Best Pool Chemicals & Water Testing Products
Nature2 SPA is perfect for spa owners looking for an eco-friendly, low maintenance alternative to heavy chlorine or bromine to keep their spa clean and free of harmful bacteria and viruses. Nature2's patented technology uses minerals to destroy bacteria for up to four months in portable spas. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It doesn't fit in the Intex filters so I just used a zip tie to attach it to the water inlet jet so the water is always flowing through it."
"We are not heavy users of our hot tub but it lasts at least 6 months for me."
"So, I have a ring that has inside threads at 1.5", I have a 90 degree elbow that is 1.5" on one end and 1.25" on the other end, I have a 1.25" short length of pipe, then I have an elbow at the bottom."
"I recently had to repair a leak in our tub and decided to start fresh when I had to refill it."
"I use a large wire cutter to cut the rod down to the point where the "hot springs" model (gray instead of yellow)."
"These are very convenient and effectively keep the spa water clear."
"I previously used bromine and it worked but caused lung irritation."
"Been using these for years, in our old hot tub and now the new one."
Spa 56 Chlorinating Granules provides a reliable and easy to use source of concentrated chlorine toeffectively sanitize and disinfect hot water. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Works well in my Hot springs spa."
"I hate trying to remember to add chlorine on days I don't bathe in the tub."
"Super concentrated, takes a lot less to chlorinate."
"After trying the Leisure products we have come to rely on them and will keep purchasing them in the future."
"Excellent product."
"This chlorinated my hot tub just fine."
"I've been using the leisure time products for over six years in my hot tub's."
"Not much to say about these products, they work or they don't."
This fast-dissolving granular oxidizer rids spa water of residual soaps, deodorants, natural oils and organic materials that can build up in spa water. For more than 25 years, Leisure Time has been the premier name in spa water care.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Here is why I chose Oxy Spa over Leisure Time renew. Oxy spa has more Active Ingredients than Leisure time."
"Works well!"
"This stuff is stronger and less expensive than the brand my local pool supply chain sells."
"I've tried several other brands and Leisure time is definitely the best!"
"I'm fairly new to being a hot tub owner (2-3 months), but this shock performs just as well as the starter kit provided by my retailer."
"I noticed the bottle had a powdery residue on the it and when I opened it the inner seal was missing."
"If you have hot tub you need chemicals."
"Great product for my Catalina Hot tub."
Best Swimming Pool Bromine
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Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I use these in my spa and they work very well."
"The Leisure Time bromine came in great shape in the 4 pound container."
"Bromine for my spa is much better than chlorine."
"Unlike other brands, the tablets did not fall apart during shipping."
"These seem to have less busted up tablets then other makers."
"These are not as solid as other brands, some of the tabs are broken and they chip easily."
"I'm not sure if it was because its winter in wisconsin and these "froze" somehow."
"This may be a defective batch but they dissolve WAY TOO QUICKLY!"
Best Swimming Pool Chlorine
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Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Works well in my Hot springs spa."
"I hate trying to remember to add chlorine on days I don't bathe in the tub."
"Super concentrated, takes a lot less to chlorinate."
"After trying the Leisure products we have come to rely on them and will keep purchasing them in the future."
"Excellent product."
"This chlorinated my hot tub just fine."
"I've been using the leisure time products for over six years in my hot tub's."
"Not much to say about these products, they work or they don't."
Best Swimming Pool Chlorine Alternatives
Replacement turbo salt cell for the Goldline Aqua Rite salt chlorinator from Hayward, Hayward replacement part number T-CELL-15. They automatically generate a self-renewing supply of fresh, pure chlorine - for water that's clean, clear and luxuriously soft. Works with Hayward Goldline AquaRite, AquaRite Pro, SwimPure Plus and SwimPure Plus with Controls salt chlorination systems, and Hayward AquaPlus, ProLogic and OmniLogic automation systems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The reason is that the salt readings I get from the genuine Hayward chlorinator are right in line with the PPM readings that the pool supply store measures for me. Note: in my system, when the chlorinator is running, I see tiny bubbles come out of some of my pool jets."
"This brand may costs more than the generic see through-one, but this brand is longer lasting by years."
"The family member is using this item for the pool."
"The exact product we needed."
"I have had poor life from previous ones I have had but my water quality was poor, so I will chalk it up to that."
"My local pool dealer quoted double the price for an equivalent t-cell unit replacement plus labor."
"The reason for all of this is because my unit is a 2007 unit and the T-3 cell will only work with units dated 2009 and later without changing out the board."
"Excellent for the price I love it."
