FYI Stabilizer

[wireform]

Early this season I've been using several boxes of the RxClear brand stabilizer and found too many times under achieving per/lb from my calculations so I figured enough and let's try another brand. I then bought the Dohey Brand stabilizer in the 50lb pail and will say it hasn't let me down even once. I already ordered my second pail as I have only 30% left.

 

[mknauss]

We have randomly had this reported with various suppliers over the years. Odd.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Wow … you actually use 50lbs of stabilizer?!? I think I maybe add a pound and half of stabilizer in the spring … I actually have to search around for small buckets of it as the smallest retail quantity is like 4lbs. One year I even used up a bunch of tabs I had to raise CYA because no one had the small buckets of CYA.

Good to know though.

 

[Newdude]

Wow … you actually use 50lbs of stabilizer?!?

I use 20 lbs with one pool with the east coast rains and WF has a bunch.

 

[bligh]

Welp .. that sure rx-cleared things up. The last time I was in a pool store .. Leslie's, I checked on line to make sure they had what I wanted. I did not see what I came for in store so I asked the guy behind the counter, He replied: We dont actually have it in stock, we just say we do so you'll come in and buy anything else we can sell you.

 

[Jimrahbe]

@wireform

I have been using the RX brand stabilizer and have had these nagging thoughts of it being weak or not lasting very long. But.. 'assumed' it was just me... So maybe not.. Because of your post, I'm going to try another brand and see if I actually notice any difference.

Thanks for your post,

Jim R.

 

[wireform]

This year was the icing on the cake with the stabilizer not going up. Quite a few pools and we all know no two pools have same pool chemistry and almost all of them had the same trouble, either not upping as calculated or as Jim said, you blink your eyes and wonder how could it drop off this soon. Yesterday I supplemented the stabilizer at one of my pools and as I've been used to lately give it a little more then the calculations for good (weak) measure and what do you know I forgot I was using brand #2. Well it gave me my extra measure when I really didn't want it. Live and learn. Hope this posts helps out some of you that had similar results.

 

[Katodude]

Hmmmm, this is interesting. I go through stabilizer like it was bleach. I still have 1/2 a box of RX Clear.

I will order a pail of the Dohenys and report back.

I typically go through about 30-40 lbs of stabilizer a year. My pool does hover around 90 degrees and I do get about 70 inches of rain a year.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Hmmmm, this is interesting. I go through stabilizer like it was bleach. I still have 1/2 a box of RX Clear.

I will order a pail of the Dohenys and report back.

I typically go through about 30-40 lbs of stabilizer a year. My pool does hover around 90 degrees and I do get about 70 inches of rain a year.

This makes no sense. 40lbs of dry stabilizer in a 15000 gal pool will raise the CYA by 320ppm … if you are using that much CYA, then you have a leak.

 

[Katodude]

Nope, no leak. I did have one at the end of last year, but it was repaired.

Also I double check my CH and Salt readings and my CYA degrades at a much higher level.

And finally we did have a week with no rain and my water level dropped less than an inch.

 

[Brian PacNW]

I will order a pail of the Dohenys and report back.

Looking forward to whether or not this helps!

 

[Katodude]

I ordered a 50lb bucket and it arrived. Its more expensive than the other stuff I have been buying, but if it is really better, then it is worth it.

I had about 40ppm of the old RXClear in the pool. I have added another 20ppm of the Doheny. FC is rising, and I am lowering my output on the SWG. We will see over the next few months about the longevity of the product.

 

[Katodude]

Well, I have added 3 socks worth of the Dohenys this week. CYA is going up as expected (but it did with the RXClear too). It’s clear that it is working as my FC has been shooting up with each addition. I now have my SWG at 20% where as a week ago I had it at 50%.

Will see what the longevity is like. This is our dry season (except for this year) so pool water level is not changing much and should be able to tell about degradation. Degradation was the primary problem I had with the RXClear.

 

[Mdragger88]

I just don’t see how one might degrade faster than another if they produced the expected rise initially unless the conditions (rain/heat) also happened to change.
Albeit, I am no chemist.
Fwiw I have been using the puritech & its been fine on all accounts. It also happens to regularly be the cheapest per# when bought in bulk.

 

[Newdude]

+1. Amazon suggested i needed some 3 weeks ago (?) and the sale was $2 / lb. I forget which one is which but Walmart/Homedepot is $5 or $6 a lb.

So I have 25 lbs of Puritech in my garage which will last the season. It always does what it's supposed to with no surprises. Both with adding and retention. I'd buy it if it wasn't consistently the cheapest by a mile.

*edit. I just checked and the 25 lb bag is still on sale for $51.93. ($2.08/lb).

Their calcium which I also like is $38.43 for 20lbs.