Best Chlorine to Use with a Solar Cover

[bymyhandP]

Hello,

I am getting consistent PH drop with my 11,000 gallon above ground pool when using a solar cover. Reading the forums, it seems like this is to be expected. I see that this is from the chlorine tabs I use in the pool. I have been lazy and putting 4 or 5 tabs in my floater while closing the vent to one slot. I am guessing this is not helping my situation so it seems like the idea is to use less more often to limit the PH drop. On the same token, I am reading about different types of chlorine, using liquid, or even a SWG. A SWG may be a bit overkill for my pool but from what I have read it has the tendency to raise PH, not lower it. So one question I have is, to confirm if I am heading in the right direction here, and two is there a preferred chlorine to use with solar covers? Obviously, my most important goal is to keep the the numbers stable, but my other goals are to keep the pool warm while limiting the maintenance to a little as possible. Right now I have to turn on a big fountain to bring the PH back up without impacting my TA, which is counterproductive to using my heater and the solar cover. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Welcome

Short answer is - it doesn't matter what chlorine source you use with a solar cover, they all degrade at about the same rate. TFP recommends just getting the thinnest/cheapest bubble cover possible as they only last 1-2 years, 3 years max.

When I got out of graduate school I worked for a small startup company located in Oxford near the airport there. The company is no longer around and I only worked there for about 14 months before moving on. I commuted from The Bronx everyday and spent way more time on the Merrit Parkway than I care to ever admit. Is Nardelli's in Naugatuck still in business? We used to get big hoagies from Nardelli's all the time...good eats there!!

Please fill out your signature file so we can get your pool details, it helps us help you. Also, it goes without saying that, if you want expert advice from this forum, you've got to give us test results from one of the only two test kits we trust - either a Taylor K-2006 or a TF-100 from TFTestKits.net. Having one of those kits is the very best investment you can ever make in your pool and it saves you form ever having to step foot in a pool store again.

Best wishes,

Matt

 

[bymyhandP]

Hello,

I am not referring to the impact to my solar cover over time from the chlorine, I am mainly worried about the PH drop in my pool because of the solar cover. I am interested in identifying the chlorine that will produce the lowest PH drop, or if there is not really a better option, what is the best method to use the 3 inch tabs in a floater with a pool cover? I don't have one of the recommended test kits yet but my current numbers are, FC: 3 PH: 6.8 TA: 80. The PH dropped from 7.4 to 6.8 in a few weeks, without the pool cover it was pretty stable at 7.4. The TA is gradually going down as expected.

I am not sure about that Nardelli's but they have a few around the state which are pretty good. I work in Norwalk so I too know the wonderis driving experience that is the Merrit...

 

[domct203]

Welcome to the forum.

You really need to get away from the tabs, not only are they acidic (dropping pH), they are also adding CYA (stabilizer), which will build up over time, which in turn requires you raise your FC to keep your pool sanitized.

Have a read here to see the options for chlorine:
Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Liquid Chlorine, aka Bleach, is really the best option for a manually chlorinated pool.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yes, chlorinating liquid is the better option. It also only slightly raises pH with use as opposed to tabs which drop pH. I'd also suggest you look at our liquid chlorine automation subforum on Stenner chemical pumps. They may be a much more cost effective way for you to automate the addition of chlorine without going the SWG route.

 

[bymyhandP]

This is what I was looking for, thanks guys! I will look into an automated liquid dispenser.

 

[singingpond]

I wanted to point out that there seems to be a tendency toward falling pH in our part of the world, with or without pool cover. This is the minority experience on this forum, but I have noticed that most people who report falling pH (rather than the customary rising pH) seem to be in New England. The pH in our pool (also in CT) always tends to fall, even without a cover on it (chlorinating only with liquid btw, no tabs). Never a need for muriatic acid in our stash of pool chemicals... Borax, on the other hand, is a regular condiment for the pool.

I've had some success with increasing the TA (our well water TA starts out at 70) -- the pH doesn't seem to drop as quickly after bringing TA up ~20 ppm.

edited to add: Interesting that you report faster pH drop with solar cover on -- I will have to pay attention to see if I notice a similar difference between cover on and off.

 

[domct203]

I wanted to point out that there seems to be a tendency toward falling pH in our part of the world, with or without pool cover. This is the minority experience on this forum, but I have noticed that most people who report falling pH (rather than the customary rising pH) seem to be in New England. The pH in our pool (also in CT) always tends to fall, even without a cover on it (chlorinating only with liquid btw, no tabs). Never a need for muriatic acid in our stash of pool chemicals... Borax, on the other hand, is a regular condiment for the pool.

I've had some success with increasing the TA (our well water TA starts out at 70) -- the pH doesn't seem to drop as quickly after bringing TA up ~20 ppm.

edited to add: Interesting that you report faster pH drop with solar cover on -- I will have to pay attention to see if I notice a similar difference between cover on and off.

I'm in New Haven County, and my pH holds steady at 7.4 (TA between 80-90) regardless of using the solar cover or not.