Synergy System

[Thinkly]

We moved into our home in June and have been using Synergy tabs and Synergy clear since then to maintain the 11,000 gallon fiberglass in ground pool. Everything has worked great and today I was in the pool store to schedule a pool closing for late October.

The lady there was kind of all over the place with her subjects of discussion and hard to follow but here is what I gathered...

She said I should just use Omni 3" stabilized Chlorine next year because it was cheaper than Synergy. At the very least she said i should use Omni in the pool floater for winter because it would dissolve slower than the 1" Synergy tabs.

She also said the Synergy System is for pool "beginners" and that it wasn't as complicated. I don't get this because going to a product like Omni I am basically still just using Chlorine and Shock just like Synergy tabs and Synergy clear correct? Where is the difference? Why is that "more complicated?"

[ps558]

We moved into our home in June and have been using Synergy tabs and Synergy clear since then to maintain the 11,000 gallon in ground pool. Everything has worked great and today I was in the pool store to schedule a pool closing for late October.

The lady there was kind of all over the place with her subjects of discussion and hard to follow but here is what I gathered...

She said I should just use Omni 3" stabilized Chlorine next year because it was cheaper than Synergy. At the very least she said i should use Omni in the pool floater for winter because it would dissolve slower than the 1" Synergy tabs.

She also said the Synergy System is for pool "beginners" and that it wasn't as complicated. I don't get this because going to a product like Omni I am basically still just using Chlorine and Shock just like Synergy tabs and Synergy clear correct? Where is the difference? Why is that "more complicated?"

I don't know Synergy but if you have liner pool do not use a floater in the winter it could bleach the liner.

[Thinkly]

We moved into our home in June and have been using Synergy tabs and Synergy clear since then to maintain the 11,000 gallon in ground pool. Everything has worked great and today I was in the pool store to schedule a pool closing for late October.

The lady there was kind of all over the place with her subjects of discussion and hard to follow but here is what I gathered...

She said I should just use Omni 3" stabilized Chlorine next year because it was cheaper than Synergy. At the very least she said i should use Omni in the pool floater for winter because it would dissolve slower than the 1" Synergy tabs.

She also said the Synergy System is for pool "beginners" and that it wasn't as complicated. I don't get this because going to a product like Omni I am basically still just using Chlorine and Shock just like Synergy tabs and Synergy clear correct? Where is the difference? Why is that "more complicated?"

I don't know Synergy but if you have liner pool do not use a floater in the winter it could bleach the liner.

Sorry, forgot to mention this is a fiberglass pool.

[Jennybean]

She also said the Synergy System is for pool "beginners" and that it wasn't as complicated. I don't get this because going to a product like Omni I am basically still just using Chlorine and Shock just like Synergy tabs and Synergy clear correct? Where is the difference? Why is that "more complicated?"

The Chlorine from Omni doesn't have the Borates in it like The Synergy. Borates break down Bio-film. Bio-Film is that yucky slime that bactria forms to protect itself from sanitizers.

[waterbear]

She also said the Synergy System is for pool "beginners" and that it wasn't as complicated. I don't get this because going to a product like Omni I am basically still just using Chlorine and Shock just like Synergy tabs and Synergy clear correct? Where is the difference? Why is that "more complicated?"

The Chlorine from Omni doesn't have the Borates in it like The Synergy. Borates break down Bio-film. Bio-Film is that yucky slime that bactria forms to protect itself from sanitizers.

Not quite true, borates help stabilize pH and are algaestatic at a 30-50 ppm level but the small amount added by the Synergy tabs won't really have much effect. It is still basically just a chlorine system and the way to do chlorine PROPERLY is to get yourself a good test kit (Taylor K-2006), test your water on a regular basis, and make any needed water balance adjustments. It's really not hard, and it will save you a LOT of money in the long run.

FWIW, Synergy, Omni, Guardex, Sun, Bioguard, AquaChem (from places like Walmart) and Pool Time (from places like Home Depot) are all made by the same company, Chemtura. They make plain chlorine tabs (trichlor), Tabs wth borax like Synergy, and tabs with other additives. Get the plain ones and save money and if you are using tabs be sure to monitor the stabilizer level and don't let it get too high. Chemtura's company stance is that up to 200 ppm is ok but it is not! Problems from overstabilzation occur at 100 ppm or less!