Liquid chlorine potency

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mikefamig

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Jul 10, 2017
299
Connecticut
Have you guys found the quality of liquid chlorine to be inconsistent?

I'm talking about new (within a week) from buying at the pool store or big box store or wherever you buy it. I won't say where I've been buying it because I don't want to focus on any one store but I suspect that I've gotten some old chlorine. I bought several cases of one gallon containers and the result 2 hours after adding 1 gallon to the pool (~18000gal) will be to add 6 ppm one time and only 4 the next time.

I just would like to hear if you've found the strength of chlorine to be inconsistent.

Mike.
 
It does happen. Much depends on how it was stored. Many of those places keep their chlorine jugs stored outside or in a warehouse location that's hot or even in direct sunlight. Those are some of chlorine's worst enemies.

- - - Updated - - -

And of course we always have to be conscious of the Julian Date on the bottle.
2018 Julian Calendar.jpg
 
All liquid chlorine and most bleach have a date code. 18XXX. The XXX is the number of days in 2018 that it was bottled.

If it does not have that date, I assume it is a low strength budget bleach and will not buy it.

Take care.
 
That's a bit odd. I could see 18014 which would be the 14th day of 2018 (very old bleach). Maybe that manufactures choses to leave the "1" off and the 8 signifies 2018, but then why the extra zero? It wouldn't be for 1980. Gosh, I hope not.

In general, we find that if a manufacture hides, complicates, or doesn't list a clear Julian date it isn't worth buying.
 

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I've seen some bleach and pool chlorine bottles with no date code printed on them at all. As a personal rule of thumb, if it's not dated where I can read it, I don't waste my money. But yes, the freshest bottles are always preferable. Of course, all this is assuming that the concentration of the Sodium Hypochlorite is the same in every bottle you've been acquiring. There are lots of different percentages of bleach ----> 6% vs. 8% vs. 10% vs. 12.5%, etc.
 
The shock in question is "Diamond Clear Mega Shock" which is sold by Ocean State Job Lot.

I just got off the phone with the distributor and while he did not want to talk about date. He insisted that the 12.5 liquid chlorine, while containing no stabilizer of any kind, will not lose more than 2% chlorine falling to 10.5%. If I understood him correctly he explained that it can not gas off and lose potency while in a sealed bottle. He told me to ignore the date as long as the product has remained properly sealed.

He professed to have 20 years experience and was very convincing so what do the chemists here say?

Mike.
 
I've been buying chlorine from OSJL for over 5 years now and never had an issue with their chlorine. OSJL sources their "Shock" from three manufactures that I have seen. The store that I go to has a high turnover of chlorine and none of it ( I only buy cases ) stays around very long. I think they get shipments at least twice a month. They actually source from three different manufacture and throughout the season they seem to alternate shipments between them. Diamond Clear has never had date codes on the bootles or case boxes. Nor does Super Shock, one of the other brands. However I have found that between stock turnover rate and the manufactures being local (Diamond Clear in Woonsocket RI and Super Shock in New Haven CT) the product seems to be alway fresh.
 
Thanks for the replies. I agree about the turnover at OSJL, you can see piles of cases of it come and go in the store. For the price I'll stick with it even if there is a little inconsistency in it's strength and I'm not sure of that. It could be that there was something in the pool eating it up as I added to the water or the changing amount of sun and wind blowing junk into the pool.

Mike.
 
Does anyone know how to read a Hasachlor date? The box says lot #G1798... April 2017?? I’ve looked on the bottles before and havn’t been able to find a date.

I bought two cases today from my local pool store. In the past, they’ve said they receive a chlorine shipment every three weeks and that it “blows off the shelves.” I’m puzzled. But will add it to the pool this evening and see how it goes.

71E7C588-E8F8-47E4-81DB-AB153D062F31.jpg
 
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