New pool owner - looking help understand how to read water test results

[readi]

We took over the pool maintenance from this week for our pool and stopped the third party pool services since it was getting costly. We went to test water at local store and this is the result. How to interpret this result? They asked my spouse to use No Phos 60 fl OZ, add to the skimmer basket and run the pump for 48hrs. Are we doing this right?

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

"Free" testing is not free nor is it very accurate.. Its main goal is to sell you something.

Please read through out Pool School and see what we are all about.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PoolStored]

They asked my spouse to use No Phos 60 fl OZ, add to the skimmer basket and run the pump for 48hrs. Are we doing this right?

I would return the no phos. Not necessary.

Start by getting a proper test kit. Without it we really can't give advice. Why? Pool store and test strips are notoriously wrong, if we gave advice based on wrong test results, we can do more harm than good.

Here are the recommended kits. Link-->Test Kits Compared

 

[Newdude]

Hey readi and Welcome !!!!

stopped the third party

1) you
2) your pool
3) local store.

You traded one #3 for another and they both follow the industry advice that made you want a find a better way.

Either tftestkits.net option in the link above is a way better value than it's Taylor counterpart for the same price bracket. It's a one time investment in the parts, and the refills go on sale each spring for mid $40s. It'll pay for itself many, many times over.

 

[readi]

Thank you for sharing this useful info. I will start with the basics from this site and order my test kit. Being a new pool owner is ecstatic at first then exhausting and overwhelming within a week, now after couple months I am gaining confidence that with little effort and time it is worth it. It was not easy to get right info before but after joining TFP it definitely is making it easier. Thank you so much

 

[PoolStored]