" is *only* $29.95 for a 2L bottle at our local pool store. I am speechless.

 

[crackers8199]

the last test i ever did at the pool store was something similar last year, but in reverse (went to the pool store first the day my kit arrived)...they told me my TA was zero and wanted me to add something like 10 pounds of baking soda. tested it myself: it was 70.

 

[JamesW]

dialuminium chloride pentahydroxide (Solution) CAS 12042-91-0. Percent = 1% - 5% (also known as aluminium chlorohydrate).

 

[john0886]

And wow...this "instant water rescue" is *only* $29.95 for a 2L bottle at our local pool store. I am speechless.

View attachment 352453

That's nothing! Their copper-based, might I add, algaecide is $70/gal at our local store...LOL

 

[usfbull]

Just imagine with so many people adding pools recently how much of this garbage is being sold...

 

[dntboles]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

They sell three different formulations of “pool juice” for phosphate control … wow. Bioguard is truly evil. They suck so much money out of the average pool owner based on their bogus advice and questionable test results. It’s such an absolute scam that it should be reported to the FTC for possible violations of federal laws.

 

[john0886]

They sell three different formulations of “pool juice” for phosphate control … wow. Bioguard is truly evil. They suck so much money out of the average pool owner based on their bogus advice and questionable test results. It’s such an absolute scam that it should be reported to the FTC for possible violations of federal laws.

Indeed. It really saddens me to see all the people falling for it, and being absolutely ripped off. Our pool store is even worse than the company they sell (BioGuard)...marking things up by 10-15%.

 

[JamesW]

They suck so much

 

[john0886]

Thing is... really sucks living in a relatively small town where not a lot is available. Only pool store we have is the one discussed above, which obviously gets pretty good business, sadly. In my honest opinion, it's worth the drive to go elsewhere and get the chemicals I need for the next couple months. Leslie's is actually the only place I'm able to find liquid chlorine currently, and they're stocked full of it. Guess this "chlorine shortage" is still affecting most places.

I'll probably end up just using unscented bleach in the future if I don't want to run to Leslie's, which is a 30-45 min drive.

Hopefully more places get liquid chlorine back in stock soon.

 

[dw9000]

Going on my fifth season and never stepped foot in a pool store. Sounds like a rip off. Chem-Out, Pool Rescue, Optimizer,, what a joke. I am usually pretty safe with 3/4 gal of 10-12% chlorine every couple days, and once every 20 days 1/2 gal of muriatic acid to tame the high PH - CYA seems to hold pretty steady. But I am grateful to TFP and the TFP community.