Deca,
I've now been using the TF 100 since I took over my pool 3 1/2 years ago. At first I wanted to test all the time just to understand my pool as recommended by experts on here. Now I only do full tests once per quarter or so. I do still test FC/CC/PH about 3 times per week. Each pool most definitely is a little different. So I got the XL option - good choice since you get a lot more of the most expensive reagents. Also, once or twice per year they sell refill sets a nice discount. I've found the reagents seem to last at least two years if stored in dark cool dry place so I've only replaced mine once. At two years there was no obvious deterioration but I figured it was a good idea to replace them.
You can get liquid chlorine at places already mentioned but it's worth looking into this also. In Florida Leslie's is the best price usually. They sell refillable 2 1/2 gal jugs that they refill at the store for you. I usually buy it with a coupon at $7.98 for 2 jugs (5 gal). I have friends in Houston that get a similar arrangement from their HASA dealer. When you compare prices be sure to adjust for chlorine content.
Acid is available at hardware stores and big box stores. The best price for me is at Home Depot (2 gal of 31.45% for $11.98). Acid consumption varies mostly on how much aeration I do. Wife likes the spill-over look and sound so we run it a lot and I use 10-20 oz per week. Also, check for strength of the acid. More and more stores are adding/replacing 31.45% with "green" MA which is just lower strength. This is preferred by some because it doesn't fume as much but it takes proportionately more chemical to make the same adjustment. I prefer to handle carefully to make sure I'm clear of fumes and deal with less jugs of MA.
Only other product I kept on-hand is stabilizer (cyanuric acid or CYA) When I used liquid chlorine I kept a small bucket of trichlor tablets on hand for when I would go out of town. You can use this for travel if you do not get too high on the CYA test. CYA lasts so long that I've never had to add any after the initial dose and I keep it in the low end of range so I can use tablets for travel.
Another handy tool you can get is the Pool Math app. It will track everything for you and make it easy to do the calculations for chemical addition.
My 3+ year history for my TFP pool and chems have cost me about $10 per month with this method. Pool has been fantastically sparkling 100% of the time. Wife was very concerned I'd mess the pool up but results spoke for themselves and she quickly gained confidence plus liked the budget benefit.. One neighbor copied me, the others just moan about how much their pool service costs and their pool doesn't look as good as mine.
Along the way I added a LOT of goodies. NG heater, RS 12 w iAqualink pool automation, Solar heat, pool cleaner, and most recently converted to salt water generator. I'm now jug-free and loving it! Got great advice and help from the experts here all along the way. TFP is my pool expert online and it's made pool ownership much more enjoyable for me.
Good luck and please ask any questions you have. There's no reason to wonder if you're doing the right thing or to wait for an obvious problem. People here like to help and love to give you tidbits to avoid problems before they happen.
Chris
