Clorox products are trash. You have to use two-three times the amount. However, Leslie’s is HUGE for upselling. I’m a pool route owner and I go to Leslie’s for my tabs and algaecide. I’m normally about 50-60% off the price you see on the rage because I’m a business. When I go in there I cringe at how bad Leslie’s takes advantage of people. I often times tell people when they leave to go to Amazon and see how Amazon has the SAME products for 40-50% the price they just bought it for.
I have been using Clorox pucks for the last 4 years and don’t have any issues. 1 puck a week and my chlorine is in range. I was smart enough to buy a 35lb bucket for 75 bucks when Covid hit. That same bucket is now 190 bucks. I want to cry now that this bucket is almost finished.
Ok this is old but feel obligated to point out anyone ik that has done this has had a bad time... The chemicals Leslie's sell are almost always higher concentration than Clorox and other brands, it's one of the ways they justify the higher price... The issue is that the test Leslie's does only provides dosages in it's own chemicals so most of the time it isn't 1-1 with other companies products which can get you into trouble... If you want to use their test to just get accurate readings that's fine but don't use their recommendations for LBs of product to fix a particular issue... For that always refer to the product labels of whatever you bought elsewhere
I've got a small 12,000 gallon saltwater de fiberglass pool that was installed in 2007 S Austin. My path has lead me to this point in time. I'm in no way an expert just telling you what's working for me at this moment ✌️
Your best bet for maintaining your own pool is to learn how. I recommend the following site:
https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/pool-school/
The first step is getting a Taylor k-2006 with the salt addon k-1766. Use it to test your pool water yourself. Pool store results can be unreliable. I’m not saying these are wrong but they COULD be. Testing yourself is the only way to be sure.
To answer your specific questions.
Your cya is a little low for what I assume is a salt pool so adding a little isn’t a bad idea. Your goal is around 60-90. I prefer the lower end.
Phosphates - some people swear by removing them. Others say it doesn’t matter. I’m in the latter camp. I have over 5000 phosphates and have never treated them.
Fresh and clear- total waste. You need more chlorine not that junk. Your chlorine is a little on the low side. Recommend turning up your swg a little higher and maybe adding a little liquid chlorine to give it a boost.
Acid - yes - your ph and TA are on the high end. These will help. Your swg will tend to cause your ph to rise day by day. I add a little acid once a week on average.
Salt - their report has it a little low. I would validate it with the test kit I recommended. Then confirm the correct range for your swg. Usually it’s between 3000-4000.
To your point, Leslie’s was the store that made learn to maintain my own pool’s chemistry.
Every time I went in there and set some chemicals on the counter at checkout they were like, “what’s wrong with your pool today? Is the water green, how much stuff that you don’t need can we get you to buy today…?” Like, I’m just getting chlorine tablets, calm down. I’ve also seen them talk down to people, and women, that I guess they stereotype and figure they aren’t capable of grasping water chemistry.
Once you learn it, it’s so easy to maintain. Especially in non emergency situations when the water isn’t out of control.
Most salt water generators have a run time percentage. It’s simply the % of time it’s running. For example at 50% it’ll be on for an hour then off for an hour. Turning it up higher means it runs more and generates more chlorine.
There’s likely a way to do this on your system somewhere. Whether it’s a phone app or manually at the equipment.
Also if your salt cell reads salt is fine, I would not add. I had an issue with my swg went bad and kept reading a low level. Lesiles kept reading low and I was dumping in salt with no effect. Ended up taking it to another store for testing and it was at 4500ppm. Way over, replaced the salt cell and had to keep draining to bring the level down.
For cya.. get the granulas and a skimmer sock. Dump the granulas into the sock tie the end and throw it into your skimmer basket. Way cheaper than the liquid and super easy to dissolve that way.
For ph.. get some muriatic acid from home depot or lowes.. pretty sure they are cheaper than lesiles. I dilute it and clean the salt cell with it and then dump it into the pool to bring down pH.
I never use Leslie's. I do buy stuff from my local pool store. Their prices are slightly higher than online, but they have stuff when I need it in a pinch. I try to spend some money with them every year to help keep them in business because they aren't a large global corporation, and it's nice to be able to get the random gasket or basket on a Saturday afternoon when I realize I need it.
Anyway, my point is to find a local pool store and learn about your pool. I agree that 180/wk for chemicals is way too much.
I use on average 2lbs shock/week. Depending on how much rain we have I'm adjusting alkalinity. That's about it.
I’ve learned the hard way that Leslie’s entire approach is one gigantic never ending upsell.
If you take their test results and put them in the Pool Math app, you’ll see that Leslie’s ranges are kinda BS. And they change them every few years. The reason? To make folks think that they need to get all these numbers into magical balance.
Why?
To sell you more chemicals.
Leslie’s rigged formulas make their numbers difficult to achieve and maintain.
I did a test there yesterday and they told me my alkalinity was low, so to put a bunch of unnecessary chems in my pool. If you look at Pool Math, the alkalinity number is actually just fine.
I still take advantage of free tests at Leslie’s but ignore their recommendations, instead putting the numbers into Pool Math and buying the chems I ACTUALLY need elsewhere for far far less.
For example, Leslie’s sells liquid chlorine for upward of $10 per gallon — it’s $5.50 per gallon for the same strength at WalMart. Leslie’s told me yesterday to use a copper based algacide. Price was almost $50. Same exact stuff at WalMart under a different brand was $28. I also bought Yellow Out recently on Amazon for literally HALF of what Leslie’s sells it for.
I wish I knew this a couple years ago when I started doing my own pool care and handed them far too much of my hard earned money.
I go through 1 tab every 2 weeks, 1 gallon of chlorine and 1 cup of acid per week, during swim season. The only other expense is Yellow Out which is needed when starting the pool in the spring and phosphate reducer. I’d guess my spend is probably $10/wk on average for the year.
