That's true, some people recommend keeping a box of cal-hypo around as emergency backup chlorine, as it has a really long shelf life. For (very) occasional use, it's not a problem even in an area with hard water.X-PertPool said:
--paulr
Why do you never recommend Cal-Hypo?
- Thread starter seilsel
- Start date
--paulr
Just a quick reminder to all:
If the pool is a liner pool, you'd best mix that cal-hypo before adding it :!: We don't want the granules to harm the surface (like Jason pointed out)
I've given the 'How To' on proper mixing and adding cal-hypo a couple few times, but will post it here if anyone wants the info
If the pool is a liner pool, you'd best mix that cal-hypo before adding it :!: We don't want the granules to harm the surface (like Jason pointed out)
I've given the 'How To' on proper mixing and adding cal-hypo a couple few times, but will post it here if anyone wants the info
waste said:Just a quick reminder to all:
If the pool is a liner pool, you'd best mix that cal-hypo before adding it :!: We don't want the granules to harm the surface (like Jason pointed out)
I've given the 'How To' on proper mixing and adding cal-hypo a couple few times, but will post it here if anyone wants the info
Besides mixing with water before use, I have added cal-hypo directly to the skimmer while on filter and as of yet have noticed any ill effects of doing this. Reasons for doing this were to completely dissolve all the granular and also a theory that a good portion of the germs, algae, etc have been caught in the sand bed and therefore adding the cal-hypo would temporarily make that area have a very high FC killing anything that was resistant to normal FC levels. What do you think? I'm not a chemist
The resulting extreme FC levels could possibly cause some minor damage to a copper heat exchange coil in a heater down stream from the filter. The damage wouldn't be huge, but if you do that regularly there could eventually be a problem. There is also some risk of calcium scaling inside the filter, again minor but could be significant with repeated application.
I will be using BBB this year once the pool is opened, and in my experience (adding cal-hypo directly to the pool and brushing right away) there was an added convenience because I just added 5 bags at a time. Given that I saw no damage to the liner I assumed this method was OK. Now knowing that it's not (and hoping my liner is OK in front of those three returns), I realize that while easily hauled, the premixing I would need to do (5 bags at a time, so 5 buckets full) and the increased risk of splashout from pouring the bucket in the pool make simply hauling liquid chlorine and pouring it in significantly more attractive.
Old thread, but I still wonder if bleach would come out cheaper for shocking. Leslie's sells 50lb and 100lb of 73% Power Powder Pro buckets for about $2 per pound or $1.60 per pound with 20% coupon they email every season. If you have a friend or two you can share 50lb with or you don't mind keeping it for a few years, it looks like cal hypo is cheaper.
prices I paid:
6% bleach - $1.07 96fl oz aldi
12.5% Austin chlorine - $3.20 128fl oz bj's (could not figure out exp date)
73% cal hypo shock - $1.60 after 20% coupon per pound
According to pool calc this is what I can get for $3.20
bleach(x3) 6% - 6ppm
bleach 12.5% - 5.4ppm
cal hypo - 7.5ppm
I understand the side effects of using cal hypo may outweigh the savings, but for people who shocking weekly or bi-weekly cal hypo could be a good alternative assuming ch level allows it or all the water gets drained every september.
I also heard someone say cal hypo is more effective because it's keeping high ppm longer not sure if it's true or not.
Edit - seems like 12.5% chlorine is up in price, it's $3.50 this year. So, for $3.20 you get 117oz of 12.5% chlorine, which adds 5ppm to a 23k pool.
prices I paid:
6% bleach - $1.07 96fl oz aldi
12.5% Austin chlorine - $3.20 128fl oz bj's (could not figure out exp date)
73% cal hypo shock - $1.60 after 20% coupon per pound
According to pool calc this is what I can get for $3.20
bleach(x3) 6% - 6ppm
bleach 12.5% - 5.4ppm
cal hypo - 7.5ppm
I understand the side effects of using cal hypo may outweigh the savings, but for people who shocking weekly or bi-weekly cal hypo could be a good alternative assuming ch level allows it or all the water gets drained every september.
I also heard someone say cal hypo is more effective because it's keeping high ppm longer not sure if it's true or not.
Edit - seems like 12.5% chlorine is up in price, it's $3.50 this year. So, for $3.20 you get 117oz of 12.5% chlorine, which adds 5ppm to a 23k pool.
ivyleager
LifeTime Supporter
LeeM2 said:
I occasionally use Cal-hyp as a maintenance product (twice this season). It's smaller to store and less waste. My single 5 lb container of cal-hypo equals MANY MANY bottles of bleach. I monitor my CH level and it hardly moves. (Currently 140).
The side effects are, of course, too much calcium in your pool....no small matter and will quickly obliterate ANY savings if you get your CH too high. Using it to save money is penny wise and pound foolish.
Secondly, you should not be shocking your pool weekly to begin with......BBB Teaches you to manage your pool water so shocking is rarely necessary.
Chlorine is chlorine and the chlorine in Cal-hypo is identical to the chlorine in bleach.
