I left the guy at Leslie's pool speechless with my water test results...

Brand new owner of an above ground pool .. I fought the early slimness of an algae bloom using all the advice on this forum..
My water is clean and clear.. .went to test the water at Leslie's .. and you should have seen the look on that guy's face.. nothing to write on the analysis sheet except that I need to add some calcium.. calcium hardness is too low he said and that my liner is soft please buy a big bucket of calcium .. yeah right .. like I'm falling for that.
Now if only the summer was not over..http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/images/icons/icon9.png
I am seriously contemplating buying a wetsuit .. so I can enjoy it some more..


SeaSpray Evolution 33'
Hayward Power Flo Lx 1.5 hp
Hayward Dream Line S230TSCPE

Glad it's worked out so well for you.

Knowledge is power.

Since coming to this forum, I only go to the pool stores to buy salt or muriatic acid. For kicks, though, last week I took water samples to the two pool stores nearest my home. Earlier this summer, I learned that their methods and tools weren't better than my Taylor K-2006, and their advice wasn't better than what I found in this forum.

So Pool Store #1 gave out readings which, surprisingly, matched pretty closely to my own readings except calcium hardness -- they read my water at 375 (my weekly tests show CH is 260). Then, next day, Pool Store #2 gave me their readings which, surprisingly, matched pretty closely to my own except calcium hardness -- they read my water at 175, telling me I need to buy stuff to increase the CH.

So, my CH = 375, 175, or 260.

Wanna guess which number I trusted to be the correct reading? ;-)

Salt from the pool store? Is it cheaper than Solar Salt or better?

BigDave, I didn't even know what Solar Salt was until I Googled it (Morton's Solar Salt, yes?). I don't know whether it's cheaper or better. The salt I get from the local pool store comes in 40lbs bags and sells for $7 or $10, depending on whether you get pellets or fine granules. It doesn't have YPS (non-caking agent not recommended by Jandy).

Good Job! I'd be much happier to patronize pool stores if they weren't always trying to get you to buy what you don't need, or if you do, at 3 or 4x what it costs at the grocery store. Only Liquid chlorine, here in NJ, is a good deal at the pool stores.

Carl