Replace Your POOL CHEMICALS with Household Products (Bleach, Baking Soda, etc.)

[@SwimUniversity]

The Pool Care Cheat Sheet (Free): swimu.com/cheatsheet The Pool Care Handbook: swimu.com/book The Pool Care Video Course: swimu.com/poolcourse

[@handlesshouldntdefaulttonames]

The link to the cheat sheet seems to be broken, I'm seeing the Urine Detector 404 page, which btw very very cool product!

[@dac7046]

As the pandemic was winding down a local big box store was blowing out chlorine bleach for a buck a gallon and I stocked up big time! I much prefer the convenience of the tablets though. Our municipal water must be pretty good because I’ve found that with only chlorine and stabilizer our above ground pool water stays beautiful during our barely 3 month swimming season assuming I regularly skim and vacuum.

[@rutabega306]

Uh chlorine got a shelf life

[@Anthonygarage]

Can you make a video about putting a main drain on above ground pool?

[@degenviking6068]

Can I follow these steps for a salt water pool? Does it matter if the pool is salt water - new pool owner and learning 😅

[@greeneyes9310]

What do you recommend for a 9ft x 25in bestway above ground pool filled with well water???

[@trevorharrison4896]

Great Information. Thank you

[@mysteryman5213]

Great info. Thanks. I am having a problem with the link for the cheat sheet though. A new page opens but the "send to me" link is unresponsive.

[@SwimUniversity]

Does this one work? www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-cheat-sheet/

[@francesstager997]

YOY ARE A ROCK STAR!!! Thank You for that information!!

[@SwimUniversity]

You're welcome!

[@davidhazen2394]

We a Chorlex bleach equalavent. We are not drinking the the water but we notice that when some of the water got into our mouths, that it taste like chemicals . We are concern that cholorx still leaves checmials in to your pool We have heard that chlorine evoprates leaving no chemicalin the pool. Is this true?

[@laurazeller2014]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@SwimUniversity]

You're so welcome!

[@PattiCourtney]

New pool owner. Water is super clear and all my testing levels have been good except water hardness. Apparently our water is very soft. I added 5 bags of Clorax brand calcium hardness increaser to our 25k gal pool with little to no change when testing. Should I leave it or add more? Also, what do most people use to test water? Type of tester? I get confused and lost when directions to fix start talking about parts per mill and I looking at a color chart????

[@SwimUniversity]

How long did you wait after adding before testing? Also, liquid test kits are usually the most accurate, if used correctly.

[@88irocvert]

New to pool maintenance. I have most of it figured out but I'm trying to determine the best, most cost effective way to add chlorine and I'm not sure I'm calculating correctly. According to the information I've seen, a maintenance dose for a 10k gal pool is: - household bleach (2 gallons @ $6.16 or $12.32 @ Walmart) OR - 1 gallon of chlorinating liquid ($5.67 @ Walmart) OR - 2 chlorinating tabs ($4.50 from Sam's Club when you buy the 40lb bucket) Then I would need to add some CYA if I use bleach or chlorinating liquid. So, what I don't get is why I keep hearing using bleach is cheaper; it doesn't add up to me. What am I miscalculating?

[@SwimUniversity]

Your math is right! But chlorine tablets really fluctuate in price. They were way more expensive last year, but now a lot of places are having sales this summer. Liquid chlorine is probably the cheapest option consistently, even with needing stabilizer. And because tablets can cause issues with CYA for some people, it can be a "costly" fix.

[@CTINF]

@@SwimUniversity, continuos use of liquid chlorine could increase pH and requires to adjust it . Also each time pH is out of range check and adjust Alkalinity. Also consider that high pH levels will decrease chlorine effectiveness .😊

[@jeffr.7254]

Do the pros have any tricks for keeping CYA level from creeping up when using stabilized chlorine tablets? Or do they just drain water when CYA gets too high? I have about an 18,000 gal pool, and using liquid chlorine, even in its most concentrated state available, seems not to be a feasible option due to the amount I'd have to keep on hand.

[@SwimUniversity]

Are you using an automatic chlorinator? You could try adjusting things on that side first (dialing it down). Or try using dichlor granules, which have CYA but don't tend to buildup as much as tablets

[@jeffr.7254]

@@SwimUniversity Yes, with 3" tablets. They do seem to be a little heavy on the CYA. I'll look into the dichlor granules. Thank you!

[@jabisme4632]

Did you leave out calcium chloride as a calcium hardness increaser substitute on purpose? A 50lb bag at Home Depot is $20. A 45 lb bucket from a pool supply store is $90.