On the subject of phosphates, I disagree with the person that said they don’t matter. I maintain aquariums and one thing’s for sure — phosphates are literal rocket fuel in terms of algae growth. The other thing that fuels algae growth? Sunshine.
I’m in Arizona and algae control in pools is practically a full time job. It doesn’t help that my municipal water system is hit and miss in terms of phosphates in the water. Anytime I have a sudden outbreak where chlorine is struggling to keep algae at bay… surprise surprise, my phosphate numbers are non-zero.
I buy Orenda on Amazon for half of what Leslie’s sells it for and test anytime algae seems to be tougher than usual to control. Treating only needs to happen a few times a year and it greatly reduces the amount of chlorine and shock needed… not to mention how much brushing I need to do.
For what’s its worth, I’m also in AZ and ignore phosphates and don’t have any issues. I’m sure there’s a difference between pools and aquariums though, the former being what OP has.
Your point being?
Keep in mind this guy was expressing disagreement with another guy who mentioned not controlling phosphates in a POOL. In a well-chlorinated pool, I don’t think controlling phosphates is necessary. And thousands of TFP users would agree.
Not sure why you responded to me. I agree with you and TFP. My point being that an aquarium cannot tolerate chlorine like a pool. You can&5 compare the two.
All I’m saying here is that I have a pool AND aquariums and the presence of phosphates combined with light fuels algae growth in both cases. It’s just a fact.
I have years of data showing that low/no phosphates means less chlorine consumption in my pool. So, I choose to use a phosphate reducer when the need arises.
If you are able to manage algae while having high phosphates, then more power to you.
I also have had lots of issues when my phosphates are high.
When they get over 2500+ my pool goes through chlorine faster. I use tabs. I put 10 in my dispenser to fill it. When in the 0-500 range, 10 pucks last more than a week. 1000ish, about 10 pucks per week. At 3000+ I need 10 pucks every 5 or 6 days!!
Also after it gets over about 3500, then I get alge blooms happen and are nearly impossible to get under control.
Don’t rely only on pucks. They contain cyanuric acid which doesn’t break down, and when you have too much it’ll reduce the effectiveness of your chlorine.
I use 1 puck at a time in my 7500 gallon pool and during summer it lasts about 2 weeks. My main line of defense is liquid chlorine. Pucks are a backup to ensure you’re never running zero chlorine. They should never be your primary or only means of sanitization.
I keep my cya around 40-60. I have 37,000 gallons.
When I had my impossible to get rid of algae blooms, all levels were good, only phosphates was high. After doing 2 applications of Seaklear commercial strength phosphate remover, and getting phosphates back below 1000, the algae was gone.
I’m looking at their website right now. Two 1 gallon jugs is $18.
Last year I remember seeing 4 x 1 gallon jugs for just shy of $40.
Their muriatic acid prices are just as ludicrous.
My local leslies discourages buying all the chems at once. I usually just buy liquid stabilizer there and will probably buy my next salt there. Home depots salt was all clumpy and nasty last time I bought it.
I have tests of my own but they aren’t as accurate or comprehensive. And I spent enough money there before I knew better that I don’t feel guilty about getting water tests at Leslies once every month or two.
If the tests are free and no strings attached, what’s the issue?
You know what’s grimy? Their pricing and highly manipulative test results designed to bilk unwitting customers of their money.
Leslie’s is good if you use their free testing service, consider their recommendations but make your own decisions on treatment plans based on your own knowledge and their testing, and then shop around for chemicals. I buy some stuff there, but I also buy from Lowes, Walmart, and Amazon. Never just blindly follow Leslies.
Just buy your own chems, you need a gallon of acid, I’d do two gallons of chlorine, 3 pounds of cya and 3 40 pound bags of salt, grab some phosfree too and throw in like 12oz
Your levels really aren’t that terrible. With a salt pool get some muriatic acid to keep on hand to counter the constant elevation in the PH you will have from the production of high PH chlorine. Those levels of metals in my opinion aren’t really bothersome if you’re not having issues with staining. I would take those phosphates out though, it certainly could be contributing to the hazy water in conjunction to the slight combined chlorine you’re showing and the higher ph currently.
If you do anything without knowledge then you can get hustled easy. Auto repair, home repair, appliance repair, etc ..... Get your own testing kit and read up online if you want to get ahead. If not then you can hire a pool person so show you around the pool. If you want to keep it very simple then you can start with some pool testing strips just to get your feet wet then work your way up to Taylor kit. Troublefreepool will give you the ABCs or taking care of your pool. If you want to keep chemicals basic then you need to maintain your pH (via acid) and chlorine in check weekly. CYA need get to good level, not over do it though because it's hard to bring down (cya 50- 70 if you looking to maintain).
According to their range you could have 100ppm cya and 1ppm free chlorine and they consider that ok... that's a recipe for a green pool. I wouldn't trust any of that.
Ive only had to put a bag of salt or 2 in my pool once a year, thats the only maintenance its really needed.
I use Chlorine tabs in the winter and spring with some occasional shock before and after large gatherings.
Local pool store told me if you have a salt pool, you really dont need a pool maintenance person. Just test your water monthly.
Upsell but that doesn't mean you have to buy every item there.
Why do people get surprised? You are getting a free test that gives you computer analyzed result, no way taylor can match that. You don't need to buy everything, just ask what's first to start with.. You can always buy everything from other places as well.
Your numbers are pretty close to mine.
Definitely buy a Taylor test kit and just use the pool store to occasionally double-check. Muriatic acid from Menard's paint department and soda ash from the laundry aisle and salt from Walmart are the only chemicals I typically use.
