Quote Originally Posted by drdjsmm View Post
Okay, here's the results of the test from the pool store today:

Free Available Chlorine: 0.57
Total Chlorine: 0.57
Combined Chlorine: 0
Total Alkalinity:353
pH level: 8.1
Calcium hardness: 228
Cyanuric Acid: 10
I would avoid doing too much -- you really don't know what your pool's readings are.

The numbers I flagged above are bogus! Pool store testing can't reliably distinguish 320 ppm from 360 ppm, much less 353 from 350! The numbers you got indicate the store was using an electronic reader of 'guess strips' where are MUCH less accurate than drops . . . which struggle to give you a reliable distinction between, say, 320 and 360.

If you want to test what I'm saying, take TWO samples in today (to check your pH), but tell them the 2nd is from a friend's pool. (I assume your wife is your friend, and that it's her pool?). As a rule, you'll get two different readings from the same pool. If you like, take 3rd sample to another pool store with strips, and you'll most likely get a REALLY different set of results!