A Guide to Cheap Pool Chemicals

So you love having a dip in that cool splash of blue in your backyard. Gazing at the pool from your upstairs window is your moment of Zen. And then you take a bottle to test at your local pool supply store and watch nervously as the guy behind the counter declares your alkalinity and pH is out of whack. And those chemicals, powdered gold must surely be the main ingredient, judging by their prices...

Here are a few tips on where to buy, and what to buy, to keep your costs down.

Chlorine and Shock

These are you everyday basics, the best way to economize on them is buy in bulk. Look no further than your local wholesale warehouse, Costco or BJs, for these products. Costco typically carries the Aqua Chem line of products, including 3 inch chlorine tablets and their Shock Plus products, at prices that your local pool supply store just cannot match. BJs carries the popular HTH line of chemicals. Pick up a 40 lb pail of chlorine tablets for your inground pool, and don't fret about pool store prices for the rest of the season.

Not a warehouse member? Did you know that discount retailers such as Walmart (HTH chemicals) and K-mart (Aqua Chem) typically carry pool chemicals seasonally? Again, you will typically find price-points that your pool supply store cannot match.

Word to the wise on chlorine, pound for pound, the most effective form is the popular tri-chlor tablets, that can deliver more than 80% available chlorine. These are stabilized forms that are suitable for delivery in automatic chlorinators or floating dispensers (or you may be able to place them in your skimmer basket). Note, stabilized chlorine will increase your cyanuric acid levels over time.

It's a good idea to shock your pool weekly, and the Calcium hypochlorite based shock treatments work pretty well, though they may have the side effect of increasing the calcium hardness of your pool. If this is an issue, the Aqua Chem shock product may be a good alternative for you, since it is based on sodium hypochlorite.

The balancing chemicals

So you've socked away a season's supply of chlorine and shock, but it always seems like you're adding a couple of pounds of alkalinity rise or perhaps the pH is on the low side. Typically most pool owners have trouble maintaining their total alkalinity, alkalinity rise is a pool store's most popular product.

Guess what? Alkalinity rise is simply sodium bicarbonate or more simply, baking soda! So here's your aha moment. Sock away a few lbs of Arm and Hammer at your warehouse or local discount store and you are good to go. The folks at Arm and Hammer even provide a terrific page that gives you instructions on how to use it with your pool.

Many of the other pool balancing chemicals (pH Up/Down, Alkalinity up/down, Clarifier, Algaecide) are also available at your discount retailers. So you can pretty much hit the pool supply store for just the occasional water test and some of the more exotic chemicals...

The Bottom Line: Discount retailers and wholesale warehouses are the way to go for pool chemicals.

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