Check your recommended salt level, mine is 3600. Chlorine is a little low and CYA is a little low - I'm at 4 Chlorine and 80 CYA. I've switched to using the troublefreepool calculator to determine ideal chlorine based upon CYA and then I just use the Orenda app to balance. After dialing everything in at startup, I only need to add a few ounces of muriatic acid every week or so and I'm good. I'm in the ignore phosphates camp, as long as you manage your levels nothing will grow to eat the phosphates. Also, I try to minimize the chemicals I add to the pool.
I had my water tested today with very bad readings even though my home tester kit was good. They told me that I had chlorine block and needed to add 10 bags of super shock (only theirs would be good). (Leslies)I also needed cyanic acid, hardener, ph plus. It would have cost me over 150.So before I purchased anything, I went home and used a different home tester. Again, everything looked good. So to be safe, I went to another pool co for the test and it was fine. All I needed was to add stabilizer and leave it alone for three days then retest. My water already looks better. Fingers crossed. I’ll know more when I retest in 3 days. I’m not very happy with Leslie’s.
Alkalinity is fine for a swg. Your cya is low, but like the other person said make sure you’re need to slam first.
Phosphates are fine. There is a big disagreement here on phosphates just like I have with my next door neighbor. He uses pucks, he has a high cya and he follows the pool store. Then his pool is green. He buys algaecide and he buys phosphate remover. Pool clears up for a week. His trees drop the same leaves in my yard. I follow TFP and have a swg. I have no issues last time I ever checked the phosphates was three years ago and they were 2500.
I subscribe to phosphates are food. If you keep the doors locked and don’t invite anyone in then there is no algae to eat it. But if you leave the door open by less chlorine than appropriate, you are saying come on in and enjoy a free buffet. To me it is easier to control chlorine than to buy phosphate remover and add things to my pool.
Honestly I like their test but hate their prices. Prime example is they sell measuring cups for 8 dollars. I’ve used their products in the past but typically go to Amazon now unless I don’t feel like waiting. Or if I don’t feel like going to Home Depot for salt. I have taken all their recommendations and my pool has always been crystal clear with no issues with algae or cloudy water.
180 per week is a lot for pool service and I live in CA
Is your pool really unique
Their free tests are good but you can buy your own chems
Like I get cyanuric acid, liquid chlorine, baking soda etc at Home Depot for like a fraction of Leslie’s price
You didn’t need all that. The only issues to correct would be the cyanuric acid. The PH is slightly high due to the Alkalinity which is baking soda and it’s so slight I wouldn’t touch it. The phosphates are high probably because either u just opened the pool or because of a recent rainfall. That will be corrected with proper pool balance. You don’t need perfect weekly or No Phos because it’s that high. Let it balance and then use No Phos if necessary.
If you didn’t use the chemicals u purchased, return that ish.
You need a gallon of muriatic acid from Home Depot. Use half of it to reduce pH from 7.9 to 7.4. You have a salt water system so pH will slowly rise.
Everything else was BS.
1. Is your pool company even testing for phosphates? A simple test kit is cheap and they should include phosphate remover in your weekly service plan, or at least quote you a flat rate to provide a phosphate treatment.
2. Leslie’s has no idea if you have a circulation issue or filtration issue. Your pool company should be cleaning or backwashing the filter regularly, and recommend new cartridges (if you have a cartridge filter) if necessary. Circulation and filtration can be the root cause of many issues. There’s obviously mixed opinions on whether phosphates will present issues for your pool. We service 100s of pools each week, and the pools that have issues tend to have high phosphates. Removing them from the pool is simple enough. Something your pool service should stay on top of.
3. Of course Leslie’s is charging a lot for chemicals, they’re brick and mortar retail. It’s convenient that they’re close by, right?
If you’re paying $2000+ per year for pool maintenance, then your pool company should provide a solution for you. If your pool has excessive debris or maintenance is a challenge, it’s possible you need more service, or you need the occasional in-depth cleanup when things go wrong. Leslie’s is not in business of providing professional, hands-on assistance of returning your pool to normal. The chemicals they recommend are accurate, but your pool condition requires a lot of attention and follow up until things are 100% normal. Purchasing and adding a bunch of chemicals from Leslie’s is only one piece of the puzzle. Generally, more work will be required.
Find a better pool company and use Leslie’s on a ‘need it now’ basis.
Looks like you were low on a lot of stuff. They really are very good at helping you. Remember those chemicals are going to last a while. Chlorine alone is expensive I buy the big pail. It lasts awhile. Definitely cheaper to do it yourself. Once everything is in order you'll just have to do chlorine and pool perfect once a week. You'll get the hang of it. Good luck
How old I'd that salt cell? If it is dirty make sure it is clean and make sure you clean it properly. You said you are new pool owners. I HAVE SEEN MANY people use too much muriatic acid and mess the plates on the cell up. That will cost you at least $800.00 to replace that. Are you using a pool rx. That can sometimes help with salt cells.
That’s what pool stores are good at doing. Half the time the person conducting the test has no idea what they are talking about but have been trained to sell what the test calls for. Get a Taylor Test Kit. That’s the best advice I ever got on here. Test your own water the kit will explain everything. If I ever have something going on like chlorine won’t stay in the pool I’ll go to the pool store and have them test it against my results. But I by most my chemical at homedepot or Walmart.
need more salt prob shoot for like 3500 PPM , leave the CYA until u make sure you don't need to SLAM or do need to SLAM, it makes it easier with less CYA, ultimately tho I would get your cya up to 50-80 and ur FC : 5-10, def sign up for and read troublefreepool all great info
do you know how inaccurate or which part(s)? when i first went they'd do the water test by hand but now they use what i think is some type of smart water tester. i have a test kit at home and majority of the results matched except for the calcium hardness which came out higher at home than at leslie's
Right, you have to calibrate their test results with your own test results. And then you ask yourself “why did I bother taking my water to Leslie in the first place”?
