Adding liquid chlorine

[mdvcoder]

I'm a fairly new pool owner and recently switched from using Trichlor tablets to HASA 12.5% liquid chlorine.
Reading through the forum, I've discovered that most people here add chlorine either by pouring it slowly in front of a return jet or adding it directly into a skimmer. What about pouring it into a spa waterfall? I have a spa attached at the shallow end (elevated at ~18 inch) with water flowing down into the pool, would adding chlorine directly into the flow also work?
Thanks for any input.

 

[DaninFLA]

sure, don't see why not. let er rip! don't add chlorine to your skimmer.

 

[JVTrain]

Do not add liquid chlorine/bleach to a skimmer. You're exposing your skimmer basket, plumbing and pump to concentrated chlorine. ALWAYS add liquid chemicals to your pool in front of a return slowly. Think pencil thickness stream from your container. You could certainly add through the waterfall as well, but I'd still prefer a return stream addition. The reason you add in front of a return stream is that bleach and muriatic acid tend to sink in the pool. A return stream mixes and pushes the liquid horizontally, encouraging it to mix well before it can settle. The waterfall addition would certainly mix it well with all the turbulence when it hits the water but may encourage the liquids to settle toward the bottom if not added slowly.

As with any chemical addition, it's a great idea to brush the wall and floor in the area where you added chemicals right afterward to ensure that they don't settle and get really mixed.

Welcome to TFP!

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Welcome to the forum mdvcoder

 

[mdvcoder]

Thanks for all of the replies, folks. I do try to pour chlorine slowly, pencil thickness stream as suggested.
Regarding return jet pushing the stream horizontally and thus not letting the chemicals go down quickly, it seems that my return stream is somewhat weak (I put my hand next to it to check). Is that how it is supposed to be and good enough for mixing the chemicals? It seemed to me that spa waterfall would do a better job at mixing chemicals with water, since it is a much stronger stream.

 

[MarianParoo]

You would know better than us in terms of your flow. If the overflow causes a lot of aeration, that could slightly decrease the efficiency of the chlorine due to outgassing. Not a ton, though.

Still, mixing it afterwards with a brush won't hurt. I add in my deep end in front of my strongest return and then brush if just for the exercise... if nothing else!