[@SwimUniversity]

I totally spaced on this! It's one of those chemicals that people use the most infrequently so the one-time purchase didn't register in my brain. Thanks for adding that!

[@chuckrichardson5822]

Excellent information and help! Quick question on the liquid bleach. You say 100% sodium hypochlorite after saying store bleach is 7-10%. I'm confused. Clorox from Sam's Club is 7.55% and... other ingredients with no scent. Is this okay? Thank you for creating an awesome resource!🤔 Just found 10% liquid at Home Depot!

[@AB-bu9go]

Confused here too. Maybe he’ll reply. Doubtful though

[@chuckrichardson5822]

I used the 10% and it worked great.

[@SwimUniversity]

I meant to say "pure" instead of 100%. As in no added extra scents, etc. 7% Bleach and 10% Liquid is what you should be finding, so I'm glad you did!

[@SteveHideg]

What can I use to DECREASE calcium hardness?

[@gregjohnson2073]

Nothing. Drain some of the pool water.

[@SwimUniversity]

Unfortunately you need to drain and refill with filtered water

[@xq8152]

​@@gregjohnson2073 Will filter balls reduce some of the hardness?

[@jamkwt]

Ok so I’m so new the the pool game and super excited super nervous our pool is 3548 gallons so trying to figure these measurements out is freaking me out pleaseeeee help

[@SwimUniversity]

That's considered a very small pool! I would look at hot tub measurements as a reference

[@MrJuxone]

cheat sheets icon does not seem to function

[@SwimUniversity]

See if this works: www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-cheat-sheet/

[@b0ob0o225]

Hey I have a question - my PH is 7.6, Alkalinity 108, cya 88 .. I can't get my TAC and FAC over .5 it stays stuck there even after shocking - I use poolrx so my pool is crystal clear but why can't my TAC/FAC go any higher? I had the same issue last year

[@SwimUniversity]

You shouldn't need your free chlorine above 0.5 PPM because you're using a mineral system (Pool Rx)

[@shawnfrederiksen1252]

this is all great, but i have problems finding some of these products in large quantities. i found Borax in a 5 gal bucket. Acid is easy, some of the others, harder to find!

[@SwimUniversity]

What about Costco or Walmart?

[@shawnfrederiksen1252]

@@SwimUniversity costco - can't say. sams and walmart, no. got the 5 gal bucket of Borax from amazon. 26,500 gal can burn through a lot of boxes of refrigerator size baking soda!

[@gina7131962]

Amazon

[@emmasayers-fb7nm]

do i need to lower my alkalinity if it is 180 and my ph is struggling at 6.8 and will not stay higher? or should i see if it will naturally fall on its own?

[@SwimUniversity]

Lower your alkalinity first, and then bring up your pH

[@SimpleDesertRose]

I get backing doda tablets to balance my ph. Works like a charm. Ironically I was thinking of getting one of thise floating fountains for my pool this year. More to help cool off the water in the evenings because the Arizona sun is brutal! I'd rather not have bathtub water again all summer if i can avoid it. Even with running the pump at night.

[@SwimUniversity]

Did you say baking soda tablets? Where did you buy those?

[@prebaned]

Borox works great. You're welcome.

[@SwimUniversity]

Thanks for the tip!

[@waynemiller256]

how do we purchase the $49 MANUAL?

[@SwimUniversity]

You can find it here! shop.swimuniversity.com/products/pool-care-handbook

[@phyllisdavis1537]

Great video. Many thanks for info. Much appreciated 👏

[@SwimUniversity]

Glad it helped!

[@a.m.6499]

What do I use to lower alkaline, my ph is fine

[@timfruend1276]

That's the problem I am having.

[@SwimUniversity]

How high is your alkalinity? If it's only a bit high, don't worry. Otherwise the only thing you can do is bring them both down (muriatic acid or pH decreaser)

[@krob5012]

Why did you switch to soda ash from your older video which mentioned Borax for PH?

[@SwimUniversity]

They're pretty similar, but Soda Ash/Washing Soda is a 1:1 match for what's sold in the pool store as pH Increaser, so we mention it more often.

[@socratesvela8285]

For the chemist in the audience, muriatic acid is ~12N HCl (very dangerous to handle and emits fumes), alkalinity is what we know as buffer capacity. NaHCO3( baking soda), is the buffer salt, but Na2CO3 (soda ash) is way more basic than NaHCO3

[@CP-os1pc]

Wear gloves and eye protection

[@socratesvela8285]

@@CP-os1pc absolutely, PPE, even handling the tabs, I recommend never touching them with a bare hand and the muriatic acid is probably the most unstable pool chemical to work with.