Best Swimming Pool Algaecides
Simply pick the correct sized PoolRx unit based on total gallons, clean your filter first, then, drop the PoolRx unit into the pump basket or skimmer. The PoolRx unit is effective in rejuvenating minerals for up to 1 year in the water, so start with a new PoolRx unit at the beginning of each season for best results. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Remarkably, it has been three weeks and algae problem has gone away, water is clear, and I have been able to keep the chlorine levels at recommended 1-3 ppm with minimal chlorine addition."
"We found Pool RX to be the thing to keep our pool in perfect balance."
"After doing research on copper sulphate, I found that their are people that have used copper for years to keep their pools nice."
"This actually works for my pool when nothing else has been able to stop the algae."
"Recently we spent a lot of money having pumps replaced, salt cell, etc. I haven't had to add chemicals in months, even with leaves and stuff blowing in the pool!"
"These things are worth their weight in gold if you have trouble with green or yellow algae in your pool."
"I put my in one of my skimmer baskets, not the filter basket."
"I backflushed the DE filter, refilled the DE, scrubbed the walls all the way around the 34,500-gallon pool, let the pump run for about two days to filter most of the murky water, then shocked."
Best Swimming Pool Balancers
SilkBalance leads the way in premium spa water care with a unique, unmatched, patented formula specifically designed to eliminate the need for excessive chemicals, wasted time, and work involved with traditional or salt water systems. SilkBalance is the once-per-week solution that is all you need to enjoy the health and wellness benefits of your hot tub, without complicated chemicals or the hassles of a salt water system. Once-per-week solution without complicated hot tub chemicals.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In regards to the bath salts, I've actually put salts in the jacuzzi (making sure they were ones that were safe to use) and it was nothing like the Silk Balance."
"I have ground well water which has a lot of minerals dissolved in the water already however it is not recommended to use softened water when you refill your spa."
"if you are not using this for your hot tub you are missing out."
"One of the best spa chemicals I used."
"So far so good."
"This is what the spa company recommended to be virtually maintenance free."
"I love silkbalance for my spa and especially the new formulation."
"Product has changed and that made it more expensive to use!"
Best Swimming Pool Clarifiers & Enzymes
Unlike algaecides that kill existing algae (resulting in a release of phosphates by the dying algae), PhosFree eliminates phosphates from the water to solve even the most stubborn algae problems. No phosphate build up, less filter management, vacuuming, and reduces pool maintenance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am inclined to recommend the Taylor Phosphate test kit TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC K-1106 TEST KIT PHOSPHATE rather than the Natural Chemistry Phosphate test kit Natural Chemistry 00081 Consumer Phosphate Test Strip for testing phosphate levels."
"The Phos Free has helped reduce our phosphates from 250 to 0."
"I bought this product at the beginning of the season and in turn the phosphate levels became close to zero within a few days."
"Removes phosphorous big league but it also gums up a DE filter big league."
"Once there, use it in combination with Pool Perfect to keep your pool phosphate free and crystal clear."
"As long as I keep the recommended treatment on schedule, I never have a hint of algae show up in the pool."
"I cleaned the filters before doing so and they really plugged up by the end of 48 hours and cleared the pool to a sparkling clarity."
"Blue Pro treats a phosphate level of 600 ppb with 2 oz or a total cost of $2.44."
Best Swimming Pool Enzymes
Our Spa Enzyme Treatment will keep your water clean and clear. (If you have high pH and hard water you will need to adjust your pH). 6 Month Supply of Spa Enzyme Concentrate for Clean, Clear Water.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Started using this product after got tired of maintaining "chemical" balance in my swim spa. Only have to add chlorine granules (amount depending on your size) after each swim."
"I know that sounds crazy-- only a cap full, but it works as well as toxic products without the harmful benefits."
"I have been using waters choice for 2 seasons now and I'm so thrilled to not have the chlorine smell and the hot tub is SO much easier to care for in my opinion!"
"This product has made our current Spa so much more enjoyable than the last one."
"I empty and clean the tub once a year and add Water's Choice (big bottle)."
"Water has remained crystal clear, barely any scum around the edges and water feels soft on the skin."
"great price, exact same product and brand needed."
"works well in the hot tub."
Best Swimming Pool Stain Removers
Stain free is an ascorbic acid product, similar to everyday Vitamin C. It is ideal for treating staining to vinyl pool liners and fiberglass pool surfaces. Recommended Dosage is 1 pound per 10,000 gallons; does not create any residual phosphates in your pool water.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However in speaking with friends who also had the same setup but used different chemicals, we were fortunate that our cocktail of Natural Chemistry products worked better than their brands of choice."
"My above ground liner starting getting stains after a few years and no matter how much I shocked the pool I couldn't get rid of the stains."