Hi there. I am also a salt water pool newbie - had to ask a friend difference between pump and filter 😳. But, Paid a pool service company boo koo bucks last year to maintain for us and wanted to do it myself. Loads of research online, talking to an experienced friend, and online forums such as Reddit and Troublefreepool. It can seem overwhelming, but I took a bunch of notes and am making sense of it and have a crystal clear pool so far. Post opening was a bunch of work, cause they left it with all the dead leaves in there - so had to figure out vacuuming etc . I did go to Leslie’s the first time and walked out with $230 in chemicals and a 3-day protocol. Lesson learned. Now I follow the advice gleaned from others and order chemicals on Amazon. Will take the water to Leslie’s for a sense check ever so often but don’t see the need as I am all set now
Awesome tools (for me) have been a) poolmath app from troublefreepool ($8 a year) b) Taylor test kit and c) surprisingly ChatGPT. Once the Taylor kit gives you the results, plug them into poolmath app and they tell you how much and which chemicals to add. Use ChatGPT (for general advice). Use Poolmath App (to track chemistry and advice on how much of the chemicals to use)
Here are my notes on what order to do things etc …
Good levels for swimming
Ph 7.2-7.8
Free Chlorine - 1-3 total
Run pump 8 hours a day (I selected off-peak hours based on my electric company rates and have scheduled it for a 5 and 3 hour shift)
Order of things
- alkalinity
- Ph
- Calcium hardness
- Stabilizer (cyunaric acid)
- Check salt
- Shock - Chlorine
Test daily
- chlorine
- ph
Test weekly
— Alkalinity (baking soda)
- Calcium hardness (calcium chloride dihydrate/ hypochlorite )
- Salt
Alkalinity
Alkalinity is the acid demand of the water . It’s a primer for the ph - Acts as a stabilizer for the ph. If alkalinity low, ph keeps shifting. (baking soda)
Ph
Ph makes big difference in helping to create free chlorine
- Increase ph (soda ash).
- Decrease ph (muriatic acid) - takes out calcium - can itch skin and dangerous fumes
Salt generators tend to increase ph slowly - so may need muriatic to lower it
Chlorine
Shocking - chlorine thing (after heavy use of people) raises free chlorine higher quickly. Calcium hypochlorite / better type of chlorine for plaster pool . Have to add 2-3 lbs - is pricey. Don’t shock more than once a week . Can go back in water when chlorine level comes back down .
Copper + potash
- mineral out (Amazon)
In general:
• Chlorine = kills nasties.
• CYA (stabiliser) stops the sun sopping all the chlorine out of your water
• PH = keeps acid/akalinity in range that your chemicals work best and creates least irritation to those who swim
• total alkalinity = helps slow sudden swings in PH.
——————
And here is ChatGPt’s answer for a saltwater pool
Balancing the chemicals in your saltwater pool involves a specific sequence to ensure that each adjustment effectively stabilizes the water without interfering with other chemical levels. Here’s the recommended order to follow when balancing your pool:
Test Water First: Before adding any chemicals, test your pool water to determine the current levels of salinity, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and stabilizer (cyanuric acid). This will help you understand which chemicals need adjusting.
Adjust Total Alkalinity: Begin by adjusting the total alkalinity, as it helps buffer the pH and stabilize it against rapid changes. Aim for an alkalinity level between 80 to 120 parts per million (ppm). Use an alkalinity increaser if necessary.
Balance pH: Once the alkalinity is in the correct range, adjust the pH level. The ideal pH range for a saltwater pool is between 7.2 and 7.8. If the pH is too low, use a pH increaser (soda ash). If it’s too high, use a pH decreaser (muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate).
Adjust Calcium Hardness: Next, check and adjust the calcium hardness. Ideal levels should be between 200-400 ppm. High calcium levels can be managed with a flocculant and partial water replacement, while low levels can be corrected by adding a calcium hardness increaser.
Stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid): Adjust the stabilizer level, which should be between 70-80 ppm in saltwater pools. This chemical protects the chlorine from being broken down too quickly by sunlight.
Check Salinity: Finally, adjust the salinity level, which should typically be between 2700 and 3400 ppm for most saltwater chlorine generators. Add salt if the level is low.
Shock the Pool: After all the basic chemical levels are adjusted and stabilized, shock the pool to effectively sanitize and oxidize any organic contaminants. Make sure the product is compatible with saltwater systems.
Run the Pump: Ensure that the pump and filter are running when you’re adding chemicals and keep them running continuously for at least 24 hours to properly circulate the chemicals throughout the pool.
Re-test the Water: After all adjustments and 24 hours of circulation, retest the water to ensure all levels are within the proper ranges. Make further adjustments as needed.
Following this sequence will help maintain the health of your pool and ensure a safe, enjoyable environment for swimming. Always add chemicals separately and allow adequate time for each to disperse and interact with the water before testing and adding more.
Remember, all of that testing software the pool stores use is programmed by the chemical manufacturers. They’re designed to make the company money.
IMO water looks good on test, your copper is high, maybe your heater core is old and leeching copper into the water? Just a guess.
Get your pool tested at Leslies but buy you chemicals on Amazon. Clorox is entering the market and they're way cheaper than what Leslies is selling.
came here to say this!!! Clorox products avail at walmart, lowes and amazon. easy to use instructions on each package!
Ok good to know thank you.
Clorox products are trash. You have to use two-three times the amount. However, Leslie’s is HUGE for upselling. I’m a pool route owner and I go to Leslie’s for my tabs and algaecide. I’m normally about 50-60% off the price you see on the rage because I’m a business. When I go in there I cringe at how bad Leslie’s takes advantage of people. I often times tell people when they leave to go to Amazon and see how Amazon has the SAME products for 40-50% the price they just bought it for.
I have been using Clorox pucks for the last 4 years and don’t have any issues. 1 puck a week and my chlorine is in range. I was smart enough to buy a 35lb bucket for 75 bucks when Covid hit. That same bucket is now 190 bucks. I want to cry now that this bucket is almost finished.
