Quote Originally Posted by jerome View Post
Yes I have a pool that I am about to open! IT's 50,000 gallons, cement Wagner pool, in Connecticut. Does that give you enough background information?
We try to help a lot of people here. No need to get snippy.
Ben's answer was perfectly logical. If you have a vinyl pool, a level of 30 ppm for calcium hardness is fine. Vinyl is unaffected by hardness. However, for a concrete, plaster, tile or other masonry pool, calcium levels are critical with the suggested range being 200-400 ppm. Lower levels can cause the calcium carbonate in the concrete/plaster to leech out, weakening it.
We view store testing as a second or third best solution generally. Different stores and even staff can make a difference.
Our view and opinion and recommendation is to use the Taylor K2006 test kit for your pool. Alternatively, Leslies FAS-DPD service test kit is virtually the same thing. We like the idea of one person doing the testing so that changes aren't due to a change in tester.