for all you pool gurus, do you have any online stores that sell chlorine tabs and or chemicals at a cheaper price than your local pool store? i think my local pool store is a bit overpriced and came across chlorine tabs at Sam's Club over the weekend... it was a 40 lb tub for $90. much cheaper than what i get at my local pool store...

thoughts please?

 

Can you convert it over to salt water? That seems to be much cheaper.

 

any info on that whole process???

 

There should be some info online. Just that I know a couple of people who have installed pools recently (in the last 5 years) and they all went salt water. Every 3 months or so they throw in another bag of salt and that's about it.

Looks like there is a bit more to it. You have to install a chlorine generator. It converts the salt into chlorine. Up front cost is a bit higher, but seems to be cheaper in the long term.

Worth looking into, but you would have to shell out some cash to do it.

 

blah don't know if i am willing to put up that much up front since the pool is relative old already... the lining prob only has a few years left on it...

 

Probably best to do the switchover and upgrades/updates at the same time. Most people go with the pebble coating with salt water pools.

 

I think one of you is talking in-ground, the other above!

 

mine is above ground...

 

Just go Sam's Club since you will be needing the basics.

 

We have a salt-water, so we really do not need to buy any chemicals.

That said, I would check our your local Home Depot or Lowe's. They should have the basics you need and should be cheaper then a pool store...

 

Mine's above ground. I've been getting all my chemicals from Sam's Club since they seem to be the cheapest.

 

suite.. thanks all.. ill hit it up this weekend probably...

 

Yeah, stick to the chemicals then. I didn't realize you were above ground.

 

A saltwater chlorine generator costs about $1K, plus you have to drain the pool and add salt to the new water. Payback will take something like 5-10 years.

If you're really into saving money on pool chemicals, you can cut way back if you get a real testing kit (no strips, not just 2 vials). It's a minor investment of time, but you'll come to hate the BS that pool stores feed you.

 

I don't know how much acid you guys put in your pools, but co2 is another option that many community and ymca pools use. It is safer for bathers and there is reduced corrosion and improves ph stability.

 

ahhh with all this damn rain we have been getting, and temps 25o lower than normal, mother nature isn't giving me a chance to open the pool...

 

^ Damn, you're not even open yet? We've been swimming since April

We have been sunny every day, but then getting thunderstorms in the evening. Need that to settle down so I can test the water and make sure we're still in good shape...

 

We use very little acid. If you have a salt-water pool, I highly recommend the item linked below. Our pool guy recommended it and it works great and really cuts down on the chemicals needed... http://www.nature2.com/poolproducts/...e2_express.asp

Oh and we got it on eBay for under $100 shipped...