[@a.m.6499]

I'm afraid of muriatic acid

[@SwimUniversity]

@@a.m.6499 It's no joke! We have a whole video on it, including safety instructinos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaK6p39od8inn8k

[@SwimUniversity]

Muriatic acid id definitely no joke! That's why we have a whole video on it, including safety instructinos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaK6p39od8inn8k

[@IAmSweetPea]

I’ve shared this video so many times I hope it’s not a copyright infringement 😂😂

[@mickyjune26]

Mix water right after adding acid! Within 20-30 seconds. Acid falls to bottom of pool - heavier than water.

[@SwimUniversity]

Great tip!

[@XjohnjohnX1]

Dilute acid to a 10:1 ratio in a plastic bucket. 5 gallon Home Depot bucket filled half way. 2.5 gallons of water and 1/4 gallon of muriatic acid for example. (This will drop PH level from 8.0ppm to 7.4ppm in 10k gallon pool depending on Alkalinity level) !!!FILL BUCKET WITH WATER BEFORE ADDING ACID!!! Mix with plastic or wooden stick. Carefully pour around the perimeter of the deep end. Brush/ mix again for good measure. This will ensure the longevity of your surface and equipment. Also prevent any etching or staining to the pool's walls and surface 👍

[@scottiencali]

Dont forget Washing Soda (Way different than baking soda to raise PH) might be cheaper than soda ash.

[@SwimUniversity]

Oh yes, Washing Soda and Soda Ash are the same thing, Sodium Carbonate!

[@brendanorton5732]

Looking for advice. Opened our pool this year and found this under the floor of my pool. I have an Oval pool with vinyl liner. The pool is only 3 years old. I suspect this is a rodent tunnel. What kind of rodent, I have no idea. 😵‍💫. Is this tunnel dangerous for the pool? Do I need to empty the pool and fix/replace the liner? Thank you in advance for any guidance and advice. Trying to post picture.

[@impalervlad1456]

I am sooo confused.

[@flickweb1]

you don't outline what product to buy to replace soda ash

[@flickweb1]

i meant to act as soda ash

[@JohnKut]

Oh man, please… love your videos and the content you share. New pool owner here and learning a lot from you but I am bored of watching ‘cheat sheet’ part of your videos. It may be only a few seconds but after watching more than 100 videos of yourself plus shorts, enough… pls..pls…pls… consider taking that part out.

[@SwimUniversity]

Thanks for watching so many videos! As a rule of thumb, you can skip to the 0:40 mark and you'll jump past the Cheat Sheet info

[@seanmcguire6998]

Make sure the bleach you get is FRESH. Old bleach is garbage.😊

[@SwimUniversity]

Yes, good reminder! It has a pretty weak shelf life vs. chlorine tablets and granules

[@guadalupeflores-om7zz]

I don’t want a pool anymore 😅 no way 😶‍🌫️

[@duncanscubie]

Awesome video but the rest of the world uses the metric system so how about learning something or put the world wide metric equivalent. 😂

[@davearnold748]

If you were the swimming pool business and had to spend a half hour to an hour testing peoples water and advising them how to use the products, your "swim university" concept would be bankrupt simply due to your overhead costs. It's a seasonal business, it's long hours, and creates many jobs every summer. You should get a real job at your local pool supply store for the summer and maybe then you would quit trying to destroy their profit margins...what you're doing is a shame. First off, nobody has ever died from being poisened by urine contact...if so, we all be dead shortly after birth ! You make people think that they are getting ripped off at local pool stores just so you can sell your $15 empty bottle of nothing that they believe will embarrass them if they pee in your pool. Having a background in packaging chemicals, that bottle with it's printing and shipping cost you no more than $2. Your "I'm saving you money persona" allows you to sit at a comfortable desk while your real intention is to get them to send you a $13 profit for your empty bottle. I assume you have recieved your diploma from "swim university", where like most universities today produce the most lazy graduates our country has ever scene !

[@SwimUniversity]

I actually worked in the pool store for years! And unfortunately we break even on the urine detector bottle 😅 Just trying to help people solve their own pool problems if they want to.

[@recoswell]

we know kid - my parents used bleach and baking soda in the 70's + 80's pool lasted 20 years - but also everything today is such cheap crap it wouldn't last that long no matter what

[@SwimUniversity]

They knew what worked!