Cheap Pool Chemicals: Does it Matter Which Brands You Use?

Cheap Pool Chemicals: Does it Matter Which Brands You Use?

If you had to list some essential accessories for commercial and residential pools, chemicals would undoubtedly be at the top.

Different chemicals accomplish different goals, all of which are critical to the overall quality of your pool’s water and the experience it is helping to create. Chemicals like chlorine help treat the water in your pool, hot tub, spa, and similar areas. Some chemicals are intended to help with pH control. Others are dedicated to improving the overall quality of the water.

Of course, pool chemicals aren’t something that you “add once and forget about.” They must be used consistently throughout the year to preserve the longevity of your pool’s water and prevent issues like algae growth, the corrosion of equipment, and more.

But is it possible to accomplish these goals with cheap pool chemicals? Does it matter which brands you use, or do some have a better reputation than others? What can go wrong if you use the wrong types of chemicals in this situation? The answers to questions like these require you to keep a few key things in mind.

Related Article: Swimming Pool Chemicals for Beginners

Cheap Pool Chemicals – It’s All in the Ingredients

Cheap Pool Chemical Ingredients One consequence that often goes hand-in-hand with buying cheap pool chemicals is the types of ingredients used and their quantity.

Most people recommend purchasing hair care items directly from your hair stylist or a similar hair-centric retailer instead of a store that stocks cheaper (but more general) items. This is because many correctly assume that those cheaper versions sold by the latter are inferior when it comes to ingredients compared to the products available from the former. Buy only certain products from a trusted source simply because you know what you’re getting.

The same concept is genuine for cheap pool chemicals. Just because a “4-in-1” pool shock product has all the required ingredients doesn’t mean it has them in the amounts it is supposed to. A higher quality product might have roughly 70% available chlorine active ingredient. Cheaper options might have only 40% or less available chlorine. The same is true of other active ingredients like Calcium Hypochlorite, too.

The issue is that while the cheaper product may technically shock your pool, it could be doing it more effectively. This is how it can be cheaper than the higher quality option from a trusted brand – it’s essentially a “watered down” (no pun intended) version of the item you should have purchased in the first place.

Also, many of these cheap pool chemicals often use “hidden” filler ingredients. This means you’ll use more of that product to accomplish the same goal compared to the higher-quality chemicals you purchased from a supplier like GPS Pools.

So while you may be saving a bit of money at the checkout counter, you’ll blow through your available supply far faster and back at the store before you know it – thus costing you even more money in the long run.

Related Article: Proper Water Balance and Testing

Safety Considerations About Cheap Pool Chemicals

The negative impact of cheap pool chemicals can also show in other ways. Many of these products use animal fat as binders, for example. Again, many of these lower-quality brands use this technique to keep those initial costs down as much as possible.

The problem is that the more of those products you use, the more likely you are to see an oily film develop on the surface of your water. This could be very hard to clean and, at worst, develop stains and other discoloration around your residential or commercial pool’s waterline. It’s also not a way to make the best possible impression when someone sees your pool for the first time.

Other issues that could develop with your pool’s water under these circumstances include excessively cloudy water and foam that has developed that won’t go away. None make for an enticing afternoon dip in a fantastic, relaxing pool.

Low-quality and otherwise cheap pool chemicals can also be destructive. Not only can they cause permanent damage to the liner of your residential or commercial pool over time, but they can also fail to prevent the types of issues they’re supposed to, like bacteria growth or corrosion. This can lead to increased (and costly) pool maintenance needs.

Not only that, but these cheap pool chemicals can also harm people who spend a lot of time swimming in the pool. They can cause damage to someone’s skin and hair and have even been known to cause a stinging sensation in someone’s eyes in those who are particularly sensitive.

Especially if you’re talking about an area like a commercial pool, this is something other than what you want to allow to happen. The fastest way to get someone never to want to go anywhere near your pool again is to leave them with damaged hair and burning eyes after a single swim.

Related Article: How to Maintain a Swimming Pool: Getting the Chemistry Right

Let GPS Help Maintain Your Pool Properly

Pool Chemical Water TestingWhether you’re talking about a commercial pool in a space like a hotel or a residential pool that you installed to tie the visual theme of your home together, a pool is an investment. It deserves to be protected as much as possible, and cheap pool chemicals have no place.

For starters, we believe in what we sell and only stock chemicals and other pool supplies from the most trusted brands in the industry. One of our goals is to ensure that our customers have access to high-quality products they can trust, no matter what. This is why, rather than saving a few dollars now by purchasing those cheap pool chemicals at a big-box general retailer, you should only purchase your necessary pool chemicals from the experts at places like GPS Pools.

But you’re also getting access to a team of dedicated professionals with knowledge, insight, and expertise that you’d never get in a more general retailer. If you’re curious about what type of pool treatment would work best for your situation, we can help. We’ll be there for assistance if you’ve run into a specific problem you need help fixing. You can even bring us a sample of your water so we can figure out what is going on and recommend the solution you need when you need it the most to get your pool looking exactly how it should.

So yes, you may pay more initially for those higher-quality pool chemicals. But you’re saving time, money, and energy over the long term. Contact GPS Pools today to find out more information about the dangers of cheap pool chemicals or to learn about additional ways that we can help keep your commercial or residential pool maintained properly. We have locations in New Tampa, Land O’Lakes, and Lutz ready to serve all of your pool’s needs.