The
Stenner 45MHP2 3GPD running@ 60% is a chemical pump that many of us use to automatically dose our pools with set amounts of chlorine (8.25% bleach in my case). As this model pump is adjustable, I was (I have to change my signature) running it at 60% of its 3 gallon per day capacity, but I have decreased my pump run time so now I run it at 80% for less time to add the same amount of bleach to the pool.
Wow, that's pretty cool. We can't afford one of those right now, but it looks like something we'd definitely want to add at some point.
The 15 gal Tank is just that, a 15 gallon tank that I keep bleach in that the Stenner draws from
So with my set up if I fill the tank with bleach it will automatically add bleach to the pool for just shy of a month before I need to refill the tank. I still need to test the water, but so far I have only had to add bleach one time to bring the FC up a little. It is not uncommon for us to go away for 7 to 10 days at a time so I wanted something a little more hands off.
Gotcha. Remind me: does the 8.25% bleach lose potency over time, if you don't use it quickly enough?
Another option would have been a SWCG but they require a higher up front cost and replacement of the cell down the line.
What's that? Are you referring to the salt water systems? What do you think of those as compared to traditional chlorination?
I don't mind carrying the jugs of bleach as I only have to do it once or twice a month.
Wow so... you have to refill your 15 gallon bleach tank once or twice a month. That's something like 16 bottles of bleach each time at around $3 a bottle... about $50 a month to keep the pool looking good?
Your signature shows that you use a "Poolife Accudose Automatic Chlorinator" which utilizes tablets. If you have been doing your homework (
reading Pool School) you will realize that most forms of dry chlorine (trichlor/dichlor) add CYA/stabilizer to the pool. Over stabilized pools are the biggest problems we see here. Plus, the tabs for this style chlorinator are expensive.
Yes on all counts. We wanted something that could auto-dose the pool, we got an excellent deal on the Chlorinator, and at that time we weren't aware about the long term problems of tablets. As far as I know we haven't run into any of those problems yet though (nor am I yet clear on what those problems are, though I am generally aware that the tablets are bad), and we don't really use the tablets all that often; like you said, they are expensive, and I was less-than-thrilled about how quickly the Chlorinator would use up a load of tablets.
This is an expense you can reduce by using bleach as your source of chlorine.
That is what I'm working toward at this time, although we don't yet have one of the fancy test kits you guys recommend. Definitely going to get one soon, though. Probably the TF-100.
So what do you mean by, "200+ when I started: 70 now and slowly going down?"
And how many posts do I have to make until every post no longer has to go through a moderator before I can see it?