# Forum Home Renovation Pools, Spa & Water Features  Price of Pool Chemicals

## Geoff2005

Not sure if I'm paranoid here but the local pool shop charges $22 for 2kg of sodium bicarbonate, IGA charges $2 for 500gm, ie $8 for equivelant amount. 
I wonder if the price of other chemicals has similar disparity just because they are packaged up as pool and spa chemicals.

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## Master Splinter

Yup.  And vice-versa. 
The price for food-grade sodium bicarbonate is about $240 per metric tonne, so IGA is rippin' you something chronic at $4/kg.  Mind you, you'll need to buy a tonne and arrange shipping to get that price.  
I'll take 40-50kg if you want to do a group buy!

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## Geoff2005

> I'll take 40-50kg if you want to do a group buy!

  
Thats a big pool!  :Wink:  
In the pool shop case I think they charge prices similar to other pool shops so I'm thinking it's probably some price fixing at the wholesale step (getting from 24c per kg at manufacturer to $11/kg on the shelf).

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## Master Splinter

Actually, I was thinking of it for sodablasting instead of sandblasting.   
Or perhaps buying a similar amount of citric acid and icing sugar and going for 'death by lemon sherbet overdose'!!! 
You could probably buy 50kg bag from one of the industrial chemical supply places...but they are probably more used to supplying laboratories, which get an even higher rip factor in their pricing for 'superior lab quality'.

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## Wombat2

Copper sulphate is cheaper in the garden section than the pool section at Bunnings by about 10 fold. Hydochloric acid is cheaper at the hardware as well. Algecide is usually Benzalconium Chloride ( or quaternary ammonium compound) - check out disinfectants just so long as they don't have soap mixed with it. (Helps to have a chemistry degree  :2thumbsup:  - read the labels may have to do some mental calculations to allow for different concentrations but it is all the same so long as you are close with the finished concentration in the pool )

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## dynamictiger

Ummm.  Could I pose a question? 
Who at the supermarket is going to give you advice on what to do when your pool goes green and it won't come clear no matter what you do?  For those of you without a chemistry degree. 
Yes sure you can use copper sulphate and for that matter lime to maintain your pool, but you can also use a horse and cart to go to work...why don't you?

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## Master Splinter

Well, if you are relying on advice from people in the supermarket you probably aren't the sort of person who would consider buying the active ingredients without bulking agents and fragrance and brand name reassurance. 
And a more apt simile would be "Yes, you sure can buy a car and pay someone to drive it for you, or you can learn to drive it yourself."

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## gymeamal

After seeing this thread I got 500 grms of copper sulphate from Bunnings for just over $10, while on holiday I went to a country produce store and got one and a half kg's for the same price. Since using it my pool has not been clearer half a cup every so often. My local supermarket charges $3.50 for a kg of sodium bicarbonate the pool shop $24.00 for two kg's.My local pool shop now charges to test your water unless you walk out with a arm full of chemicals

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## Andolate

I buy BiCarb soda from our local rural store. 20odd kilos for twenty bucks.  
Pool companies are ripoffs. I know for a fact the there are three respected brands of pool chemicals and they all come into Australia from the same place and a re labelled for each of the respective brands.  
I love the "special" names and marketing ploys they come up with,  things like Salt Pool sparkle from Biogard. Simply add one small packet after every heavy bathing dose to return you pool to clear . i would bloody well hope so if you are paying $105 for a ten pack which will only last ten days if your kids and friends are bathing every day of summer.

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## Master Splinter

Looking at the MSDS for that Salt Pool Sparkle stuff - it's Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (or sodium 3,5-dichloro-2,4,6-trioxo-1,3,5-triazinan-1-ide  - basically a chlorine source) some bleach (in this case sodium persulphate, found in Oxyclean), sodium tetraborate (borax, so it's hello laundry aisle again) and aluminium sulphate (garden section???).  So throw in a cupful of domestos, some nappy cleaner and some fertiliser instead!!! 
Nothin' there worth more than a few dollars a kilo!

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## BRADFORD

I think most pool shops are are ripoff and I generally keep right away from them.
I have had a pool for over 30 years and manage to keep the water quality good with minimal contact with any pool shop, the few times I have spoken to them, they always speak in hundreds of dollars. I get any chemicals I need from the local agricultural supplier.
Works for me

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