New to the forum. Looking for pool cleaner and water balance information.

[jilted]

Thanks for all the replies and sorry for my delay in replying I was gone most of the weekend. I'll try to respond to everything:

PoolDoc
re: the test kit
I have a pretty nice multi-test kit so do i just need the FAS-DPD portion? All the test kits are actually getting old their were already there when we bought the house.
Also, I did notice Friday evening that one of my timer sliders moved so the pump was only running about 6 hours. I still have some 3" chlorine tablets left over so I put a couple in the skimmer basket and let the pump run all weekend (also had the polaris struggling along stirring up the bottom). So the pool is completely clean again so thats cool. But I really do need to start testing the water and understanding water balance. This is our third year with the pool so it's way past time for me to become a pool master! Our local pool store seems to always want to sell me something and then the next week he'll sell me something to counter the effect of what he had me do the week before!

CarlD
re: the Dolphin Nautilus
Is that a new model? I see it for sale in a few places but not on the Maytronics website.
I will check out the others you mentioned as well since one of my concerns is the cheap Aquabot I am assuming has their older technology in it.

Thanks!
-stephen

[PoolDoc]

You need an FAS-DPD chlorine test, and a disappearing dot based CYA test. However you get those is OK, so long as you don't have a heater. If you have a heater, you ALSO need relatively accurate alkalinity and calcium tests. And finally the pH test in the Taylor K2006 (as well as other Taylor models) can test pH when chlorine levels are in the 10 - 15 ppm range, vs 5 - 10 ppm range for most other kits.

Ben

[jilted]

Since the other is old I will go ahead and order a full kit, since I really want to take command of the pool this year.

I do not have a heater but was considering one of the solar ones (like Enersol) to extend the season. Our pool spends July and August in the upper 90s.

Thanks!
-stephen