I just exhausted a 50lb bucket of 3" pucks. My CYA has maintained at 50 or under, and I only use about 3 pucks/week in my 17k gallon pool in Houston. I'm looking for a new bucket of the pucks. Can any particular brand be recommended here? Thanks.
3" Pucks
- Thread starter trclac
- Start date
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Re: 3" Pucks
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Thus its hard to understand. Who tests your water?trclac said:
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I test it, as well as the pool store. The tests match for the most part. I only use a couple pucks a week. I mainly use chlorine wo cya, but after a few years of testing various methods, I've noticed that a few pucks a week gives just enough cya, and the chlorine wo it takes care of the rest.
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What test kit are you using to perform your tests?
What kind of pucks are they, ie. main ingredient.
What kind of pucks are they, ie. main ingredient.
3 3" pucks a week (if 7 ounce pucks) in 13,500 gallons would be 10.7 ppm FC per week or 1.5 ppm FC per day. That's probably around 3/4ths the needed amount in the summer, assuming 2 ppm FC per day usage, and probably all of the chlorine needed during the winter. So something doesn't sound right about the mostly using chlorine without CYA. The CYA from the pucks would increase by 6.5 ppm per week if there were no water dilution. Even if you were diluting by 1000 gallons each week with backwashing from your sand filter (and it's more likely you are using less than 500 gallons backwashing), that would be a steady-state CYA level of 88 ppm. So I suppose between that and normal oxidation of CYA of 2-3 ppm per month you could be somewhat in balance.
To help answer your original question but I would suggest any brand should be fine, it's just a matter of cost, preference and also ensuring the pucks do not contain metals. A few seasons ago, we noticed that some pucks contained copper, but not sure if that is still true today. Hope someone can suggest a brand but as you know pucks are not that popular here.
I certainly discovered quickly that pucks aren't popular here! 
But, for me, in Houston, two to three pucks per week have maintained my cya, and the chlorine without cya I use has maintained my chlorine levels quite well. My pool has been perfectly clear for two years now (I also use phos-free to prevent algae). Maybe the pucks work here because we have so much water loss due to evaporation/heat over the summer; or it could be due to splash out when the kids turn into fish during the summer. I don't know the exact reason I've had success with them, but I can tell you I overused them the first year and had to drain more than half the pool due to cya around 160. After that, I began to rely on cya-free chlorine granules and two-three pucks per week. Since then, two years ago, my cya hasn't gone above 50, and the pool store actually tried to sell cya to me on several occasions because the reading was under 30.
In any event, having spent so much on pucks in the past, I was just wondering if anyone had thoughts on less expensive brands. But I apparently came to the wrong place. :lol:
But, for me, in Houston, two to three pucks per week have maintained my cya, and the chlorine without cya I use has maintained my chlorine levels quite well. My pool has been perfectly clear for two years now (I also use phos-free to prevent algae). Maybe the pucks work here because we have so much water loss due to evaporation/heat over the summer; or it could be due to splash out when the kids turn into fish during the summer. I don't know the exact reason I've had success with them, but I can tell you I overused them the first year and had to drain more than half the pool due to cya around 160. After that, I began to rely on cya-free chlorine granules and two-three pucks per week. Since then, two years ago, my cya hasn't gone above 50, and the pool store actually tried to sell cya to me on several occasions because the reading was under 30.
In any event, having spent so much on pucks in the past, I was just wondering if anyone had thoughts on less expensive brands. But I apparently came to the wrong place. :lol:
Pucks are just fine here.....you have not yet digested enough information.
It is the OVERUSE of pucks (which you have experienced) that is not fine.
What we teach here is understanding what and why you put stuff in your pool and then managing it properly. You seem to have a pretty good grasp on that (although the use of phos-free is a waste of your money.....adequate chlorine is all that's required to have an algae free pool....phosphates then become irrelevant)
Can't help you with the price of pucks. I use them a little, too, but not enough to be price sensitive.
It is the OVERUSE of pucks (which you have experienced) that is not fine.
What we teach here is understanding what and why you put stuff in your pool and then managing it properly. You seem to have a pretty good grasp on that (although the use of phos-free is a waste of your money.....adequate chlorine is all that's required to have an algae free pool....phosphates then become irrelevant)
Can't help you with the price of pucks. I use them a little, too, but not enough to be price sensitive.
