Using Bleach In Lieu of Chlorine Tabs

[dfwnoob]

Yes, it must be added daily. Or buy a SWCG.. either way, tabs are not the way to go. Not for cost, and definitely not for pool sanitation.

 

[mrsfluff]

psssst, Salt Water Chlorine Generator. I too was on tabs last year. Figured out what's what after being pool stored (my name). I ran bottles of chlorine last year. Too many to count. Put in a chlorine pump and it wasn't too bad.

@Newdude convinced me to switch to a SWCG (He'll deny it shortly). I can't tell you how much this has changed my world. I put it up there with my robot and speed stir. Take any one of the three away, and I backfill the pool.

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Holy smoke. Looks like it's expensive now. Like everything. I'm not looking to get into a whole project. I got so much on my plate. It's just nuts how much chlorine is. I guess there are no shortcuts here.

 

[mrsfluff]

Yes, it must be added daily. Or buy a SWCG.. either way, tabs are not the way to go. Not for cost, and definitely not for pool sanitation.

I've been using tabs for 18 years...never had a problem keeping my pool crystal clear except the one year I mentioned here somewhere when I got overloaded with organic matter and wasn't keeping up with it & ended up battling nitrates. That had nothing to do with the tabs, tho.

 

[AK-]

Ok, so what you're saying is that it has to be added daily? That's not for me if the case.

So, there are 4 ways to add chlorine to your pool.
1 - LC: will add chlorine and some salt. Nothing else.
2 - SWG: will use salt in the water to produce chlorine gas that will mix in the water and will work just like LC. Will breakdown back to salt.
3 - Cal-Hypo: Will increase you CH as you use it. Drain/refill and reverse osmosis are the only two way to reduce CH.
4 - Trichlor/Dichlor: Will increase your CYA as you use it. Eventually high CYA will need so much FC to reach equilibrium that you will have algae boom. Just like CH can only be reduced with dilution.

Every pool is different and some people may get away using only Trichlor. Algae is the pool’s canary in the mine. The fact you don’t have it doesn’t necessarily means your water is sanitary.

 

[PoolStored]

Holy smoke. Looks like it's expensive now. Like everything. I'm not looking to get into a whole project. I got so much on my plate. It's just nuts how much chlorine is. I guess there are no shortcuts here.

No, unfortunately. The right SWCG for you would be about $1700 for the unit + your time + pvc/glue + tools if you don't have them or $1700 + install if you need to have someone else do it.

I bought and added the SWCG in October. Man, I'm glad I did.

 

[mrsfluff]

To give you an idea, here in TX, I have about 14 gallons on hand right now. I'm not particularly worried about degradation as my chlorine sits in my 72 degree laundry room in the dark. With thing starting to really heat up, I've certainly been going through more than usual. I'll burn about a half gallon each day in my 15k gal pool. I'd probably use more but luckily the pool doesn't have direct sunlight all day long.

LC is annoying, but it's the way to go if you don't have a salt water chlorine generator. My water looks and feels great, and because I'm the tester and I decide what's in there, I know it's clean and safe to enjoy.

How much do you use? I'm willing to MAYBE give this bleach thing a shot...but honestly, if it's going to cost as much as chlorine tabs...idk. This would add another thing to the to do list of life...I don't need another thing right now.

 

[mrsfluff]

So, there are 4 ways to add chlorine to your pool.
1 - LC: will add chlorine and some salt. Nothing else.
2 - SWG: will use salt in the water to produce chlorine gas that will mix in the water and will work just like LC. Will breakdown back to salt.
3 - Cal-Hypo: Will increase you CH as you use it. Drain/refill and reverse osmosis are the only two way to reduce CH.
4 - Trichlor/Dichlor: Will increase your CYA as you use it. Eventually high CYA will need so much FC to reach equilibrium that you will have algae boom. Just like CH can only be reduced with dilution.

Every pool is different and some people may get away using only Trichlor. Algae is the pool’s canary in the mine. The fact you don’t have it doesn’t necessarily means your water is sanitary.

So what does it mean to have unsanitary water? Assuming it is crystal clear as mine always is.

