Granular Chlorine (Calcium Hypochlorite) short term storage

[NickJ]

I'm here because I have let cyanuric acid levels get too high but in Columbia, SC I haven't found a good source of liquid chlorine so I have switched to calcium hypochlorite until backwashing restores decent CYA levels.

I'd like to fill cups with about a pound of granular chlorine and store them a few weeks until used as a convenience rather than opening the drum each day (which depletes the chlorine too).

I envisioned plastic cups with tight lids but my wife bought Chinet coffee cups with lids at the grocery store.

That wouldn't be a good idea would it? I'm sure the paper has some coating to keep coffee from penetrating the paper but wondered if anyone has done this.

On the other issue:

I don't understand why no one sells liquid chlorine here. Not even Home Depot and they sell it in California.

The problem with calcium hypochlorite is that I am raising hardness and also have to add acid daily to combat the PH increase.

Looks like I will eventually have to bite the bullet and drain a major portion of the water regardless of whether it's for cyanuric acid or hardness.

 

[pooldv]

Why not use store brand bleach from the grocery store or a big box store? Get plain, not scented, not splashless, not easy pour. It is usually 8.25%. Same exact thing as liquid chlorine or liquid shock, just a different percentage. Liquid chlorine is usually 10% or 12%

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Costco sells boxes of 3x 121 ounce bottles of 8.25% plain bleach for aprox $9.00

 

[Durk]

Be very careful about trying to store CalHypo in anything plastic. We used CalHypo in our pool exclusively from when it was built in 1946 (before I was born) until sometime in the late 70's when we switched to trichlor pucks. Over 30 years we made some mistakes trying to use various plastic items to measure and scoop with. I can tell you that both styrofoam and polystyrene will react with calhypo, slowly, but getting very hot over time and eventually melting the cup. The plastic scoops supplied for measuring are some special plastic that I suspect is not used for coffee cups.

Chinet is molded fiber but I'm sure there are some resins in there and they might be reactive, and I wonder about the lids. The bad part is that if something does react, the paper fiber may be flammable and the oxidizing power of calhypo make that a very bad thing.

 

[AimeeH]

I'm with the others here who want to ask why you aren't buying plain bleach?

 

[tim5055]

I'm here because I have let cyanuric acid levels get too high but in Columbia, SC I haven't found a good source of liquid chlorine so I have switched to calcium hypochlorite until backwashing restores decent CYA levels.

I'd like to fill cups with about a pound of granular chlorine and store them a few weeks until used as a convenience rather than opening the drum each day (which depletes the chlorine too).

I envisioned plastic cups with tight lids but my wife bought Chinet coffee cups with lids at the grocery store.

That wouldn't be a good idea would it? I'm sure the paper has some coating to keep coffee from penetrating the paper but wondered if anyone has done this.

On the other issue:

I don't understand why no one sells liquid chlorine here. Not even Home Depot and they sell it in California.

The problem with calcium hypochlorite is that I am raising hardness and also have to add acid daily to combat the PH increase.

Looks like I will eventually have to bite the bullet and drain a major portion of the water regardless of whether it's for cyanuric acid or hardness.

Trust me, I have searched the entire midlands and chlorinating liquid is not to be found around here. I saw a few bottles at the Home Depot in Harbison once, but they were stored outside with old date codes on them and not worth the money. I don't know where you are, but they just opened an Ollies on St. Andrews road near malfunction junction that may stock it as most stores in the country do. I'm actually out near the west end of the lake, so I haven't made it by to check yet.

I use bleach. I was getting it at WalMart, but I just found Dollar General is a few cents less expensive and it's closer to my house. Plus, I don;t have to deal with the mobs and long lines at WM. Plus, I added a Stenner Pump last year and only have to get bleach every two to three weeks.

 

[AimeeH]

I'm also in the midlands. And to be honest I've never searched for liquid chlorine as I'm a SWG owner. but since you mentioned "in the country" which I am, I'll check a couple of country feed and hardware stores next time I get the chance.

 

[tim5055]

Well, I just checked out the new Ollies. They do have KemTec 10% chlorinating liquid. $2.99 for a full gallon (not 121oz like the 8.25%) so you will save money going this way.

