No you should not use only tabs. Tabs do not distribute chlorine adequately. They are a great supplement and add stabilizer to the pool but should not be used exclusively.

No you should not put chlorine tabs in your skimmer basket. That puts full strength chlorine directly into your equipment which will age it too soon. Chlorine in the pool does its job and dissipates so only diluted chlorine goes into the equipment.

The chlorine smell is from chloramines. Chloramines are a type of combined chlorine that form in water and then give off gas into the air above the water. Chloramines can build up in the water, which means they can build up in the air if there is not enough fresh air surrounding pools and other places people swim in chlorinated water.

Yes, alkalinity substances act as buffers, inhibiting changes in pH. Therefore, total alkalinity is a measure of the buffering ability of pool water. The recommended level for swimming pool water is 80-120 ppm.

We primarily use SODIUM BICARBONATE to increase the alkalinity. The amount is dependent based on the pH level as well. To lower alkalinity, muriatic acid is used and it also reduces the pH in the pool.

Yes, pH is the measure of acidity in the pool. A level of 7.4 is the same as the human eye so no eye stinging. Low pH is very hard on pool surfaces and equipment causing brittleness and cracking and stinging eyes. High pH blocks the effectiveness of the chlorine and causes cloudy water.

Yes, cyanuric acid is very important and often overlooked. It is the stabilizer that allows your chemicals to work most effectively. Too low and you go through a lot more chlorine, to high and it blocks the chlorine from working.

It causes tiny particles, too small for your filter to get, to clump together so your filter can remove them.

Yes, the fumes from muriatic acid can damage lungs, and any contact can cause skin and eye irritation which could be as severe as blindness. When pouring muriatic acid never let the fumes come up to your face (pour from up wind).

It can cause discoloration or even burn paint off your vehicle.

Yellow algae, or mustard algae, is the cause. It can bloom very quickly turning a blue pool to yellow. The best defense is to keep your pool water balanced and running the pump and filter for at least 8 hours a day. It is also important to brush the walls of the pool which is where the algae forms.

If you get mustard algae your pool service, or your local pool supply store, has products to kill it.

Pool chemicals should be stored in a cool dry place if possible. It is very important to never store muriatic acid near chlorine as the combination of the two causes a lethal gas.

Yes, a pool pump is powerful and could hold someone to the bottom of the pool. If there is a single drain there is almost no way to get loose from the drain unless the system is shut down.
We take this safety issue very seriously and regularly bring in a diver to secure and replace bottom drains.