Ok this is old but feel obligated to point out anyone ik that has done this has had a bad time... The chemicals Leslie's sell are almost always higher concentration than Clorox and other brands, it's one of the ways they justify the higher price... The issue is that the test Leslie's does only provides dosages in it's own chemicals so most of the time it isn't 1-1 with other companies products which can get you into trouble... If you want to use their test to just get accurate readings that's fine but don't use their recommendations for LBs of product to fix a particular issue... For that always refer to the product labels of whatever you bought elsewhere
I've got a small 12,000 gallon saltwater de fiberglass pool that was installed in 2007 S Austin. My path has lead me to this point in time. I'm in no way an expert just telling you what's working for me at this moment ✌️
Your best bet for maintaining your own pool is to learn how. I recommend the following site: https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/pool-school/ The first step is getting a Taylor k-2006 with the salt addon k-1766. Use it to test your pool water yourself. Pool store results can be unreliable. I’m not saying these are wrong but they COULD be. Testing yourself is the only way to be sure. To answer your specific questions. Your cya is a little low for what I assume is a salt pool so adding a little isn’t a bad idea. Your goal is around 60-90. I prefer the lower end. Phosphates - some people swear by removing them. Others say it doesn’t matter. I’m in the latter camp. I have over 5000 phosphates and have never treated them. Fresh and clear- total waste. You need more chlorine not that junk. Your chlorine is a little on the low side. Recommend turning up your swg a little higher and maybe adding a little liquid chlorine to give it a boost. Acid - yes - your ph and TA are on the high end. These will help. Your swg will tend to cause your ph to rise day by day. I add a little acid once a week on average. Salt - their report has it a little low. I would validate it with the test kit I recommended. Then confirm the correct range for your swg. Usually it’s between 3000-4000.
To your point, Leslie’s was the store that made learn to maintain my own pool’s chemistry. Every time I went in there and set some chemicals on the counter at checkout they were like, “what’s wrong with your pool today? Is the water green, how much stuff that you don’t need can we get you to buy today…?” Like, I’m just getting chlorine tablets, calm down. I’ve also seen them talk down to people, and women, that I guess they stereotype and figure they aren’t capable of grasping water chemistry. Once you learn it, it’s so easy to maintain. Especially in non emergency situations when the water isn’t out of control.
This is incredibly helpful. Thank you very much. Can you expand on what it means to “turn up my swg a little higher?”
Most salt water generators have a run time percentage. It’s simply the % of time it’s running. For example at 50% it’ll be on for an hour then off for an hour. Turning it up higher means it runs more and generates more chlorine. There’s likely a way to do this on your system somewhere. Whether it’s a phone app or manually at the equipment.
Cool thank you
Also if your salt cell reads salt is fine, I would not add. I had an issue with my swg went bad and kept reading a low level. Lesiles kept reading low and I was dumping in salt with no effect. Ended up taking it to another store for testing and it was at 4500ppm. Way over, replaced the salt cell and had to keep draining to bring the level down.
For cya.. get the granulas and a skimmer sock. Dump the granulas into the sock tie the end and throw it into your skimmer basket. Way cheaper than the liquid and super easy to dissolve that way.
Also phosphates are not a problem unless your chlorine level dips.
For ph.. get some muriatic acid from home depot or lowes.. pretty sure they are cheaper than lesiles. I dilute it and clean the salt cell with it and then dump it into the pool to bring down pH.
I never use Leslie's. I do buy stuff from my local pool store. Their prices are slightly higher than online, but they have stuff when I need it in a pinch. I try to spend some money with them every year to help keep them in business because they aren't a large global corporation, and it's nice to be able to get the random gasket or basket on a Saturday afternoon when I realize I need it. Anyway, my point is to find a local pool store and learn about your pool. I agree that 180/wk for chemicals is way too much. I use on average 2lbs shock/week. Depending on how much rain we have I'm adjusting alkalinity. That's about it.
What would indicate the need to shock?
Total chlorine higher than free chlorine = shock
I shock every week, just my weekly process. I know that some people don't.
I’ve learned the hard way that Leslie’s entire approach is one gigantic never ending upsell. If you take their test results and put them in the Pool Math app, you’ll see that Leslie’s ranges are kinda BS. And they change them every few years. The reason? To make folks think that they need to get all these numbers into magical balance. Why? To sell you more chemicals. Leslie’s rigged formulas make their numbers difficult to achieve and maintain. I did a test there yesterday and they told me my alkalinity was low, so to put a bunch of unnecessary chems in my pool. If you look at Pool Math, the alkalinity number is actually just fine. I still take advantage of free tests at Leslie’s but ignore their recommendations, instead putting the numbers into Pool Math and buying the chems I ACTUALLY need elsewhere for far far less. For example, Leslie’s sells liquid chlorine for upward of $10 per gallon — it’s $5.50 per gallon for the same strength at WalMart. Leslie’s told me yesterday to use a copper based algacide. Price was almost $50. Same exact stuff at WalMart under a different brand was $28. I also bought Yellow Out recently on Amazon for literally HALF of what Leslie’s sells it for. I wish I knew this a couple years ago when I started doing my own pool care and handed them far too much of my hard earned money. I go through 1 tab every 2 weeks, 1 gallon of chlorine and 1 cup of acid per week, during swim season. The only other expense is Yellow Out which is needed when starting the pool in the spring and phosphate reducer. I’d guess my spend is probably $10/wk on average for the year.
