First pool question

[Watermom]

There is nothing wrong with using those tablets. They are trichlor and they contain CYA (cyanuric acid) in them. CYA is kind of like sunscreen for your chlorine. All outdoor pools need some CYA or else you can't keep chlorine in the pool. The problem with those tablets is that they continue to add CYA after you have all that you need. When your CYA level gets too high, you have to run higher than normal chlorine readings to keep algae at bay. People don't understand that and end up with algae. We see it all the time on the forum. People who say they've been using the tabs for long periods of time with no issues and then all of a sudden, they have algae even though "they are doing the same thing they've always done successfully before."

More about the connection between CYA and chlorine can be found here:> http://pool9.net/cl-cya/

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[CarlD]

Further, some in-line chlorinators work extremely well, and others clog up easily. I'm not sure they actually work any better than a $10 floating chlorinator with an adjustable vent.
I generally rely on bleach/liquid chlorine, but the last two seasons more on my salt-water chlorinator. However, early in the season when i need stabilizer, I will toss in a floater to add a stead flow of both chlorine and stabilizer.

A more important investment, though, is a proper test kit. You'll see in Watermom's signature a place you can click on "Get the testkits you need".