Jandy SWCG's "optimal" water conditions: why raise CYA?

[famousdavis]

Just an epilogue to yesterday's "pro" water testing and my own K-2006 test results. Yesterday I tested my TA after The Pool Store said I had a TA of 150 and Pinch-a-Penny said my TA was 140 (and who also said I should dump a LOT of muriatic acid in to bring down the TA). My K-2006 said I had a TA of 90. My OTO test kit also had a TA test I could perform, and it said I had a TA of 90.

So today I took another water sample (without having done anything to my water since yesterday) to a different Pinch-a-Penny on the southside of my town. Guess what? According to them, my TA was *too low* (75) and I was supposed to add alkalinity increaser to my pool!

What a bunch of bologne!

In the cases of drop-based Pinch-a-Penny, I observe them *hurriedly* working through their various tests, and that leads, I believe, to a lot of imprecision when it comes to rinsing out their tubes and correctly measuring the amount of water they poor into their tubes and jars. For one Pinch-a-Penny to test my TA at almost one-half of what the other Pinch-a-Penny determined is just plain ludicrous.

How happy I am that I can do my own water testing, saving me from regular weekly trips to the pool stores! I'm going to save a TON of money doing my own testing and carefully adding *only what's needed* to my pool, rather than blindly following the "expert" advice of the pool stores!

[waterbear]

NOW you are catching on to why we say to test the water yourself with a good test kit!

[famousdavis]

NOW you are catching on to why we say to test the water yourself with a good test kit!

Yes, I've caught on, alright. I'll happily sing the praises of self-testing one's own pool water to whoever will listen to me. I've got a friend at work who just bought a house with a pool (he's a first-time pool owner now), and I'm anxious to show him my recent "pro" test results to emphasize the point he should test his own water, rather than relying on his pool service or a nearby Leslie's pool store.