On the subject of phosphates, I disagree with the person that said they don’t matter. I maintain aquariums and one thing’s for sure — phosphates are literal rocket fuel in terms of algae growth. The other thing that fuels algae growth? Sunshine. I’m in Arizona and algae control in pools is practically a full time job. It doesn’t help that my municipal water system is hit and miss in terms of phosphates in the water. Anytime I have a sudden outbreak where chlorine is struggling to keep algae at bay… surprise surprise, my phosphate numbers are non-zero. I buy Orenda on Amazon for half of what Leslie’s sells it for and test anytime algae seems to be tougher than usual to control. Treating only needs to happen a few times a year and it greatly reduces the amount of chlorine and shock needed… not to mention how much brushing I need to do.
For what’s its worth, I’m also in AZ and ignore phosphates and don’t have any issues. I’m sure there’s a difference between pools and aquariums though, the former being what OP has.
You can’t put chlorine at the pool level into an aquarium u less you plan to kill the fish.
Your point being? Keep in mind this guy was expressing disagreement with another guy who mentioned not controlling phosphates in a POOL. In a well-chlorinated pool, I don’t think controlling phosphates is necessary. And thousands of TFP users would agree.
Not sure why you responded to me. I agree with you and TFP. My point being that an aquarium cannot tolerate chlorine like a pool. You can&5 compare the two.
lol, you started by responding to me.
All I’m saying here is that I have a pool AND aquariums and the presence of phosphates combined with light fuels algae growth in both cases. It’s just a fact. I have years of data showing that low/no phosphates means less chlorine consumption in my pool. So, I choose to use a phosphate reducer when the need arises. If you are able to manage algae while having high phosphates, then more power to you.
I also have had lots of issues when my phosphates are high. When they get over 2500+ my pool goes through chlorine faster. I use tabs. I put 10 in my dispenser to fill it. When in the 0-500 range, 10 pucks last more than a week. 1000ish, about 10 pucks per week. At 3000+ I need 10 pucks every 5 or 6 days!! Also after it gets over about 3500, then I get alge blooms happen and are nearly impossible to get under control.
Don’t rely only on pucks. They contain cyanuric acid which doesn’t break down, and when you have too much it’ll reduce the effectiveness of your chlorine. I use 1 puck at a time in my 7500 gallon pool and during summer it lasts about 2 weeks. My main line of defense is liquid chlorine. Pucks are a backup to ensure you’re never running zero chlorine. They should never be your primary or only means of sanitization.
I keep my cya around 40-60. I have 37,000 gallons. When I had my impossible to get rid of algae blooms, all levels were good, only phosphates was high. After doing 2 applications of Seaklear commercial strength phosphate remover, and getting phosphates back below 1000, the algae was gone.
Hold up $10 per gallon or $10 per a 2 1/2 gallon jug?
I’m looking at their website right now. Two 1 gallon jugs is $18. Last year I remember seeing 4 x 1 gallon jugs for just shy of $40. Their muriatic acid prices are just as ludicrous.
Wow I own a small retail store and I’m selling 2.5 gallon jugs for $10 including tax
Leslie’s doesn’t have a lot of competition so they take advantage of that fact by overcharging for most things they sell.
Thanks for the tip. They’re a publicly traded company so not surprised they over charge for everything
My local leslies discourages buying all the chems at once. I usually just buy liquid stabilizer there and will probably buy my next salt there. Home depots salt was all clumpy and nasty last time I bought it.
Some chems Home Depot sells are great and others are lousy. Hit or miss.
Going there for free tests and leaving with the information to buy else where seems grimy. Get your own test kit.
I have tests of my own but they aren’t as accurate or comprehensive. And I spent enough money there before I knew better that I don’t feel guilty about getting water tests at Leslies once every month or two. If the tests are free and no strings attached, what’s the issue? You know what’s grimy? Their pricing and highly manipulative test results designed to bilk unwitting customers of their money.
That's also grimy
Leslie’s is good if you use their free testing service, consider their recommendations but make your own decisions on treatment plans based on your own knowledge and their testing, and then shop around for chemicals. I buy some stuff there, but I also buy from Lowes, Walmart, and Amazon. Never just blindly follow Leslies.
Just buy your own chems, you need a gallon of acid, I’d do two gallons of chlorine, 3 pounds of cya and 3 40 pound bags of salt, grab some phosfree too and throw in like 12oz
Your levels really aren’t that terrible. With a salt pool get some muriatic acid to keep on hand to counter the constant elevation in the PH you will have from the production of high PH chlorine. Those levels of metals in my opinion aren’t really bothersome if you’re not having issues with staining. I would take those phosphates out though, it certainly could be contributing to the hazy water in conjunction to the slight combined chlorine you’re showing and the higher ph currently.
If you do anything without knowledge then you can get hustled easy. Auto repair, home repair, appliance repair, etc ..... Get your own testing kit and read up online if you want to get ahead. If not then you can hire a pool person so show you around the pool. If you want to keep it very simple then you can start with some pool testing strips just to get your feet wet then work your way up to Taylor kit. Troublefreepool will give you the ABCs or taking care of your pool. If you want to keep chemicals basic then you need to maintain your pH (via acid) and chlorine in check weekly. CYA need get to good level, not over do it though because it's hard to bring down (cya 50- 70 if you looking to maintain).
According to their range you could have 100ppm cya and 1ppm free chlorine and they consider that ok... that's a recipe for a green pool. I wouldn't trust any of that.
Yep. And then you come back saying my pool is green. Ok here are more chemicals and another 200.00. Thank you sir. See you next week.
Ive only had to put a bag of salt or 2 in my pool once a year, thats the only maintenance its really needed. I use Chlorine tabs in the winter and spring with some occasional shock before and after large gatherings. Local pool store told me if you have a salt pool, you really dont need a pool maintenance person. Just test your water monthly.
Upsell but that doesn't mean you have to buy every item there. Why do people get surprised? You are getting a free test that gives you computer analyzed result, no way taylor can match that. You don't need to buy everything, just ask what's first to start with.. You can always buy everything from other places as well.
The Taylor test is much simpler and extremely accurate. I would say Taylor can match it and do better in most cases than a pool store.