"I noticed at the end of last year the skimmer frames, steps, return jets, and main drain housing were all getting a slightly reddish/brown tint. I was looking on YouTube and saw a video where a guy cleaned a small section of his pool using a vitamin C tablet as a test to determine if a stain was of metal origin. I woke up the next morning and only the areas where I had brushed thoroughly showed any improvement, but most of my pool stilll looked as bad as it did when I started."
"Don't know about anyone else but this stuff worked great for me."
"Used this, some H202, and some baking soda to clean to edges of an above ground intex pool."
"I got some results from it but the extra strength version is by far superior."
"Followed directions on container and in less than 24 hours pool looked great with no scrubbing."
"Pool steps were yellow."
Best Swimming Pool Test Strips
Color: white. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Also keep in mind, you're dealing with very close shades of colors here instead of counts of drops of chemicals, some of the inaccuracy is due to our own interpretation of the reading. Ultimately, these are great for what they are, a compliment to a proper chemical testing kit and much easier to use."
"Recently noticed my pool was showing little Chlorine and Free Chlorine on the strips and the Stabilizer was not registering."
"Our tiny pool needed an easy way for me to check on the levels of chlorine...and other stuff."
"Absolutely the best test strips I've ever used."
"Ph seems about 0.2 higher than taylor and local store test kit."
"There is no doubt that these AquaChek strips will get you in the ballpark so you have some idea of your pool's chemistry."
"I always do a test immediately prior to taking a water sample to Leslies Pool."
"I used one strip and it read low PH/Alkalinity and extremely high cyanuric acid."
Best Swimming Pool Water Test Kits
About the Taylor Technologies K-2006 Pool Test Kit, Complete Service Drop Test Kit For Acid Base Demand, Total Akalinity, amp; Calcium HardnessThe Taylor Technologies K-2006 2000 pool test kit comes complete with FASDPD bromine test for acid base demand, total akalinity, and calcium hardness. Taylor Model: K-2006.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Initially, I took water samples every week to two (sometimes three) different pool stores that sell chemicals and equipment to pool owners. I also learned that NOBODY will be as careful to perform water tests on your pool water than YOU. Finally, I learned that there is so much variation in testing methods -- leading to differing, often conflicting advice from the pool pro at the pool store -- that the best course of action is to just do everything yourself. Using water samples taken at the same time and place in my pool, and having the water tested within the hour, these pool companies would give sometimes widely varying test results -- leading to sometimes conflicting advice. This is why I test my own water now -- I *very carefully* measure everything, including the amount of water being tested, and the drops of the chemicals I add to the water. What I LIKE: - It's easy to learn how to test your pool water for all the essential things: Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and Cyanuric Acid (stablizer). Only the cyanuric acid test is a little tricky, but you can easily repeat that test over and over without using more test chemicals (more on that later). What Could Be BETTER: - I wish the kit came with a larger supply of the chemicals you use the most: the powder and drops used with the chlorine test, and the red drops used for the pH test. I am shocked at how pool pros at pool stores and others who maintain public swimming pools use Taylor chemicals but don't follow Taylor's instruction on performing the test procedure! Using this Taylor kit, I am confident that I can continue keeping my pool water crystal clear and sparkling by spending 5 minutes a day doing chlorine and pH tests, and a few more minutes doing the other tests on Saturday morning. I also don't test the water every day, either; instead, I test the water 2-3 times a week. Because the water condition is held constant for so long, and because I know my pool and pool water so well, testing more frequently than this is unnecessary. Note that I added the extra advice, above, on the test procedure to use, since it's important to not only use good quality test chemicals, but also to follow a correct test procedure, too. 01/22/2017 UPDATE: I don't have a salt test kit, and my salt water chlorine generator's salt reading was reading high (it does that when the water temp drops). So, I went to three pool stores to have my pool water tested (two of them Pinch-a-Penny stores, one a local pool store). Never, NEVER trust a pool store to test your pool water."
"I don't remember the specifics but I was told to add these chemicals in a certain order, shock, then backwash, rinse, scrub then vacuum, then add this other chemical, let it sit for 3 hours then backwash etc etc The water was actually worse than when I started it....Once complete, the pool store told me to get another sample of the water and bring it back to them. I took to the web and found a pool forum and from there I was introduced to something called the BBB method which uses bleach, borax, and baking soda. A few days later I reported back with the numbers that I got by testing the water myself and the forums members told me exactly what to add to get my pool on the right track.. Id recommend doing some reading on understanding the BBB method more in depth but I can even explain how great it's been and how much money it's saved."
"I also find having the Cyanuric Acid test very useful because when too low your chlorine burns off, and when too high you need to adjust how much chlorine you add (7% of CYA). The test kit also tests alkalinity, calcium hardness, and pH; the latter also including a cool "acid/base test" to determine out how much acid or base are needed to adjust your level. It comes in a very well organized, sturdy plastic case, and the color coded testing cheat sheet on the lid is perfect."