Pool store numbers are typically not accurate. Understand, the employees are there to sell products, not give you free test results. As you read through the forum for a while you learn to tell when test results are from a pool store because they are too specific. If someone posts that their FC level is 5.3 and CYA is 52, they are pool store numbers, intentionally rounded to odd numbers to give the appearance of being more accurate than your own test kit.
You can absolutely maintain your own pool with no problems. To do that you must educate yourself on at least the basics of how your pool chemistry works. If you are having trouble understanding Pool School, please ask on the areas you don't understand. There are people on this forum far better than I on explaining things in an easy to understand manner. It could save you hours of hassle and thousands of dollars. Best of all are all the comments from people who, for example, complain of all the rain messing with their balance asking why yours is still so clear.
