I've hearing that while Leslie's chlorine tabs are more expensive than the big box stuff, they're worth it because they last twice as long. True?
Are Leslie's chlorine tabs really better?
- Thread starter Osmigo
- Start date
Please don't kick it off-topic. Thanks.
What I stated IS on topic. Leslie's or any other tablets add other chemicals that will affect your water. Over time, it will cause major problems...regardless of brand name.
- Jul 17, 2019
- 4,053
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Nope. Tabs and shock are either:
-Trichlor
-Dichlor
- Cal-Hypo
The only one with variation will be Cal-Hypo which has several different strengths, but those will be printed on the label as a % (53% Cal Hypo has less chlorine than 73% Cal Hypo).
The rest is just marketing and additives (which are also not recommended). If you need to buy tabs, go to walmart or some place like that over Leslies. It will be cheaper and the same product if you look at the labels, regardless of what Leslie's might claim.
-Trichlor
-Dichlor
- Cal-Hypo
The only one with variation will be Cal-Hypo which has several different strengths, but those will be printed on the label as a % (53% Cal Hypo has less chlorine than 73% Cal Hypo).
The rest is just marketing and additives (which are also not recommended). If you need to buy tabs, go to walmart or some place like that over Leslies. It will be cheaper and the same product if you look at the labels, regardless of what Leslie's might claim.
Thanks, I'm a little leery of using tabs. My "pool school" experience with our new pool has been rather disappointing. It was some kid, allowing only an hour to cover EVERYTHING: pumps, settings, filters, chemistry, reagents, balancing, cleaning, etc. I kept him there for almost 3 hours, and we still didn't cover it all. He put liquid chlorine in the pool, but said tabs were better. He said liquid chlorine was mainly for shocking, or quick-fix situations, not for routine pool maintenance. I realize, of course, that that is total horse manure. The primary benefit from the tabs (in the Hayward feeder) is not having to constantly hassle with lugging jugs around, so that's attractive to me. But I made it clear that I do NOT want my CYA rising up too high. He basically poo-poo'ed the idea, said all you have to do is drain a foot of water out of your pool about once a month. Yeah, sure, no problem.....]-: Draining is a BIG no-no for us, as any replacement water has to be trucked in ($$$).
He also advised putting the tabs in the skimmer, not in the feeder. Jeez. So much for "pool school."
That being said, for now I'm staying with liquid chlorine until I get this settled.
He also advised putting the tabs in the skimmer, not in the feeder. Jeez. So much for "pool school."
That being said, for now I'm staying with liquid chlorine until I get this settled.
Last edited:
- Jul 17, 2019
- 4,053
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You are wise to no just blindly use tabs, especially if you have to get water trucked in.
Do you have a quality test kit so you can see your actual numbers? With a kit + pool math you can accurately tell the impacts of the various chemicals to your numbers.
Generally speaking you want to use liquid chlorine for your day-to-day chlorine additions, but if you have wiggle room in your CYA, you can occasionally use tabs for vacations, and other times where daily additions of chlorine will not be feasible.
Do you have a quality test kit so you can see your actual numbers? With a kit + pool math you can accurately tell the impacts of the various chemicals to your numbers.
Generally speaking you want to use liquid chlorine for your day-to-day chlorine additions, but if you have wiggle room in your CYA, you can occasionally use tabs for vacations, and other times where daily additions of chlorine will not be feasible.
- Jan 7, 2012
- 2,110
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Got a bottle of test strips that seem to work pretty well. I also got a Pentair Rainbow kit, in the blue plastic box with 5 little bottles of reagents. It's a waste, though, for two reasons:
1. It's supposed to be stored in a cool place. The early crews (excavation, rebar) left it lying out in the hot 100-degree sun for at least a week.
2. 4 of the 5 bottles of reagent are expired, a couple of them almost 2 years old.
I'll have them send me a new kit. Sigh. People.
- Jul 17, 2019
- 4,053
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The test strips are very inaccurate, and the Rainbow kit doesn't test everything we need. The most expensive thing we ask you to buy is a quality test kit. I recommend the TF-100, but here is the comparison and recommended test kits:
www.troublefreepool.com
Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared
What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!
www.troublefreepool.com
The rainbow test kit is better than nothing but they seems to have ruined it for you. It is missing one of the major tests too. The drop FC test it used only really shows if there is any chlorine in the water at all. It only goes up to 5ppm of chlorine. The powder test in the kits @JJ_Tex for chlorine is MUCH better.
As for theguess test strips their only place is in file 13 aka the trash can.
I want to show you what YOUR pool can look like if you start taking care of your pool the TFP way-good test kit and liquid chlorine being the major parts:
How Clear is TFP Clear?
As for the
I want to show you what YOUR pool can look like if you start taking care of your pool the TFP way-good test kit and liquid chlorine being the major parts:
How Clear is TFP Clear?
Back in the bad old days, I was a multi decade tab user. There ARE major differences between tabs. I never bought anything that promoted extra clarifying, algicides, etc. But still, the binders used in the cheaper ones left a much higher amount of sticky/uncleanable residue in my tab chlorinator, and very quickly plugged up its small check valve. In some cases (tabs from Costco, etc.) the valve had to be replaced every few weeks. And the chlorinator every few years. I finally settled on the high buck Bioguard BASIC tabs. They only required a new valve two or three times a season (!)
As far as "longer lasting" - that was just marketing. All tabs have very close to the same concentration of Cl. If, due to the binders/manufacturing process, they dissolve slower - that just means you need more to get to the same Cl level. Less if they dissolve faster. The rate they put Cl in may change, but in the end, you'll use the same amount of them. Unless, of course, you are judging the amount of Cl in the pool based on when it needs more tabs vs using an actual test. And that is just another way to get to green with them....
As far as "longer lasting" - that was just marketing. All tabs have very close to the same concentration of Cl. If, due to the binders/manufacturing process, they dissolve slower - that just means you need more to get to the same Cl level. Less if they dissolve faster. The rate they put Cl in may change, but in the end, you'll use the same amount of them. Unless, of course, you are judging the amount of Cl in the pool based on when it needs more tabs vs using an actual test. And that is just another way to get to green with them....
The test strips are very inaccurate, and the Rainbow kit doesn't test everything we need. The most expensive thing we ask you to buy is a quality test kit. I recommend the TF-100, but here is the comparison and recommended test kits:
Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared
What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!
Considering all the issues you avoid with bad testing, the test kit is a bargain.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,783
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
You really need a quality test kit. Test Kits Compared
And long term, seriously consider a SWG - it will make the chlorine on-site.
And long term, seriously consider a SWG - it will make the chlorine on-site.
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