(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best pool chemicals& water testing products

Try this one thing before anything else, get yourself one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/PoolRx-Algaecide-Unit-20000-gallons/dp/B003TXBE4Q


I have a really clean pool but at the peak of summer I started getting the same algae and fought it for a while before I found that Pool RX product.

It instantly killed that algae and it stayed gone for the whole season. I reduced my chlorine by about half and still ZERO algae.

Another major bonus is it makes the water sparkle this certain way, I can't explain it. Like, you think you had a clean pool but this product just makes the water sooo clear it's really nice.

Pretty much overnight I was blown away by the difference.

Its like $60 and now this season I bought a new one and just holding it until either I see that same algae again, or once it starts hitting like 90's and 100's.

Not as good as soaking in water with just a tiny bit of bleach. You'd be amazed how little bleach it takes. For a home sink, probably somewhere between and eighth and a quarter cap of bleach, then filled with water. Let the plate soak for 30-60 seconds, and you're done.

Most cities require a 3-compartment sink for wash, rinse, sanitize for their restaurants. I've seen people ignore the sanitize part of the job, which makes no sense. When you're in a commercial setting, it takes such a small amount of extra time to set it up. Many kitchens use alternative sanitizers (including ammonia-based quaternary products), but if you want to try bleach on your own, you can get paper test strips. Again, you'd be quite surprised just how little bleach it takes to be effective.

$2.7 million for water treatment chemicals?

If they get really stuck, they could probably go "cheap" (solid chlorine vs liquid or something more expensive) and still be 95%+ effective.

https://www.amazon.com/Zappit-73-Hypo-Pool-Shock/dp/B01F44CVMQ/ (50 pounds per bucket) "1 lb will provide 2ppm of available chlorine in 40,000 gallon pool"

2ppm would probably do the trick. You can drink up to 4ppm safely, although 0.5ppm is better - https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/chlorine-residual-testing.html

Dunno? Seems to be available
https://www.amazon.com.au/Pentair-Swimming-Testing-Maintenance-R151186/dp/B004VU8WOG/

I mean, I'm not a fan of the Pentair test kit, but it's fine. I'd add CYA/Stabilizer test to that, but yeah, it's for sale.

Liquid chlorine seems to be available as well: https://www.poolshop.com.au/products/liquid-chlorine

I see you found something that fits the bill for what she's looking for. Awesome! Anyways, since this is something that you'll be spending more money on than you would have had you gone with something from Target, you'll wanna protect your investment with this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Solutions-Chlorine-Neutralizer-Suit/dp/B0017I6WTM. You might be able to find this at your local sporting goods or swim shop like I did, but in case you don't, it's here on Amazon. It seems pricey, but a little bit goes a long way.

Yep, it’s been great. This is the one I got: ChlorMaker

The other comment mentions Bio-Dex which is a great product line, but you could also try Jack's Magic Power Blue Scale Off. It comes with a spray head and is specifically intended for dry tiles. This is not a pour in the water type chemical. Follow the instructions on the bottle and it'll work well.

Here it is on Amazon, I get it at my wholesale distributor for $17

https://www.amazon.com/Jacks-Magic-Power-Blue-Scale/dp/B006XHQJL8

For scale underwater, try Jack's Magic Blue Stuff or Orenda SC-1000 Scale & Metal Control.

This is the salt tester I use it works great and is very accurate: https://www.amazon.com/Hayward-GLX-SALTMETER-Digital-Handheld-Meter/dp/B005IVZKKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475185291&sr=8-1&keywords=hayward+salt+tester

If I had the time I would always use the test kit for Salt which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNOLOGIES-INC-K-1766-CHLORIDE/dp/B001DO35EU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475185345&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+test+kit

Also, if you are using strips you might want to consider going towards an actual test kit that is reliable such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Technologies-K-2005-Test-Complete/dp/B00HEAQO5O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475185320&sr=8-3&keywords=taylor+test+kit+salt

The cheapest option would be to purchase the test kit for salt and continue using the strips. I recommend no strips and using the salt test kit and a normal Taylor test kit.

Just going through something similar only to learn each 3" Chlorine Tab raises the Cyanuric Acid 1 ppm each and it just builds up over time and the Chlorine becomes less effective until even at 5 ppm the Chlorine can't stop the Algae. From here Algaecide is needed to keep the algae at bay.