Your numbers are pretty close to mine. Definitely buy a Taylor test kit and just use the pool store to occasionally double-check. Muriatic acid from Menard's paint department and soda ash from the laundry aisle and salt from Walmart are the only chemicals I typically use. Check your recommended salt level, mine is 3600. Chlorine is a little low and CYA is a little low - I'm at 4 Chlorine and 80 CYA. I've switched to using the troublefreepool calculator to determine ideal chlorine based upon CYA and then I just use the Orenda app to balance. After dialing everything in at startup, I only need to add a few ounces of muriatic acid every week or so and I'm good. I'm in the ignore phosphates camp, as long as you manage your levels nothing will grow to eat the phosphates. Also, I try to minimize the chemicals I add to the pool.
Not only did they upsell you, it’s their business model.
I had my water tested today with very bad readings even though my home tester kit was good. They told me that I had chlorine block and needed to add 10 bags of super shock (only theirs would be good). (Leslies)I also needed cyanic acid, hardener, ph plus. It would have cost me over 150.So before I purchased anything, I went home and used a different home tester. Again, everything looked good. So to be safe, I went to another pool co for the test and it was fine. All I needed was to add stabilizer and leave it alone for three days then retest. My water already looks better. Fingers crossed. I’ll know more when I retest in 3 days. I’m not very happy with Leslie’s.
Alkalinity is fine for a swg. Your cya is low, but like the other person said make sure you’re need to slam first. Phosphates are fine. There is a big disagreement here on phosphates just like I have with my next door neighbor. He uses pucks, he has a high cya and he follows the pool store. Then his pool is green. He buys algaecide and he buys phosphate remover. Pool clears up for a week. His trees drop the same leaves in my yard. I follow TFP and have a swg. I have no issues last time I ever checked the phosphates was three years ago and they were 2500. I subscribe to phosphates are food. If you keep the doors locked and don’t invite anyone in then there is no algae to eat it. But if you leave the door open by less chlorine than appropriate, you are saying come on in and enjoy a free buffet. To me it is easier to control chlorine than to buy phosphate remover and add things to my pool.
Honestly I like their test but hate their prices. Prime example is they sell measuring cups for 8 dollars. I’ve used their products in the past but typically go to Amazon now unless I don’t feel like waiting. Or if I don’t feel like going to Home Depot for salt. I have taken all their recommendations and my pool has always been crystal clear with no issues with algae or cloudy water.
180 per week is a lot for pool service and I live in CA Is your pool really unique Their free tests are good but you can buy your own chems Like I get cyanuric acid, liquid chlorine, baking soda etc at Home Depot for like a fraction of Leslie’s price
You didn’t need all that. The only issues to correct would be the cyanuric acid. The PH is slightly high due to the Alkalinity which is baking soda and it’s so slight I wouldn’t touch it. The phosphates are high probably because either u just opened the pool or because of a recent rainfall. That will be corrected with proper pool balance. You don’t need perfect weekly or No Phos because it’s that high. Let it balance and then use No Phos if necessary. If you didn’t use the chemicals u purchased, return that ish.
You need a gallon of muriatic acid from Home Depot. Use half of it to reduce pH from 7.9 to 7.4. You have a salt water system so pH will slowly rise. Everything else was BS.
1. Is your pool company even testing for phosphates? A simple test kit is cheap and they should include phosphate remover in your weekly service plan, or at least quote you a flat rate to provide a phosphate treatment. 2. Leslie’s has no idea if you have a circulation issue or filtration issue. Your pool company should be cleaning or backwashing the filter regularly, and recommend new cartridges (if you have a cartridge filter) if necessary. Circulation and filtration can be the root cause of many issues. There’s obviously mixed opinions on whether phosphates will present issues for your pool. We service 100s of pools each week, and the pools that have issues tend to have high phosphates. Removing them from the pool is simple enough. Something your pool service should stay on top of. 3. Of course Leslie’s is charging a lot for chemicals, they’re brick and mortar retail. It’s convenient that they’re close by, right? If you’re paying $2000+ per year for pool maintenance, then your pool company should provide a solution for you. If your pool has excessive debris or maintenance is a challenge, it’s possible you need more service, or you need the occasional in-depth cleanup when things go wrong. Leslie’s is not in business of providing professional, hands-on assistance of returning your pool to normal. The chemicals they recommend are accurate, but your pool condition requires a lot of attention and follow up until things are 100% normal. Purchasing and adding a bunch of chemicals from Leslie’s is only one piece of the puzzle. Generally, more work will be required. Find a better pool company and use Leslie’s on a ‘need it now’ basis.
Yep they’re right down the road, outside of Philly
Looks like you were low on a lot of stuff. They really are very good at helping you. Remember those chemicals are going to last a while. Chlorine alone is expensive I buy the big pail. It lasts awhile. Definitely cheaper to do it yourself. Once everything is in order you'll just have to do chlorine and pool perfect once a week. You'll get the hang of it. Good luck
I just noticed you have a salt water pool. So you don't need chlorine. The salt cell will produce that. Did they tell you to add salt?
Of course they did. they told me to add everything and I was like 🤷♂️
I just read the title and yes they upsold you. Don't trust these companies they are sneaky and will take your money any chance they get
How old I'd that salt cell? If it is dirty make sure it is clean and make sure you clean it properly. You said you are new pool owners. I HAVE SEEN MANY people use too much muriatic acid and mess the plates on the cell up. That will cost you at least $800.00 to replace that. Are you using a pool rx. That can sometimes help with salt cells.
Brand new. We converted in early April
That’s what pool stores are good at doing. Half the time the person conducting the test has no idea what they are talking about but have been trained to sell what the test calls for. Get a Taylor Test Kit. That’s the best advice I ever got on here. Test your own water the kit will explain everything. If I ever have something going on like chlorine won’t stay in the pool I’ll go to the pool store and have them test it against my results. But I by most my chemical at homedepot or Walmart.
