Where Do REAL Pool Owners Buy Chlorine

[dollerprod1]

"Just Getting Started" is right

Where do you buy chlorine from?

My understanding so far is that liquid chlorine is preferred OVER the tablets... and while the tablets may be more convenient (put in every week/few days), you need to add liquid chlorine almost daily.

So liquid chlorine @ 10%, 128 oz is about $4. Is that too much to spend? Also dragging out gallons of bleach from the store all the time. Is there a more convenient and cost effective way.

Where do people get these yellow jugs and whatnot? I'm too afraid to ask in person lol..

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi dollerprod,
As you mentioned, bleach from the grocery store.

The stronger stuff is available at big box stores and pool stores.

Its hit and miss depending on where you live, if there is a chlorine "distributor" who refills the big jugs.
Depending on local regulations, you might also be able to get it at Industrial Janitorial supply company.'

Since its the actual chlorine that we are interested in, and not the rest of the stuff in the bottle, here is a cool tool that you can use to calculate the cost of the actual chlorine itself to see which product is the better price.
Chlorine Price Per Ounce Calculator

 

[mediumwavedave]

Leslie's or pinch a penny. There are plenty of pool stores around orlando. It's about $5 for 2.5 gal. Sign up for email rewards and mailers. Get coupons all the time.

 

[Texas Splash]

And when all else fails .... just hit Wal-Mart for some generic "Great Value" 8.25% strength at $2.98 per gallon or something similar at your local store. Always make sure the bleach is regular, no special scents or anything. Just like a pet, a pool needs some attention every day. A little "feeding" of bleach will go a long way. Unlike tablets, it's great sanitizer with virtually no side effects.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

My Costco sells 3x121 ounce bottles in a case for $8.99.
Freshness is important, avoid the stuff Lowes and Home Depot sit outside in the garden department as heat and sunlight degrade bleach. Buy from stores that have a good turnover.
Check the freshness date on the bottles (listed as a Julian date when produced) and buy the newest bottles.
Go for the 8.25% stuff (pretty much the standard these days) and avoid any that don't give you the percentage because those are usually very low (like 3%). Don't assume the cheapest stuff is just as good.

 

[KSpoolguy]

I get 96 ounce bottles of 6 percent (off brand/store brand) at my small town grocery store for 99 cents per bottle. Really can't beat it! They order for me in bulk (usually 6 cases - 6 per case) at a time at a discounted rate since it is bulk (normally 1.19 per bottle). I would just ask around about buying it in bulk from your local grocery store.

 

[Swampwoman]

I get 12% in plastic cases of 4 recycled gallon bottles at the store part of the pool builder co. that built my pool. Its easier to pick up 2 cases every second week, exchanging the empties for full, than it is for me to buy during groceries and throw 8 jugs into the recycle bin whch is only collected every 2 weeks Pool co. Keeps an $8 deposit for the case, my chlorine refills run about $3-ish + a bottle as a result. Not necessarily cheaper, but more convenient for me and less plastic waste.

 

[domct203]

I buy my 12.5% liquid chlorine from Ocean State Job Lot. It's $2.99 for a full gallon (128oz) all season, with 4-gallon cases on sale for $10 a few times a season.

I plan to open early so I'll start off with standard 8.25% laundry bleach, then switch to the 12.5% as soon as it's on the shelf at OSJL.

Have you seen this thread?

Bleach Prices 2015

Dom

 

[dollerprod1]

Thanks everyone, appreciate the responses from all.

How much bleach do you all find yourself going through in, say, a week... or month. I know a lot of factors are at play, but just wondering.

 

[pabeader]

As you say, there are many different factors, but a good ballpark is 2-4 ppm per day. A little more on high bather load, a little less with less direct sun. Without your pool info we can't tell you how much bleach that would be.

- - - Updated - - -

An example would be: I got this by plugging my numbers into PoolMath
My pool is 5000 gals
It takes 30 ozs of 8.25% bleach
To raise FC by 4 ppm.

