Patio Pools & Spas

Poor advice by under informed people, that’s been my experience.
I use to get backup pool water test results there. They will test your water for free.
After one such water test turned to the topic of chlorine, the man behind the counter said «Oh please don’t use liquid bleach! It could make your swimmers sick!»
Of course liquid bleach from any store has the same active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, (NaClO) as their product, it’s just cheaper almost anywhere else, even when if you buy 8.25% Clorox, (but I prefer the two box bulk 10% liquid chlorine at Lowes).
On another occasion a clerk said I should use their product, Biogard «Balance Pack 100» to raise my Total Alkalinity. I said that I use Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (which I buy in bulk at Costco.) Again the representative had an misinformed company line: «Oh this is much more powerful than baking soda, if you use baking soda you would have to use 3 times as much.»
Truth is, their Biogard bag says «Sodium Hydrogen 100%» on the label, which isn’t even a true chemical name. Both are Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), but he would need to read his own material safety data sheet to have know that.
Learning how to treat your pool has a big learning curve, unfortunately these people are just not prepared to do anything except sell you the company line of overpriced products that you might not even need. I’ve stood there and seen it, you take your chances and you pay for it.