CYA Through the roof?

[chem geek]

When I went and bought the test kit I also bought bleach, borax and baking soda in bulk.

Just so you know, BBB does not mean you will normally need to use bleach, borax and baking soda. It is more of a philosophy about testing your water with an accurate test kit so you really know what is in it and then making appropriate adjustments adding only what is really needed, often using less-expensive grocery store equivalents to pool store chemicals. It is a "less is more" philosophy that generally avoids the need for any algaecide, phosphate remover, clarifiers, flocculants, enzymes, regular shocking, etc. It is a program based on careful observation and sound scientific principles rather than marketing hype.

So, in practice, you will be using mostly bleach or chlorinating liquid (whichever is less expensive or more convenient for you) and will not need to use baking soda (to raise TA) very much and may not ever need to use borax (to raise pH) unless you were to use your Trichlor tabs again, say while on a short vacation. It is more likely that you will sometimes use Muriatic Acid to lower the pH. In my own 16,000 gallon pool (shown here and here), I only add 12.5% chlorinating liquid around twice a week (I have a mostly opaque electric safety cover so my chlorine usage is a little less than 1 ppm FC per day) and add a small amount of acid every month or two. That's it -- around $15 per month in chemical costs during the 7-month swim season.

Richard