How safe is using bleach?

[stephanie4136]

I went to REC Warehouse today to get my new filter and some CYA. When I asked the salesperson to lead me to the CYA he wanted to know what type of CL I'm using because their tabs have stabilizer in them. When I told him bleach, he flipped out! He said that was in no way safe for us to swim in because of all the extra things in bleach that are not in CL. I told him I've done my research and he said I should be looking at both sides, not just the good. He pleaded with me to use anything but bleach. Now my husband is worried that we shouldn't be using it. Any words of wisdom to convince hubby that it is safe?

Thanks!

 

[spishex]

In my experience, the only thing you should believe that comes out of a rec warehouse salesman's mouth is "Hi..." Everything after that, including what you heard, is usually inaccurate (to put it politely). Others can chime in with the scientific reasons, but I'll just keep it to the ad hominem. He's paid on commission and doing everything he can to sell you something.

 

[Bob_Funk]

other than no stabilizer, what did he say the difference was between his chlorine & the bleach from the grocery store.

I bet he sells liquid bleach @ 12%-ask him what the difference is between that & bleach from the store other than his liquid bleach being 2x as strong IF it is fresh

I would ask him what extra things are in bleach that are unsafe, I have used bleach in the laundry for 40+ years & if it is safe to use on my clothes which are on my skin all day it should be safe to swim in with the ppm we are talking about here

 

[Butterfly]

Hey Stephanie,

Well, I guess you could have told him you are using "liquid chlorine" and he would have thought that was okay, which it is. They probably even sell it at REC Warehouse.

That being said, plain common household bleach(6%, usually) and liquid chlorine (10% to 12%) are both sodium hypochlorite, just different strengths.

No worries, Steph, all is well.

 

[waste]

Wanna know what else is in bleach, other than sodium hypochlorite, it's ... WATER! The guy may mean well, but doesn't know Jack from Jill

I hope you will listen to the kind folks here, rather than someone who makes a living misinforming people.

 

[stephanie4136]

In my experience, the only thing you should believe that comes out of a rec warehouse salesman's mouth is "Hi..." Everything after that, including what you heard, is usually inaccurate (to put it politely).

LOL, So true!

Well I did ask him about the liquid CL and he said you have to have a permit to get it/handle it because it is so potent or something to that effect. He really couldn't give me a GOOD explaination, esp after I brought up the liquid CL other than to say that bleach has 94% other ingredients if it is 6% CL and that those other ingredients are poisons. He said if my kids were to swallow some of the pool water it would poison them .

 

[JasonLion]

The 94% other ingredients are water and salt.

People who want to sell you dichlor and trichlor often say horrible things about bleach, after all if you buy bleach you aren't buying their products and they are not making money off of you.

 

[chem geek]

Oh for crying out loud. It's amazing the sort of garbage some will say. Next time you see this guy, IF you ever see him again, take a bottle of 6% Clorox Regular to him and show him on the label where it says "5.7% Available Chlorine". It says that because Clorox registered unscented Clorox Regular with the EPA as a sanitizer for use in pools. See the E-mail I received from Clorox in this post that hopefully you will have access to at The PoolForum.

Richard

 

[Ohm_Boy]

Clorox used to provide this:

'nuff said?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Oh for crying out loud.

Wow, I've never seen Richard get upset .

That sales guy is ridiculous. Plain and simple.

Don't let uninformed people like him confuse you Stephanie, or make you feel bad for making an informed decision. Just because he wants to go around in life being an idiot...whatever. His job is to sell expensive pool chems, bleach doesn't fit the criteria to him (not enough profit?).

Bleach is chlorine is bleach....and the claim that the pool water would become poison is plain and simply false. He should be

 

[stephanie4136]

Thanks everyone! Two of my kids were in there with me and they were getting worried about swimming in bleach because of him. I checked the link Richard gave.....thanks, very informative.

I also found this, which makes me feel better too.

Ingredients --
Sodium hypochlorite

Chemical Formula: NaOCl

Synonyms
Chlorine bleach


Description
Sodium hypochlorite is usually sold in solution in water, where it makes a greenish yellow liquid.

Household bleaches usually contain sodium hypochlorite in a 3% to 6% solution. Some sodium hydroxide (lye) is added to keep the pH high to avoid decomposition. If the solution is made more acidic, sodium hypochlorite will dissociate, producing chlorine gas and oxygen.

It is made by bubbling chlorine gas through a solution of sodium hydroxide.

In the environment, it breaks down into water, oxygen, and table salt.


Uses
Sodium hypochlorite is the main ingredient in laundry bleach.

Because it is an excellent disinfectant, as well as a bleaching agent, it is used in many disinfectants and household cleaners.

Despite the name "chlorine bleach", in normal use there is no chlorine gas involved in the action of bleaching or disinfecting.

Sodium hypochlorite is one of the best disinfectants known, killing bacteria, yeasts, fungus, spores, even viruses.

Sodium hypochlorite is also used to disinfect water supplies and swimming pools, although calcium hypochlorite in powder or pellect form is also used, due to the convenience of the solid form. Sodium hypochlorite is too hygroscopic (it absorbs water from the air) to be used conveniently in solid form.



I had a feeling they wouldn't "agree" with what I was doing from what I've read here, but I had no clue he would say everything he did ! Thanks again for reassuring me! :-D

 

[JasonLion]

Clorox bleach is registered as an EPA approved disinfectant for drinking water. You pour bleach in your well and then drink the water. If that isn't safe then what is?

 

[Guest]

because their tabs have stabilizer in them.

I think this really says it all! You weren't using HIS products!