John Uhle is a founding partner and product expert at Discount Salt Pool. John has personally worked with tens of thousands of pool owners over the last decade to achieve a low-maintenance, low-expense swimming pool. John has hands-on experience with a wide range of types of swimming pool equipment, and he loves sharing his knowledge with pool owners all over the country.
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"Store your pool chemicals in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Keep them out of the sun and away from chemicals that don't mix well with them (like acids or things that can burn). As with any powerful household chemical, keep pool shock out of reach of curious young children or animals who may consume it."
–U.S. News & World Report, "8 Best Pool Shocks of 2024."
Before you open your swimming pool, having the right tools and chemicals on hand is important. According to John Uhle, the founding partner and product expert at Discount Salt Pool, you'll want to stock the following:
Pool shock
Chlorine
pH increaser and decreaser
Algaecide
Calcium chloride
Metal sequestrant from chemicals
Test strips
Pool pole
Leaf rake
Pool brush
Pool vacuum
Garden hose
Pool filter
Gasket lubricant
Threaded plug tape
Pool cover cleaner
Pump
– Best Products, "How to Open a Swimming Pool in 10 Steps, According to Industry Experts."
“The filter should be able to process the entire pool volume every five hours and have a reservoir large enough to trap and hold dirt effectively. If you want to enhance the filtration quality further, consider using filter balls, which provide superior filtration and hold onto small dirt particles more effectively. Achieving the best possible filtration often requires sand filters with high pump capacities relative to their tank size, which benefit greatly from using filter balls.”
–Family Handyman, "Bestway Above Ground Pool Review: An Easy, Affordable Summer Hack."