Sylvan is national--it's up here in NJ too. That doesn't mean they are better, only that they probably have deep pockets.

I would absolutely NOT waste a nickel on Nature2. First, there's no proof it works, just lots of testimonials--and the company won't publish any research. Second, they add copper and silver to the water, not a good thing. Third, and most importantly, they won't save you any money. The cost of the replacement cartridges ($90 for the cheapest one) buys a LOT of chlorine. If you use $90 worth of bleach (what we recommend) in a season, that's a lot.

As for an in-line chlorinator--don't put too much stock in it. When your pool is new, the chlorinator will be a good thing, because the tablets keep a constant flow of chlorine, add stabilizer, which you will need, and are EXTREMELY acidic. This is good because a curing gunite pool is usually very alkaline. But once your pool is cured, and once your stabilizer (CYA) hits 50ppm, the chlorinator is useless because it CONTINUES to add stabilizer which is now a bad thing, and adds acid, which you shouldn't need. During the curing period, a $10 adjustable floater will do just as well as the chlorinator.

You would be FAR better off to save the cost of both the Nature2 and the chlorinator (or the combined contraption from Nature2) and get a nice Salt Water Generator (SWG) instead. They work, they keep on working over the years, and allow you to pay far less attention to your chlorine levels than us mugs who do it manually.

Finally, when they install your pool, and they fill it with water, they are likely to dump a WHOLE raft of garbage (ie chemicals) in your water all at once. DO NOT LET THEM DO THIS!!!! Either tell them "No Thanks!" (especially if they are charging you for them) or have them leave it with instructions for YOU to add it, then come to us with each item and we will advise you whether it's a "Yes", "No" or "Yes, with changes".

Meanwhile, order your test kit now, and keep it in a cool, dark, dry place until you are ready to use it. Order something like PoolDoc's kit on PoolSolutions.com, Taylor's 2006 kit, or Leslie's Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit. Or, at least, see if WalMart has the HTH 5-Way drop test kit (not the HTH 6-Way strips) and get that.

Learn to use it on your tap water (what you'll probably fill it with) and that gives you a great baseline.

If they fill it with trucked-in water, test the water before you add anything and get a baseline. Many municipalities have fairly high Total Alkalinity levels so that's why you don't want the builder dumping in a ton of "Alkalinity Raiser" (baking soda to you and me) before it's tested.