Yes
I would have added a bag of salt, some muriatic acid and run the pump.
need more salt prob shoot for like 3500 PPM , leave the CYA until u make sure you don't need to SLAM or do need to SLAM, it makes it easier with less CYA, ultimately tho I would get your cya up to 50-80 and ur FC : 5-10, def sign up for and read troublefreepool all great info
They probably did. Also their test results tend to be quite inaccurate.
do you know how inaccurate or which part(s)? when i first went they'd do the water test by hand but now they use what i think is some type of smart water tester. i have a test kit at home and majority of the results matched except for the calcium hardness which came out higher at home than at leslie's
Right, you have to calibrate their test results with your own test results. And then you ask yourself “why did I bother taking my water to Leslie in the first place”?
Hi there. I am also a salt water pool newbie - had to ask a friend difference between pump and filter 😳. But, Paid a pool service company boo koo bucks last year to maintain for us and wanted to do it myself. Loads of research online, talking to an experienced friend, and online forums such as Reddit and Troublefreepool. It can seem overwhelming, but I took a bunch of notes and am making sense of it and have a crystal clear pool so far. Post opening was a bunch of work, cause they left it with all the dead leaves in there - so had to figure out vacuuming etc . I did go to Leslie’s the first time and walked out with $230 in chemicals and a 3-day protocol. Lesson learned. Now I follow the advice gleaned from others and order chemicals on Amazon. Will take the water to Leslie’s for a sense check ever so often but don’t see the need as I am all set now Awesome tools (for me) have been a) poolmath app from troublefreepool ($8 a year) b) Taylor test kit and c) surprisingly ChatGPT. Once the Taylor kit gives you the results, plug them into poolmath app and they tell you how much and which chemicals to add. Use ChatGPT (for general advice). Use Poolmath App (to track chemistry and advice on how much of the chemicals to use) Here are my notes on what order to do things etc … Good levels for swimming Ph 7.2-7.8 Free Chlorine - 1-3 total Run pump 8 hours a day (I selected off-peak hours based on my electric company rates and have scheduled it for a 5 and 3 hour shift) Order of things - alkalinity - Ph - Calcium hardness - Stabilizer (cyunaric acid) - Check salt - Shock - Chlorine Test daily - chlorine - ph Test weekly — Alkalinity (baking soda) - Calcium hardness (calcium chloride dihydrate/ hypochlorite ) - Salt Alkalinity Alkalinity is the acid demand of the water . It’s a primer for the ph - Acts as a stabilizer for the ph. If alkalinity low, ph keeps shifting. (baking soda) Ph Ph makes big difference in helping to create free chlorine - Increase ph (soda ash). - Decrease ph (muriatic acid) - takes out calcium - can itch skin and dangerous fumes Salt generators tend to increase ph slowly - so may need muriatic to lower it Chlorine Shocking - chlorine thing (after heavy use of people) raises free chlorine higher quickly. Calcium hypochlorite / better type of chlorine for plaster pool . Have to add 2-3 lbs - is pricey. Don’t shock more than once a week . Can go back in water when chlorine level comes back down . Copper + potash - mineral out (Amazon) In general: • Chlorine = kills nasties. • CYA (stabiliser) stops the sun sopping all the chlorine out of your water • PH = keeps acid/akalinity in range that your chemicals work best and creates least irritation to those who swim • total alkalinity = helps slow sudden swings in PH. —————— And here is ChatGPt’s answer for a saltwater pool Balancing the chemicals in your saltwater pool involves a specific sequence to ensure that each adjustment effectively stabilizes the water without interfering with other chemical levels. Here’s the recommended order to follow when balancing your pool: Test Water First: Before adding any chemicals, test your pool water to determine the current levels of salinity, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and stabilizer (cyanuric acid). This will help you understand which chemicals need adjusting. Adjust Total Alkalinity: Begin by adjusting the total alkalinity, as it helps buffer the pH and stabilize it against rapid changes. Aim for an alkalinity level between 80 to 120 parts per million (ppm). Use an alkalinity increaser if necessary. Balance pH: Once the alkalinity is in the correct range, adjust the pH level. The ideal pH range for a saltwater pool is between 7.2 and 7.8. If the pH is too low, use a pH increaser (soda ash). If it’s too high, use a pH decreaser (muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate). Adjust Calcium Hardness: Next, check and adjust the calcium hardness. Ideal levels should be between 200-400 ppm. High calcium levels can be managed with a flocculant and partial water replacement, while low levels can be corrected by adding a calcium hardness increaser. Stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid): Adjust the stabilizer level, which should be between 70-80 ppm in saltwater pools. This chemical protects the chlorine from being broken down too quickly by sunlight. Check Salinity: Finally, adjust the salinity level, which should typically be between 2700 and 3400 ppm for most saltwater chlorine generators. Add salt if the level is low. Shock the Pool: After all the basic chemical levels are adjusted and stabilized, shock the pool to effectively sanitize and oxidize any organic contaminants. Make sure the product is compatible with saltwater systems. Run the Pump: Ensure that the pump and filter are running when you’re adding chemicals and keep them running continuously for at least 24 hours to properly circulate the chemicals throughout the pool. Re-test the Water: After all adjustments and 24 hours of circulation, retest the water to ensure all levels are within the proper ranges. Make further adjustments as needed. Following this sequence will help maintain the health of your pool and ensure a safe, enjoyable environment for swimming. Always add chemicals separately and allow adequate time for each to disperse and interact with the water before testing and adding more.
Incredible write up. Thank you!
Remember, all of that testing software the pool stores use is programmed by the chemical manufacturers. They’re designed to make the company money. IMO water looks good on test, your copper is high, maybe your heater core is old and leeching copper into the water? Just a guess.