 

[AK-]

No, unfortunately. The right SWCG for you would be about $1700 for the unit + your time + pvc/glue + tools if you don't have them or $1700 + install if you need to have someone else do it.

I bought and added the SWCG in October. Man, I'm glad I did.

$1300 if you don’t mind the slightly reduced warranty (and not being able to see the cell working): CircuPool Universal40 Saltwater Chlorinator | Discount Salt Pool

There are also the budget generic SWGs, but you may get what you pay…

 

[mrsfluff]

No, unfortunately. The right SWCG for you would be about $1700 for the unit + your time + pvc/glue + tools if you don't have them or $1700 + install if you need to have someone else do it.

I bought and added the SWCG in October. Man, I'm glad I did.

Whoa. Yeah. That's not on the horizon. Gas is $4.50 a gallon right now. Groceries soaring. And a whole lot more. I'll have to figure things out apart from going that route.

 

[PoolStored]

I've been using tabs for 18 years

I'm curious. What type of pool do you have? Do you drain the pool often?

 

[mknauss]

So what does it mean to have unsanitary water? Assuming it is crystal clear as mine always is.

If you do not maintain a FC/CYA ratio of at least 5%, person to person transmission of viruses, etc is possible. Ear infections, stomach issues, etc can occur.

 

[dfwnoob]

How much do you use? I'm willing to MAYBE give this bleach thing a shot...but honestly, if it's going to cost as much as chlorine tabs...idk. This would add another thing to the to do list of life...I don't need another thing right now.

I burn through about a half gallon a day. But I also deal with intense sun and heat in TX. However, your pool is far bigger than mine. With the price of tabs as nutty as they are right now, I still think LC would probably be cheaper, but I don't know how rapidly people burn through tabs, I've never used them.

Oh, and my dog spends a lot of time in the pool, too. I bet that has to eat more chlorine than usual as well.

 

[PoolStored]

I live in Ohio (about the same lattitude as NJ). Full sun, no cover, with swimmers, I can use 4 FC per day, easy.

That would be about 3 quarts per day in your 24K pool.

 

[mrsfluff]

I burn through about a half gallon a day. But I also deal with intense sun and heat in TX. However, your pool is far bigger than mine. With the price of tabs as nutty as they are right now, I still think LC would probably be cheaper, but I don't know how rapidly people burn through tabs, I've never used them.

Oh, and my dog spends a lot of time in the pool, too. I bet that has to eat more chlorine than usual as well.

I might have to go thru 1 1/2 gallons. I read a chart that said 52 oz for every 25,000 gallons to maintain 1ppm. Of course, I have no idea if that would the case for mine. If I used 156 ounces per day, that's 4680 ounces per month which is about 37 gallons. If the bleach is $4.63 (the lowest I found thus far), that's $170/month x 5 months. That's insane!! I use about 5 tabs every 2 weeks. I don't exceed a 25 lb pail in a season. So even if a 25 lb pail is $140-150 (lowest I've found thus far)...that's a huge difference. My pool isn't a hobby. It's for relaxation. I don't want to be bothered with chemicals and testing and challenging myself to have the PERFECT water chemistry. We're open from early May to late Sept. I work like a dog outside, have a big property backed up to state woods. So there is a lot to do. All the time. With all that there is inside & out and all else including a small business & 6 furbabies & a cranky, demanding husband to take care of, I'm not looking to add perfect water to my list.

 

[Mdragger88]

I might have to go thru 1 1/2 gallons. I read a chart that said 52 oz for every 25,000 gallons to maintain 1ppm. Of course, I have no idea if that would the case for mine. If I used 156 ounces per day, that's 4680 ounces per month which is about 37 gallons. If the bleach is $4.63 (the lowest I found thus far), that's $170/month x 5 months. That's insane!! I use about 5 tabs every 2 weeks. I don't exceed a 25 lb pail in a season. So even if a 25 lb pail is $140-150 (lowest I've found thus far)...that's a huge difference. My pool isn't a hobby. It's for relaxation. I don't want to be bothered with chemicals and testing and challenging myself to have the PERFECT water chemistry. We're open from early May to late Sept. I work like a dog outside, have a big property backed up to state woods. So there is a lot to do. All the time. With all that there is inside & out and all else including a small business & 6 furbabies & a cranky, demanding husband to take care of, I'm not looking to add perfect water to my list.

