Advice on a new pool in Plano, Tx

[CarlD]

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.

[GTakacs]

CarlD, you seem to be against the Nature2 pretty seriously. I am having one installed on my new pool, my co-worker has it on his one with a SWG and he swears by it. He keeps his FC at 0.5 all year long. What do you base your opposition other than hearsay? I am just curious. My pool builder is "throwing in" the Nature 2 so I'm getting it whether I like it or not, but from what my co-worker has told me, I'll like it. I'm also getting a Jandy Purelink PDA with SWG system installed (bought it myself, installing it myself, builder wanted too much $$$ for it).

[CarlD]

CarlD, you seem to be against the Nature2 pretty seriously. I am having one installed on my new pool, my co-worker has it on his one with a SWG and he swears by it. He keeps his FC at 0.5 all year long. What do you base your opposition other than hearsay? I am just curious. My pool builder is "throwing in" the Nature 2 so I'm getting it whether I like it or not, but from what my co-worker has told me, I'll like it. I'm also getting a Jandy Purelink PDA with SWG system installed (bought it myself, installing it myself, builder wanted too much $$$ for it).

I think I stated my reasons for thinking the N2 system is a waste of money pretty clearly in my last post but here we go again:

1) There is no hard evidence it works, and the company doesn't publish any, nor does it publish how the system works. I don't believe in magic. If there was scientific evidence to back up Nature2, they'd be quick to let you know. Also, notice that N2 only claims to be effective against algae, but chlorine protects us against all sorts of contaminants, most importantly fecal matter, especially human fecal matter, the most dangerous contaminant

2) Do the arithmetic...the annual cost of a Nature2 cartridge cannot be justified in the amount of chlorine it saves. You still must use chlorine, and if the N2 works and cuts your chlorine costs in half, it STILL costs you more to use it than it does not to.

For example: The cartridge costs about $90 and you have to replace it every year. Bleach (regular 5.25%) costs about $1.50--$90 buys you 60 gallons. For the Nature2 to BREAK EVEN you would have to be using 120 gallons of bleach a season. Now where I live (in the NE in NJ) then normal swimming season is 3 months--up to 4 months. 4 months is approximately 120 days. I would have to be using a gallon of bleach EVERY SINGLE DAY and cut that in half just to justify the cartridge annual cost. But, in fact, if I use a gallon every other day it's a lot--so that's only 60 gallons at $90-- at my rate of usage the N2 would add 50% to my chemical costs:

The N2 would cost me $90, plus I have to STILL buy half the chlorine I use--30 gallons, which costs $45. Now if I only use chlorine, my seasonal cost is $90. If I use the N2, my seasonal rises to $90(cart) + $45(bleach) for a total of $135! There's no savings at all--and, unless the builder tossed it in, I have to amortize the cost of the system as well.

3) There is solid evidence that running higher chlorine levels to maintain sanitation will not harm you or your children, so the hype about less chemical is BS. Stick to our B-B-B methods and you'll use far less chemicals, and you won't ever need exotic ones.

Since these chemical/mineral systems are all like this, the ONLY one I trust and would use is SWG--Salt Water Generation, which makes chlorine from salt--whose chemical formula is NaCl----Sodium Chloride.

I don't believe in magic. I don't believe in snake oil. I don't believe in testimonials.

[DaBomb650]

Wow CarlD.
I Sold! Well, "un-sold", as the case may be. Good information on the Nature2, thanks for the figures.
We are having a gunite pool installed by Blue Haven here in Edmond Oklahoma. We went with a sand filter (cartrages look like too much work. Have one on my spa and HATE it!) The pool comes with an ozone-ator and a clorinator. I am interested in your B-B-B system and need to do some more reading about it. Thanks for all the info.