 

[domct203]

Same here, 2-4ppm per day, or 16-32oz of 12.5% in my 6700 gallon pool with a CYA of 40ppm.

Dom

 

[dollerprod1]

.

.

13,000 gal so I could realistically be looking at nearly 1/2 gallon per day?

 

[domct203]

13,000 gal so I could realistically be looking at nearly 1/2 gallon per day?

Depending on chlorine %, bather load & environment, probably a little bit more.

Dom

 

[PAGirl]

13,000 gal so I could realistically be looking at nearly 1/2 gallon per day?

I didn't use quite that much per day, but my water never got very warm, and I used a cover. (!4,000 gallons, CYA at 30, in Pennsylvania.)

 

[Swampwoman]

Dollarprod, I use a half all on of 12% on average over the season but my pool is 23,000k. Ymmv, but my hunch is you'd use less.

 

[DaninFLA]

"Just Getting Started" is right

Where do you buy chlorine from?

My understanding so far is that liquid chlorine is preferred OVER the tablets... and while the tablets may be more convenient (put in every week/few days), you need to add liquid chlorine almost daily.

So liquid chlorine @ 10%, 128 oz is about $4. Is that too much to spend? Also dragging out gallons of bleach from the store all the time. Is there a more convenient and cost effective way.

Where do people get these yellow jugs and whatnot? I'm too afraid to ask in person lol..

you are in florida, so you should be buying liquid chlorine from a pool store in a refillable 2.5 gallon jug (i.e. the yellow jugs ). should be around $4 per 2.5 gallon jug. you will have to put a $6 deposit on the jug which you can get back if you want to eventually. hands down cheapest option, and another reason to live in Florida call around to your local pinch a penny, leslies, etc. do not buy bleach from the store, its too expensive.

 

[robdac]

REAL pool owners get their chlorine from the Cl side of NaCl!

On the rare occasions I need chlorine it comes from the pool store, Wally World, or Aldi.

 

[BuckeyeChris]

I'm at 11,000 gallons. I go to the grocery store once a week anyway for fruit and milk and bread, and I just pick up a 2 pack of 10% in the pool care aisle for 6.99. Not that much different than getting groceries.
Eventually I'll get to skip a purchase because I'm not using 2 gallons a week. In the summer, maybe 32 ounces a day. In the winter, like 12 oz a day.

 

[preacherdaddy]

I buy the carboys (5-gal yellow jugs) at Leslie's. I have learned that not all of the stores in that chain sell them. AND - they do not advertise them (that I've seen), you have to ask. I've paid between $16 and $20 for the carboys (plus a deposit). These are 12.5%. Using Divin Dave's handy calculator, that's around 20-25 cents per oz. So, I think that's decent price.

My usage is on par with the rest on this thread, depending on bather load and CYA.

Convenience of the larger carboys is a factor - I get two at a time and don't have to worry about recycling all those gallon jugs (just return the carboys for replacements).

 

[Husky25]

I buy my 12.5% liquid chlorine from Ocean State Job Lot. It's $2.99 for a full gallon (128oz) all season, with 4-gallon cases on sale for $10 a few times a season.

I plan to open early so I'll start off with standard 8.25% laundry bleach, then switch to the 12.5% as soon as it's on the shelf at OSJL.

Have you seen this thread?

Bleach Prices 2015

Dom

I work right across the street from an Ocean State. It's wonderfully convenient. On the other hand, OSJL only goes as far as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. That's not going to help our friends in Texas, 'Zona, or FLA. Also (as I'm sure you know), they stopped re-stocking for the season about 2 months ago. Unfortunately, I over bought and I still have a case left. I'll use it in the Spring, fully expecting it to be about 3% concentration.

@dollerprod1 Check out the link Dom published. Sometimes your local (national) hardware store, such as ACE or TruValue will have sales as well.