 

[AimeeH]

Ollies on Garners Ferry as well

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Closest one in Augusta is 20 miles away in Aiken. :|

 

[NickJ]

Thanks so much for those references. I had never heard of Ollie's. Unfortunately when I called the one on Garner's Ferry and asked if this was a "one time thing" or if they will have it on a continuing basis they said "one time deal".

I also called Kem Tek and they told me there is a date code on the plastic jug (not the label) starting with the year followed by the day of the year it was made. Example:2015180 would be the 180th day of 2015 or "about" June 30th 2015.

If Ollie's is a close out it could be older and as we know the higher % Chlorine the shorter the half life so checking that date might be a good idea.

If I am going to switch I need a continuing source of liquid chlorine at a decent price but if I were already using it I'd probably stock up while Ollie's has it since at $3 that's a deal even if it has dropped in strength a bit. I haven't seen the 121 ounce bleach at 7.85% available chlorine for less than $3.

Some have asked why I don't just use bleach but the tremendous rise in Chlorox cost over the past few years seems to make it quite an expensive source of chlorine. For example my calculations for the cost of a pound of available chlorine is over $5 for bleach but only $2.45 when I use calcium hypochlorite. Of coures using calcium hypochlorite is giving me the problems I mentioned I'd like to avoid (hardness increasing as well as a lot of acid demand).

I bought 100 pounds of calcium hypochlorite at Leslie's for $159 (plus tax) and it's 65% available chlorine ($1.59/.65=$2.45). The 7.85% chlorox at Sam's is $9.47 for three 121 ounce jugs so that's about 22.69 pounds of liquid X 7.85% = 1.78 pounds of chlorine so $9.47/1.78 = $5.32/pound. In case you're interested the Leslie's store on Two Notch doesn't keep the 100 pounders on the floor and the 50 pounder on the floor is $129 as I recall. I don't like having to deal with the heavier drum but at that price difference (38% less cost/pound) I can't afford not to. It's in the back and you have to ask them to get it.

I appreciate those references and hope we can get enough people here in Columbia using liquid chlorine that some company will decide to stock it on a continuing basis and at a good price.

 

[tim5055]

The date code on the 10% at olives was early April this year. While their main business is close outs, it is an item they seem to,stock each year during the swim season.

Keep an eye on that CH & pH so you don't get into a scaling situation.

 

[NickJ]

Thanks so much for that important information.

I avoided the Chinet paper cups but didn't realize plastic cups might be such a problem too. I definitely don't want to put granular chlorine in any material that might combust.

Guess I'll have to keep on opening the 100 pound drum and scooping but it's really impractical in the rain and I'm told the chlorine content of the granules diminishes each time you open the drum - especially as it gets empty (more air lost).

Be very careful about trying to store CalHypo in anything plastic. We used CalHypo in our pool exclusively from when it was built in 1946 (before I was born) until sometime in the late 70's when we switched to trichlor pucks. Over 30 years we made some mistakes trying to use various plastic items to measure and scoop with. I can tell you that both styrofoam and polystyrene will react with calhypo, slowly, but getting very hot over time and eventually melting the cup. The plastic scoops supplied for measuring are some special plastic that I suspect is not used for coffee cups.

Chinet is molded fiber but I'm sure there are some resins in there and they might be reactive, and I wonder about the lids. The bad part is that if something does react, the paper fiber may be flammable and the oxidizing power of calhypo make that a very bad thing.

 

[NickJ]

Thank you. Right now CH is at 290 -300. To keep PH in the 7.4 -7.6 range I have to add about 28 ounces muriatic acide for every pound of calcium hypochlorite I add. When I realized CYA was too high and switched to granular unstabilized chlorine the CH was around 250 as I recall so I've increased CH about 50 ppm due to the change. CYA is now down to about 70 but our pool loses so little water (no splash out - only backwashing) I am not sure when I can switch back to stabilized tablets (pucks). That's the main reason I'd like a good source of liquid chlorine. I do check the saturation index several times a week and I subtract 1/3 the CYA from the TA measured to get calcium alkalinity for that wheel calculation. The Taylor wheel and booklet is a little vague on that so does anyone think I' ve got it backwards?

The date code on the 10% at olives was early April this year. While their main business is close outs, it is an item they seem to,stock each year during the swim season.


Keep an eye on that CH & pH so you don't get into a scaling situation.