Do I need to use pool chlorine pucks?

[nicnut45]

After reading through articles on this forum I keep asking myself, "what is the point of chlorine pucks if they just keep adding cya?"

Shouldn't the cya that's already in my pool stabilize the chlorine I put in it?

I'll admit, I was under the impression that you just keep adding pucks because that is what the pool store lady told me I HAVE to do. But really, what is the point?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

With pucks you can be lazy if you don't know any better and just keep tossing them into your skimmer. The best way is to test daily and adjust.
Other than using tablets in a floater if you have to leave the pool unattended for a few days to a couple weeks there isn't any reason to use them.

The point is they're easy and it's just one more thing to keep you coming back for more sales from the pool store. It's just like the crazy way a 3,000 mile oil change somehow got carved in stone. On today's oils it's a waste to change it that early but somehow this 3,000 mile interval just won't die.

 

[wayner]

It's just like the crazy way a 3,000 mile oil change somehow got carved in stone. On today's oils it's a waste to change it that early but somehow this 3,000 mile interval just won't die.

What's an oil change (said by the driver of an EV)?

 

[JohnKrupp]

Tabs are acidic and long story short they can damage pump parts if they are put in the skimmer. I suggest installing a proper chlorinator or getting one of the floaters.

 

[wayner]

Or even better, an SWCG.

 

[JohnKrupp]

Or even better, an SWCG.

Indeed

 

[Patrick_B]

Hey nicnut, welcome to TFP.

The reason the store says youll have to add them forever is that you'll always need Chlorine, and many stores dont recognize other forms or sources of it. Pucks are fine in some instances, but long term use of them will over stabilize your pool. When this happens, normal levels of Free Chlorine wont work anymore. More stabilizer requires more FC to do the same job. This is why most of us rely on other sources of FC such as Bleach. Take some time to jump first into the ABCs here in our pool school. From there, digest as much of pool school as you can, as often as you can. Read more on the forum, and ask questions as they arise. We will be happy to help walk you through as you learn.

 

[chipchip]

Pucks can be used as long as you're using them for a specific purpose, i.e. right now I'm floating pucks because my CYA is a little low.