Polyquat and Bleach

[poolman10]

Our pool is surrounded by tall trees that drop organic material into the pool daily, so I've found it very useful to add polyquat to the weekly regimen. After an initial high dose at the start of the season, I add about 3oz./10k gallons each week.

I noticed on the label of Leslie's Algae Control (their version of polyquat) the following line: "Do NOT mix Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies Algae Control with concentrated dry or liquid chlorine products." I don't have a chlorinator, bit rather add the new 8.25% bleach from Walmart directly to the pool. Will adding a gallon of bleach to a pool treated with polyquat impact the effectiveness of either?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[BoDarville]

I think the intent of the label is stating not to mix the PolyQuat with undiluted bleach or other chlorine source in a confined and concentrated environment (such as mixing it with pucks in a feeder). Adding a gallon of bleach to a pool treated with PolyQuat will not result in anything hazardous. From your post indicating that you add 3 oz of PolyQuat per 10K gallons, I'm assuming your pool is at least 10K gallons. Moderate to high levels of chlorine break down PolyQuat somewhat which slightly lowers its effectiveness. But again, this is nothing hazardous.

Looking at the bigger picture, PolyQuat is an extra expense that is unnecessary for routine maintenance if you maintain proper chlorine levels. Most BBB'ers focus on maintaining proper FC levels using liquid bleach because it alone will prevent algae and it is cheaper than using supplemental doses of PolyQuat.

Suggest adding information about your pool and related equipment in your signature. By doing this, it will automatically appear in all your posts so you do not have to re-enter it each time. If you have a SWG, please include those letters in your signature so it stands out as the advice for SWG vs. non-SWG is often different.

 

[poolman10]

Thanks very much for your thoughts - I appreciate it.

I read the wording on the bottle to mean don't add concentrated chlorine products to a pool treated with polyquat, but you helped me realize they likely meant don't mix them together in a bucket! I wasn't worried about a hazardous outcome, just wanted to be sure I wasn't diminishing the effectiveness of either the bleach or the polyquat, especially when I shock.

The main drain has been completely plugged since before we bought the house, and there is only one return and one skimmer on our 20x40 pool, so the circulation is not great. That combined with the tall trees dropping stuff in the pool all summer long meant I was constantly fighting a battle against algae. Tried adding polyquat to the mix, and though it may have been a coincidence, it really helped keep the pool clear. I know it's an unnecessary expense for 99% of pool owners, but it just seems to help me.

I took your advice on adding a signature to my posts.

Again, thank you for your time and help.