Visit Our Retail Store!

Have Your Water
Tested Here!

Come visit The Swim Zone’s pool & spa retail store! See our full line of swimming pool & spa chemicals, cleaning accessories, vacuums, filters, pumps, pool toys, accessories, and everything else you need for a sparkling pool! We offer customer rewards loyalty bucks for every purchase you make! The rewards are stored in your account and you can use them towards any purchase at any time.

We strive to provide accurate advice and quality service for your pool without spending a fortune on chemicals! Bring a water sample to our in-store water lab counter and receive a FREE computerized water testing analysis. We provide a full treatment plan print out customized directly to your pool’s water chemistry needs based off the following 10 point water test:

  • Sanitizers
  • Oxidizers
  • Algae Prevention
  • Balancers
  • Supplements
  • Problem Solvers
  • Winter Kits

The form of chlorine that is available to sanitize and oxidize the pool water. It is also referred to as Free Available Chlorine (FAC). The ideal range for Free Available Chlorine is 2.0-4.0 ppm (parts per million). Any reading above or below needs to be addressed. A pool with too much FAC may cause bleaching and irritate the eyes. A pool without enough FAC will not have the ability to properly sanitize and oxidize harmful bacteria and algae that try to grow.

Total Available Chlorine (TAC) is the sum of Free and Combined chlorine (useless chlorine) in the water.
Combined chlorine is an odorous chemical compound formed when Free Chlorine combines with nitrogen-containing contaminants in the water. Combined chlorine no longer has any sanitizing ability. ANY level of combined chlorine should be treated by oxidizing (shocking) the pool.
Salt levels are only measured if your pool’s sanitation runs off a saltwater chlorine generator (salt system). Ideal salt levels are 2,800-3,600ppm, but may vary based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. It is important to know the maker of your salt system when testing.
A measure of the acidity/basicity of the pool water. The ideal range for pH in your pool is 7.4-7.6. A pH level in this range helps the chlorine work best. The pH of our eyes are in this range so it will keep from burning eyes and skin as well. Any pH below 7.2 or above 7.8 needs to be addressed right away. Lower pH is considered “corrosive”. It will burn eyes and corrode pool plaster, metals and filtration equipment. High pH DRASTICALLY reduces chlorine effectiveness, can cause cloudy water and form white scale buildup around the pool and eventually clog plumbing and equipment.
Total Alkalinity measures the waters ability to buffer drastic changes in pH. The ideal range for Total Alkalinity is 80-120ppm. Low total alkalinity can cause corrosive water and drastic pH swing. Generally, higher alkalinity has more resistance to pH change.
Calcium hardness is the measurement of dissolved calcium salts in the water. Ideal range is 200-400ppm. If there is not enough calcium, the water will become corrosive and damage pool surfaces and filtration equipment. Low calcium can be especially destructive to pool tile and plaster as the water will pull the calcium from those surfaces to balance itself out. High calcium will result in scaling and staining on pool surfaces and inside equipment.
Cyanuric Acid is also known as pool water conditioner or stabilizer. It helps protect chlorine from ultraviolent sunlight and therefore keeps chlorine in the pool longer. Ideal cyanuric acid levels are 30-50ppm. Saltwater pools should be more around 60ppm. If there is low cyanuric acid levels, the chlorine will burn off too fast from the sun. If there is too much cyanuric acid, it will protect the chlorine so much, that it will inhibit it from sanitizing the pool at all. As cyanuric acid levels increase, more chlorine is needed.
This measures the amount of metals (copper and iron) in the water. The range for metals is 0-0.2ppm. Ideally you don’t want any metals in the water as it can result in staining on the pool’s surfaces. Any metal levels should be properly treated with a stain and scale sequestering agent. That will keep them in solution and prevent them from clinging to surfaces, resulting in stains.
This measures phosphates in the water. Ideally, you don’t want any phosphates in the pool water. The acceptable range is from 0 to 500ppm. Phosphates act as food for algae growth. They don’t start algae growth, but rather fuel it once it has begun to grow and can cause a full blown algae bloom. The main source of phosphates comes from the breaking down of dead organic materials such as leaves, pollen, dirt, etc. The best way to prevent phosphates is by keeping your pool clean from organic materials. Phosphates can be removed using a Phosphate control, which will combine with them and get caught in the filter.

We are open 7 days a week and have extended hours from May 1st through September 31st. We accept all major credit cards and cash as forms of payment. When at the checkout counter, ask our sales associates about our swimming pool weekly service packages, openings and closings as well. We are located right on Highway Route 46, Westbound side, directly across from the comfort inn hotel.

The Swim Zone 295 US-46 Fairfield, NJ 07004
(973) 298-0907