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Re: 3" Pucks
I would suggest you look up the msds for any brand you have interest in and make sure it does not list copper. Also be sure to get trichlor not calhypo - the calhypo picks fall apart quickly and are not made with CYA.
What type of granular chlorine are you using?
The issue with pucks is mainly relying on the pucks as the sole source of chlorine and then shocking with Dichlor on top of that ending up with the high CYA level issues you know about already.
If I could find a way to use pucks I would... I have 25 lbs sitting in the shed doing nothing.
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I would suggest you look up the msds for any brand you have interest in and make sure it does not list copper. Also be sure to get trichlor not calhypo - the calhypo picks fall apart quickly and are not made with CYA.
What type of granular chlorine are you using?
The issue with pucks is mainly relying on the pucks as the sole source of chlorine and then shocking with Dichlor on top of that ending up with the high CYA level issues you know about already.
If I could find a way to use pucks I would... I have 25 lbs sitting in the shed doing nothing.
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Thanks. I know the pucks I had are trichlor. As for mixing pucks with Dichlor, I made that mistake during the first year, leading to draining over half the pool. I stay far away from Dichlor now.
I don't recall the name of the granular chlorine; I purchased, I think, a 100lb container of it, so it's been a long time since I purchased it. But the main thing about it is that it has no cya! :lol: But that also raises another question. What type of cya-free chlorine do folks recommend? I am nearly out of chlorine, too, so I will be buying more of that soon, as well -- probably in the 75lb or so range.
Thanks for the note about looking out for copper re the pucks. I hadn't heard that previously, but it makes sense.
Thanks!
I don't recall the name of the granular chlorine; I purchased, I think, a 100lb container of it, so it's been a long time since I purchased it. But the main thing about it is that it has no cya! :lol: But that also raises another question. What type of cya-free chlorine do folks recommend? I am nearly out of chlorine, too, so I will be buying more of that soon, as well -- probably in the 75lb or so range.
Thanks for the note about looking out for copper re the pucks. I hadn't heard that previously, but it makes sense.
Thanks!
If it's granular and doesn't have CYA in it, then it is either Cal-Hypo which increases Calcium Hardness (CH) or it is lithium hypochlorite that is very expensive.
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Re: 3" Pucks
Can you post full test results? Particularly pH calcium hardness and total alkalinity?
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Can you post full test results? Particularly pH calcium hardness and total alkalinity?
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Re: 3" Pucks
The only solid form of chlorine that does not have CYA in it is cal-hypo which adds calcium to the pool (ignoring the expensive lithium stuff). That is also bad off it gets too high and can lead to scaling on the walls.
Most people use liquid chlorine (bleach) add it only adds chlorine and nothing that can get you in trouble.
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The only solid form of chlorine that does not have CYA in it is cal-hypo which adds calcium to the pool (ignoring the expensive lithium stuff). That is also bad off it gets too high and can lead to scaling on the walls.
Most people use liquid chlorine (bleach) add it only adds chlorine and nothing that can get you in trouble.
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Yes, it's Cal-Hypo. I will post test results next time I test the water. I haven't tested in a few weeks, given the season change.
As for bleach, I've heard about that. I've never tried it. On average, how many gallons should be poured into a 17,000 gallon pool each week? I have noticed scaling, which I'm sure is caused by the Cal-Hypo.
Thanks!
As for bleach, I've heard about that. I've never tried it. On average, how many gallons should be poured into a 17,000 gallon pool each week? I have noticed scaling, which I'm sure is caused by the Cal-Hypo.
Thanks!
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
trclac said:
The actual number is going to vary based on what your sun exposure is and other factors. The CYA level will influence the amount of FC you are supposed to maintain also.
With a 50 CYA your FC should be about 4-6ppm typically and can go higher (up to 20 or more) without damage to the pool or you or your swimwear. The typical loss per day is around 30% So assuming you have the FC at 6 and lose 2ppm and need to replenish that much daily - your daily use would be around 51oz of 8.25% bleach.
If you want to skip liquid chlorine (bleach) then get an SWCG (SWCG = Salt Water Chlorine Generator, better known as SWG). These produce the same liquid chlorine as you would buy in the form of bleach and they do so regeneratively using Salt in the pool. If you have certain types of stone around your pool a SWG could be a bad choice however.