The average residential pool consumes 2-4 ppm of fc per day
Use PoolMath to calculate additions.
It looks like about 90oz/day of 10% liquid chlorine would get u there give or take.

To be clear- If you do not follow the FC/CYA Levels you are asking for problems.
As mentioned above Clear water doesn’t always = sanitary or else there would only be boil water alerts when the water looked nasty.
Keeping a pool sanitary isn’t complicated but it does require a little time on your part. Accurate, frequent testing & Knowing your actual cya level is paramount so u can chlorinate accordingly. Otherwise you are flying blind, dumping in $$ & hoping all goes well.
It’s not about perfection - just keeping within boundaries of Recommended Levels so u have safe, comfortable water for u & your family. This happens to lead to perfect looking water.
Accurately Testing fc, cc’s & ph only takes a couple minutes every day or so as does adding liquid chlorine or adjusting a swg. The other tests are done less frequently (every couple weeks or so unless u are adjusting something. The premise of TFPC is to make your pool an affordable, easy to maintain respite - not a dreaded expensive chore.
Pools are just like pets, u have to feed them every day whether u play with them or not.
Each feeding method has its pros & consequences .
As listed here

How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.

www.google.com

Tabs aren’t inherently evil but no method is set it & forget it.
Without knowing where you are starting from (accurate data) its hard to get where u are trying to go (sanitary water). Being armed with this knowledge gives u the power to decide what works best for u.
The key is knowing how each thing u put in your pool will actually effect your water & only adding what the pool needs.
U are at an advantage now being as u don’t have a swamp on your hands. Daily folks come here that aren’t so lucky following the same prescription your pool is on. Their lesson is harder learned.
We want everyone to enjoy their pool - that’s what they are for!

 

[mrsfluff]

The average residential pool consumes 2-4 ppm of fc per day
Use PoolMath to calculate additions.
It looks like about 90oz/day of 10% liquid chlorine would get u there give or take.
View attachment 413592
To be clear- If you do not follow the FC/CYA Levels you are asking for problems.
As mentioned above Clear water doesn’t always = sanitary or else there would only be boil water alerts when the water looked nasty.
Keeping a pool sanitary isn’t complicated but it does require a little time on your part. Accurate, frequent testing & Knowing your actual cya level is paramount so u can chlorinate accordingly. Otherwise you are flying blind, dumping in $$ & hoping all goes well.
It’s not about perfection - just keeping within boundaries of Recommended Levels so u have safe, comfortable water for u & your family. This happens to lead to perfect looking water.
Accurately Testing fc, cc’s & ph only takes a couple minutes every day or so as does adding liquid chlorine or adjusting a swg. The other tests are done less frequently (every couple weeks or so unless u are adjusting something. The premise of TFPC is to make your pool an affordable, easy to maintain respite - not a dreaded expensive chore.
Pools are just like pets, u have to feed them every day whether u play with them or not.
Each feeding method has its pros & consequences .
As listed here

How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.

www.google.com

Tabs aren’t inherently evil but no method is set it & forget it.
Without knowing where you are starting from (accurate data) its hard to get where u are trying to go (sanitary water). Being armed with this knowledge gives u the power to decide what works best for u.
The key is knowing how each thing u put in your pool will actually effect your water & only adding what the pool needs.
U are at an advantage now being as u don’t have a swamp on your hands. Daily folks come here that aren’t so lucky following the same prescription your pool is on. Their lesson is harder learned.
We want everyone to enjoy their pool - that’s what they are for!

Thank you for the info! Much appreciated.

 

[duraleigh]

That's not for me if the case.

Perhaps not daily but at least 3-4 times weekly. So it's back to pucks for you or get an SWG but that a whole other matter.

When you go back to pucks, test your CYA, it's likely too high already and the pucks continue to exacerbate it.