Can you add bleach using the puck feeder?

[UnderWaterVanya]

My pool is covered with a safety cover but not closed. I may yet fully close but so far I haven't. If I want to agreed bleach I have an access at the ladder but this is not near a return. Can I stop the pump, add liquid bleach to the puck feeder, and with the feeder flow on high, close it up and run it to mix the bleach in and is this safe.

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[JohnT]

I wouldn't. It's generally a bad idea to mix chlorine types outside the water, and there's sure to be so trichlor remnants in the feeder somewhere.

 

[Richard320]

I wouldn't do it if there's any residual puck material in there. I'm not sure if it will blow up, but who wants to risk it?
http://fire-expert.com/pool_chemical_explosion2.htm
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[UnderWaterVanya]

I wouldn't. It's generally a bad idea to mix chlorine types outside the water, and there's sure to be so trichlor remnants in the feeder somewhere.

My impression was that sodium hypochlorite and trichlor did not have any problem but I will admit I haven't checked carefully. The puck feeder is empty and has been on full flow for six months... So residual amounts of trichlor may be there but no more than in the water. Still caution is better than guessing.

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[chem geek]

Though it's not as explosive as Cal-Hypo with Trichlor, you don't want to mix any hypochlorite with any residual Trichlor as it can produce toxic nitrogen trichloride gasses and if enough builds up then that too can be explosive.

 

[DBfan187]

I have seen a tab feeder actually melt from pouring in cal-hypo while a few tabs were in there. The unit melted like a candle and started to lean over towards the ground. It resembled something like a slinky.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

I have seen a tab feeder actually melt from pouring in cal-hypo while a few tabs were in there. The unit melted like a candle and started to lean over towards the ground. It resembled something like a slinky.

I knew those were bad juju if mixed.


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[UnderWaterVanya]

Though it's not as explosive as Cal-Hypo with Trichlor, you don't want to mix any hypochlorite with any residual Trichlor as it can produce toxic nitrogen trichloride gasses and if enough builds up then that too can be explosive.

Did not know this. The skimmer is pretty easy to uncover - can I slowly add bleach there? Perhaps prediluted? Pump would be on.


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[carolina pool]

That would be a better alternative. Most pools in our area are so cold now that very little chlorine is needed to control algea growth.

 

[chem geek]

The skimmer is pretty easy to uncover - can I slowly add bleach there? Perhaps prediluted? Pump would be on.

Yes, that would be fine with the pump on. Just pour slowly to get maximum dilution. You shouldn't need to pre-dilute. Because the hypochlorite is alkaline and not acidic, it's not as damaging to pump materials and filters. The active chlorine level is also more limited as a result of the higher pH where the maximum is at a dilution of roughly 1:25 where the pH in buffered pool water is around 9.8. If you dilute less, the active chlorine level is lower but the pH is higher (at 1:8 it's 10.6). If you dilute more, then the active chlorine level is also lower and the pH is lower as well.