A principle of BBB is that there is NO better product to add to your pool for sanitation than bleach. There are certainly some reasons to use other products, including Cal Hypo, but as a general statement, bleach will do you the most good with virtually no negative side effect.
duraleigh said:
just to make sure I understand this part - I was told that cal hypo, even-though it's not stabilized, will last longer than liquid chlorine in your pool water. Is this 100% wrong?
Thanks!
It's 100% wrong and I don't mind making an absolute statement. Cal-Hypo produces IDENTICAL chlorine to bleach in the water. The only difference is that Cal-Hypo also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) and it adds somewhat less salt. The chlorine lasts just as long with either chlorine source or with any chlorine source for that matter (at the same CYA level, that is).
Now for those who have enough regular water dilution to keep their CH in check, they can certainly use Cal-Hypo on occasion if they want to (not for regular shocking, which isn't needed, but as an alternative source of chlorine), and sometimes it does come out to be less expensive depending on where you live. However, just remember that for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) added by Cal-Hypo, it also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) by at least 7 ppm unless you have significant water dilution. So using it every day at 2 ppm FC per day would increase CH by at least 40 ppm per month if there were no water dilution.
Now for those who have enough regular water dilution to keep their CH in check, they can certainly use Cal-Hypo on occasion if they want to (not for regular shocking, which isn't needed, but as an alternative source of chlorine), and sometimes it does come out to be less expensive depending on where you live. However, just remember that for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) added by Cal-Hypo, it also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) by at least 7 ppm unless you have significant water dilution. So using it every day at 2 ppm FC per day would increase CH by at least 40 ppm per month if there were no water dilution.
just wondering if anyone is successful (in a relatively low CH area or course) with switching from one season with trichlor to cal-hypo the next season?
it seems the season off would allow the cya/calcium to drop back down to low levels just before you switched back.
it seems the season off would allow the cya/calcium to drop back down to low levels just before you switched back.
You have to remember that cya and calcium do not evaporate out of the water, so the only way those will go down is with rainwater dilution (and that means a lot of rainwater!) or draining and refilling.
I live in an area that doesn't have high CH. I take care of pools weekly, due to weight I use cal-hypo as the main source of chlorine and use tri-chlor to help maintain that level from week to week. With a pool that is stabilized I've never had an issue with the CH being too high. Also, keep in mind that the pools are back washed weekly after vacuuming to so this will lower the CH a bit too as fresh water is occasionally added from either rain or hose. So yes it's possible, on the other end though I wouldn't recommend using solely tri-chlor as the CYA,acid, and slow dissolve would be too much of an issue I believe.
I know to many of you who frequent here that I am the original "stuck record" but practicing BBB is not about using or not using certain products........it is about understanding the consequences of your chemistry when it starts to get out of whack and knowing how to test for it and what to do with your results.
So, yes, many pools can successfully use Cal Hypo or Tri-chlor if they test and understand what to do when CH and CYA levels get excessive.
The only mandatory ingredient to successfully practice BBB is knowledge.
So, yes, many pools can successfully use Cal Hypo or Tri-chlor if they test and understand what to do when CH and CYA levels get excessive.
The only mandatory ingredient to successfully practice BBB is knowledge.
Ohm_Boy said:
Reviving this post and seconding Duraleigh's latest post.
Side note: We need to come up with a new acronym/term for the process we teach and practice here...maybe a new contest thread?
We've discussed that from time to time and it's probably a good idea but BBB is just TOO easy to remember and type when you post!! I think we'll always be stuck with it because it is so easy to say and type.
Then maybe instead of an acronym we need a formal name. Or just the TFP method. Jason used TFP levels in the goals setting of the pool calculator app.
So from the recommended chemicals pool school article:carlscan26 said:
Bleach
Liquid Chlorine
Muriatic Acid
Dry Acid
Borax
Soda Ash/Washing soda
Baking soda
Calcium Chloride/calcium chloride dihydrate
Cyanuric Acid
Salt
Boric Acid
Then our acronym would be something like: BLCMADABSABSCCCASBA...hmmm....alright, lets eliminate some of the less common on the list:
Bleach
Liquid Chlorine
Muriatic Acid
Borax
Soda Ash
Baking Soda
Cyanuric Acid
Now our acronym is: BLCMABSABSCA...hmmm...alright, lets just use one from each category for each purpose:
Bleach
Muriatic Acid
Borax
Baking Soda
Cyanuric Acid
Now our acronym is: BMABBSCA...hmmm...alright, lets eliminate the second word letters:
Now our acronym is BMBBC....hmmm...alright, lets simplify and make it catchy:
Now our acronym is BBBC...hmmm....now it sounds like a television channel, lets change the C (for Cyanuric Acid) to A (for ACID and cover both Muriatic and Cyanuric):
Now our acronym is BBBA....hmmm....could stand for "Bleach Beats Bacteria and Algae"...not bad, let's simplify more:
Now our acronym is BBB...hmmm...I like that
(Bleach Beats Bad-stuff)
(sorry I wasted all of your time)