That is a good story! And you should NEVER give that pool store a nickel of business again if you can help it!

Total Dissolved Solids is a problem all the time for pool stores--it's how they sell you stuff. But it is RARELY a problem for real. In fact, I cannot recall a SINGLE case in 10 years on PF where TDS was actually a problem. Besides, with an SWG, your TDS is ALWAYS high due to.......salt. Yup, the major TDS is salt. Pool store guys love to tell people that using LC or bleach will raise their TDS, never knowing that, again, the TDS is salt. You can use LC in your pool for five years and never get enough salt to run your SWG. But they'll sell you the SWG, too!

I'm sure Ben or some of the pros we have here may know of the bizarre conditions that lead to TDS being a problem, but I assure you, that ONLY happens when everything we recommend is done properly and STILL does not work. As I said, I never remember it happening.

Pool stores NEVER tell you "Only put in half, wait and have us test it, so you don't go over." They give you the wrong stuff, then sell you something to fix it, then to fix that, and that, etc. until you have spent hundreds to fix a problem that never was. Their latest routine for the last few years is phosphate levels. They even have monthly installment plans for phosphate removal. Again, I've never seen a case where phosphates were the problem--bad pool maintenance was the problem and good pool maintenance fixed it.

As I said at the top: Your problem was due to bad, irresponsible advice. Not your fault. You got "Pool Stored" as we say--and we've all been there, got burned, and learned our lessons! It's a rite of passage...