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lovinthepool

Saving Money on Pool Costs

lovinthepool
13 years ago

Hey everyone,

I have a 57,000 Gallon pool in my backyard and it consumes a TON of chlorine, algaecide etc... I am spending close to $150 a week in chlorine, chemicals, and maintenance. Is there a way to save money? PLEASE HELP I WOULD HATE TO HATE TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE POOL!!!

LTP

Comments (15)

  • poolguynj
    13 years ago

    Go to www.troublefreepools.com and do the pool school. Trust me on this.

    Scott

  • domingos35
    13 years ago

    u must be doing something wrong
    my pool is only 16000 gallons and i only spend maybe $30/month

  • lovinthepool
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks guys! this helps... I don't remember where I saw this thing, but as I was researching I came across this thing that looked really really familiar. It kind of looked like a see-through tube where nothing goes in and nothing goes out. The description said that it lets you use 70% less chlorine. I still can't find it anywhere. Does anybody know what I'm talking about?

  • huskyridor
    13 years ago

    I have a 120000 gallon pool and don't spend anything close to half that for a month this time of year.
    What do you have for your sanitizing system?

    quote" The description said that it lets you use 70% less chlorine. I still can't find it anywhere. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? "quote

    It's called an ozonator and works very well on heated spas for disinfection but not on pools.

    Your best bet would be Bleach, Borax, and Baking Soda (BBB) with Calcium Hardness around 250 and Stabilizer around 40 to 50 ppm.
    I believe that the website Scott sent you to has lots of info on this type of care. I've done it on all my personal pools since I got started in the industry in the 70's.
    It's easily handled, incredibly affordable, and brutally effective year round regardless of water temp.

    See ya,
    Kelly

  • lovinthepool
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    That doesn't sound like it, I'm going to go some research to find out what this thing was.

  • PRO
    Sideroad Systems
    13 years ago

    There are several alternative methods to treat your pool.
    First and foremost is to consider where your pool is.
    What part of the country is your pool located in?
    What are your current water test results?
    What is the temperature your trying to maintain your at?
    What is your current form of chlorine?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bottomless Pools

  • lovinthepool
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    bottomlesspools.com,

    -Miami
    -Slightly acidic pH, algae is a bit off, biofilm forms on the sides and bottoms, etc....
    - This is the chlorine I use, http://www.amazon.com/Swim-Cal-Chlor-Pool-Chlorine-Granules/dp/B002WKS6D4

    -82
    _______

    Im still trying to find the capsule mentioned above. Any help of guessses on what it could be???

    Big thanks to everyone!

  • poolguynj
    13 years ago

    The TFP site I pointed you to has a pool school link in the upper right. Education and proper testing will help you. This is explained in easy to understand terms. There are also sections that get down to the nitty-gritty too.

    It's not hard to care for a pool. There is no Jedi Force needed. TFP's BBB method, as Kelly mentioned, works. Knowing what your pool's chem levels are and how to respond to changes in those levels will keep your costs down.

    Test strips usually inaccurate in that they give variable or erroneous results with the same water. A good drop based test kit is essential. You'll see why in Pool School. While they cost more, the savings in chem costs will more than pay for it, many times over given your current situation.

    I have no association with the mentioned site except that I contribute there, just as I do here.

    Scott

    Here is a link that might be useful: Trouble Free Pools Site.

  • lovinthepool
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I finally found the website! I was asking some friends and as sheer coincidence she had one of these weird capsule things. I asked her what it was called and she wrote down greenerpool.com (no association to site, like poolguy). Turns out that the claims were true, her pool is crystal clear and uses 70% less chlorine. What do you guys think about it??? I think it would defiantly be worth buying one for my costly pool. Maybe even two!! I could end up saving money for some other investments.

    How good do you think it could work, i am very interested.
    Thanks for everything,
    LTP

  • poolguynj
    13 years ago

    Sounds like snake oil to me. Less chlorine = greater opportunity for other bio-baddies to thrive.

    Please remember that algae is NOT the only thing you don't want. These things tend to add metals such as silver and copper. Add enough and you will get metal stains and their kill times are substantially longer than that of chlorine. Also missing from these types of products (bear in mind I haven't looked at the site yet) is the oxidizing of organics that chlorine does.

    Scott

  • paulsimmons
    13 years ago

    I'm not sure if this posted so please disregard if it's a double post:

    There are some basic things that can be affecting how much chlorine you use - What's your stabilizer level? How much sun does the pool get and how many people are using it? Are you getting a lot of rain or having to maintain the pool by vacuuming to waste a lot?

    Doheny.com has a set of pool resources that might help get you some understanding about what needs to be done. If you answer those questions above I might be able to provide some more guidance!

    -Paul

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pool Chemical Resource

  • mjpt
    13 years ago

    Forgive me if I am wrong, as I don't post very often, but good job you got me to go to a site that I think you were selling all along.

  • poolguynj
    13 years ago

    The TFP site has more accurate info and doesn't sell anything or accept outside advertising revenue. It's strictly member supported. Some members may get approved to offer discounts to it's lifetime members but the site doesn't benefit from these sales but rather it helps to encourage users to become lifetime members supporting the site costs.

    Doheny and In The Swim catalogs and websites (too similar to be different companies) are geared to selling, not informing. There is an enormous difference. For example, the Doheny site doesn't tell in the powdered chlorine products why one or the other is appropriate. This info is found on TFP's.

    Scott

  • paulsimmons
    13 years ago

    I thought the link might be useful for both the resource and because of their pricing. I've had good success with their supplies. I hadn't seen the TFP site, but it looks like an excellent resource!