cal-hypo and vinyl pool

[jmbuys]

After adopting TFP principles and getting pool in balance (thanks so much TFP!), I'm wondering if there is any problem introducing cal-hypo at least part time into the chlorination process. Finding 65% pricing to be at least in line w/ what I can find for 10% bleach locally and much easier to store the cal-hypo. It adds to CH, but with Vinyl liner is that much of a concern? anything else to be aware of?

Thanks as always!

 

[mknauss]

As long as you test your CH and keep it within the Recommended levels shown in pool school it is not an issue to use Cal Hypo. Be careful when you add it as it can stain your liner if you let granules sit on the liner. Be sure it is fully dissolved.

 

[getreal720]

Trouble Free Pool Care is a methodology (a process) and not a specific list of products! You can surely use any product really. You just need to understand what each product does to your pool water, and avoid putting your pool chemistry in a bad place by choosing the wrong products at the wrong times.

Cal-Hypo powder is a really good product in terms of how cheaply you can add chlorine to your water, and as you've noted it's a lot easier to store! One 50 pound bucket of Cal-Hypo only takes up about the same space as 3-4 gallons of bleach. The downside to the Cal-Hypo is that it adds a significant amount of calcium hardness into the water as you chlorinate the pool with it. For a vinyl liner pool... it's not "so much" of an issue... but you really want to keep levels at or below 400ppm. Feel free to use the Cal-Hypo as long as you are below that level though.

The main upside to bleach, is that it will not increase the levels in your pool outside of the free chlorine levels.

I used Cal-Hypo for a while, as mentioned make sure it doesn't sit on your liner... it will bleach it whitish yellow. Pre mix it in a 5 gallon bucket of pool water. Remember to add the powder to the water in the bucket and NEVER add water to a bucket with powder already in it.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Go for it.. with our north eastern seasonal water exchange cal hypo is a great product.

 

[jmbuys]

Good tip on keeping CH under 400, in addition to storage ease, seems more economical ...25 lbs is about $50.....which for my pool is about 50 treatments at ~$1/treatment, where liquid runs about $1.85/treatment

 

[getreal720]

Keep an eye out, sometimes earlyish to mid summer you can get killer deals online.

I personally procrastinated myself right out of a deal that would have got me 50 pounds of the stuff for $65 shipped.
Even at the price of $2 a pound, which is fairly normal online price... your right.. it's hard to treat with bleach that
cheap. You'd need to have good access to fairly cheap, fairly strong bleach to be able to do that.

 

[Marty D]

I also have a vinyl pool and use liquid chlorine but my CH is low due to we have soft water here. I just found that out so I’m going to start using cal- hypo until CH gets to 200. Do you know your CH from tap water ?

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Good tip on keeping CH under 400, in addition to storage ease, seems more economical ...25 lbs is about $50.....which for my pool is about 50 treatments at ~$1/treatment, where liquid runs about $1.85/treatment

Percentage plays a large role, not all is created equal.

 

[jmbuys]

Yeah my tap/well is fairly soft...the hypo I was looking at was 68%, using pool math got me to the ~$1/treatment

 

[jblizzle]

Just want to be clear ... it is LOW CH that is not a concern for vinyl pools. HIGH CH can cause problems (calcium scaling) in any type of pool.

Some math:
1 gallon of 10% will add the same amount of FC as 21 oz of 65% cal-hypo.
Given the quote of 25 lbs for $50 of 65% cal-hypo ... that 21 oz = $2.625 ... so if you can't find gallons of 10% for less than that, the cal-hypo is a better deal (if you can handle the CH addition)