The K2006 Decision

[PoolDoc]

I think a lot of the problem comes when people buy clearance pools -- like an 18' Intex Ultra I saw this weekend for $289 -- somewhat impulsively, and don't have ANY idea what the OTHER expenses are that come with pools.

I probably need to do a sticky on basic pool operating costs, too.

[CarlD]

I WAS an Intex owner...and have no regrets, having graduated to a bigger pool 12seasons ago. The K-2006 equivalent ( the old PS-232) was my life saver. Instead of wasting $20 on ammonia algaecide, $15 on clarifier, $15 on flocculent, $30 on a useless DPD test kit, and $10 on the useless "How To Tame The Pool Monster", plus bags of over-priced "shock", pH Up! (washing soda),Total Alkalinity Raiser(baking soda), and calcium, I could have bought the PS-232 or K-2006 sooner several times over!

BTW, building a level base for my Intex cost as much as the pool...and they were more expensive then!

[JimK]

I WAS an Intex owner...and have no regrets, having graduated to a bigger pool 12seasons ago. The K-2006 equivalent ( the old PS-232) was my life saver. Instead of wasting $20 on ammonia algaecide, $15 on clarifier, $15 on flocculent, $30 on a useless DPD test kit, and $10 on the useless "How To Tame The Pool Monster", plus bags of over-priced "shock", pH Up! (washing soda),Total Alkalinity Raiser(baking soda), and calcium, I could have bought the PS-232 or K-2006 sooner several times over!

BTW, building a level base for my Intex cost as much as the pool...and they were more expensive then!

Having no prior pool experience, I also spent a lot on unnecessary chemicals and ended up buying test kits piecemeal at a much higher cost than the k2006 kit as I slowly learned what I should be doing (over time I realized the pool store method wasn't working and I needed to learn how to test/maintain my pool myself......that's when I discovered this site). For example, I spent over $60 for the k1515 alone from the pool store (this is what they used to test CL) after being frustrated with trying to color match to get a CL reading (my red/green colorblindness is a handicap here).

I cannot over emphasize how important it is to buy a good test kit and learn how to use it. IMO, buying a pool without a good test kit is like buying a car without a steering wheel.