Sounds like you may be in the same boat. Get a test kit that measures CYA and see where it's at. Here's the kit I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWLYTBN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It sounds like since your alkalinity and pH are both really high you need to get that in check first. Here’s what I was taught and it works well for me.

1. Add as much pH down as needed to get both pH and Alkalinity below the “ok” levels. Don’t worry about overshooting it. (For me, I need a full bottle of pH down - I use liquid form because it’s so much)
   
2. Add pH up and alkalinity increaser to get to where you need.
   
3. Add a bottle of pH Balancer to “lock it in” [pH balancer](Leisure Time pH Balance Plus Simple Spa Care Hot Tub pH Maintenance (45410A), 3 pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000V8BUDC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Q0hQDbBXY6TT8)
   
   My pH and Alkalinity levels rarely go out of range now, and it’s usually when I add additional water, because my tap water is so hard. Then I just repeat steps 1-2.

If you really want to find out, you can get a simple water test kit that will show you the amounts of chlorine and copper in your water (along with other stuff like lead, mercury, etc).

use this and refill it with red food coloring, when that dye runs out.
I had several leaks around my skimmers where the skimmer insert met the tile. Once identified any of the two part epoxies on amazon for underwater pool repair will plug the holes up in no time.

Check skimmers, light niches, tile line, main drain, return jets. Make sure the pumps are turned off. If you’ve already done all of this, then I’m not much help.

Good luck.

I've considered it, but given that the water report I received from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power states that while "most of the time" I'll receive water from one source, there is a chance that I'll receive water from two others, both of which have different mineral and chemical profiles. I was thinking about getting the LaMotte Basic Water Test Kit, but then wondered what it was going to cost to keep the reagents up to date.

Completely agree with /u/AbsolutelyPink. Listen to her. Girl knows her stuff.

Hire a company or do it yourself:

https://www.amazon.com/MyMold-Detective-MMD105-Professional-Allergen/dp/B00LSOZT58

https://testittoday.com/product/air-quality-mold-test-kit/

Once you can confirm that your home is in a mold-elevated status, you can seek to have the builder pay for remediation.

I have struggled keeping my pool algae free for five years. I have poured enormous amounts of chemicals and shocked it so many times and nothing had worked. But this year I tried this product and boom it's crystal clean blue water. I have not seen a single patch of algae anywhere after 2 day of it being in the pool. Here is the link of the stuff on Amazon

http://www.poolsupplyworld.com/PoolSupplyWorld-Cal-Hypo-Super-Strength-Pro-Pool-Shock-Buckets-73-Available-Chlorine/Cal-Hypo-Buckets.htmI
Here I had gotten a pack of 25 for half the price rounded down to $60 when they still sold it instead of only 50lbs buckets.

(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BPNHV0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_vj7kzbBGSGGXZ)[There's also this] on Amazon for a good price, but it's $65 for 68%.

I thought dichlor was liquid chlorine.

I bought this.

https://i.imgur.com/r3pnHR4.jpg

The choices on the calculator say dichlor trichlor cal hypo etc.

The jugs that I bought say chlorine and then it has a yellow circle around the number 2. So I figured that meant dichlor.


Sold out on Amazon so it doesn't come up on a. Search but here's the product page. Doesn't say much.

https://www.amazon.com/Kem-Tek-26489048431-Chlorinating-Liquid-pack/dp/B01994IVW6

You could try a home test:ecoli

But for a full spectrum test you may want to send a sample to a lab. example

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PZZFFO6?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1

https://www.amazon.com/LaMotte-BrewLab-Basic-Water-Test/dp/B074D9VB25

Dunno how accurate/precise you need to be but this seems to work for me. I use this and BrunWater to do my water chemistry.

Before you drain. You pour in a hot tub purge and run the jets for a while. Then drain. There are other brands, but we use Oh Yuk

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012GNCI44/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_HfgRDbTD39X2J

IIRC, it's frowned in most subs upon unless a disclaimer was made. Otherwise, there'd be a flood of spammy affiliate links.

I just looked at the link. The ref code might just be an auto generated one rather than affiliate.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TXBE4Q/ ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_H0BVDbFKSW7HT

Amazon Pool Rx

OP you need this product. Stick in your pump basket, but, skip the recharge kit and buy another one in 6 months. If you shock the pool with powdered chlorine, predissolve it thoroughly. Can cause a stain/shadow for a few days but fades eventually. This has cut chlorine consumption drastically. We were skeptical about carrying this product. But damn it works.