Bleach and Chlorine tablets used together??

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jeffcessna

jeffcessna

0
May 14, 2009
60
Tennessee
Hi everyone,
I am very new to pools and have done some research about the BBB method and have decided to use it; however, I began by using chlorine tablets and shock from the store and now I was wondering if i can use bleach as well as the chlorine tablets together? Will this hurt anything???? Sorry if Im somewhat ignorant about all this but I am still learning. Thanks for any suggestions..... :-D
 
Welcome to TFP!

The crucial question is: What is your CYA level? If your CYA level is already very high you want to stop using tablets and dichlor (one of the two common "shock" products) right away. If your CYA level is low then using your existing products and bleach together will work just fine.

The only thing to remember is that you should not mix bleach and shock together in a container. Add each one separately to the pool.
 
Im not sure what my CYA level is yet....im trying to get a good test kit on hand... I think that i didnt explain well enough...Im not meaning to mix any of the chems together in the same container. What i meant is can i add bleach to the pool water while still having the little floating dispenser for chlorine tablets still in the pool or should i just remove the floater.....
 
Hi and Welcome.

First off, I see your recent post, yes you can pour bleach in while the floater is there, that won't hurt anything....however, you really shouldn't add any chemical to your pool if you don't know what your current test results are.

Yes, in certain situations you can regularly use both. The pool owner though has to understand what the tablets might do to your water balance - tablets add CYA and overtime, especially if you also use a powdered shock called Dichlor- your CYA can get too high, leading to many problems.

Tablets are also acidic and overtime can lower your PH. So this too must be closely monitored (testing daily or at least, every other day till you "get to know" your pool).

There is much information in Pool School - if you read the articles several times it will soon sink in and begin to make sense.

I highly recommend you purchase one of the recommended test kits, see the article about them in Pool School. :goodjob:
 
Thank you both so much for the quick responses...

with the strips that i am using right now my water tested as such:

TC:1
FC:1
PH:7.2
TA:110

We have had a LOT of rain lately so my water is really messed up right now....

I bought the Bleach, Borax and Baking Soda today and hopefully I will be able to start up tomorrow....
 
Hi, you may not need the Baking Soda or the Borax. I have only added bleach to my pool for the last 2 years. :wink:

Even without knowing your CYA level, I can tell you that your FC level is too low to keep your pool properly sanitized. At the very least you want 2ppm in there, and once we know your CYA level - it could be higher - see the chart in my sig.

I would advise you to take out the floater for now, and just use bleach, because your PH is low and will only continue to get too low by using the tabs.

Strips are notorius for being inaccurate, so consider the good test kit. Otherwise you really are just guessing. Investing in a good test kit is protecting a bigger investment - your pool!

Now would be a good time to update your Profile to include your pool specs and equipment in your signature. Go to User Control Panel, the Profile, then Edit Signature. Tell us your pool type, filter, pump, etc., relevant info.

Remember - Pool School - you won't regret it! :goodjob:
 
I have to say that last night i added the amount of bleach recommended by the pool calculator to raise my FC (went from 1 to 5)and i have to say i am so much happier with the results with this than using the chlorine tablets....it would have taken a few days to raise the FC that much.... I am now needing to raise my PH some (right now its 7). im going to add the borax as soon as it stops raining as well as more bleach to raise the FC to 7.... :)
 

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Now that i have the bleach somewhat figured out....maybe I misunderstand Pool School but i believe that it says that i can use Borax as not only a way to raise PH but also as a conditioner??? can i use borax to help with CYA????? :?:
 
can i use borax to help with CYA?????
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Nope, sorry!

Only CYA will add CYA. In fact, I suggest you get your pool completely balanced and crystal clear and then consider borax as part of graduate school.

It is an optional item that many find enhances their pool but it is in no way a necessary part of pool maintenence.
 
Have you gotten a CYA level yet? We have ants in our pants waiting for the result! :lol:
 
well...i just checked my water and my FC and TC have just bottomed out...PH is 7 and i am assuming that CYA is stabilizer is at 50....i think that i definitely need to shock.....and get a better testing system than those silly strips....
 
jeffcessna said:
well...i just checked my water and my FC and TC have just bottomed out...PH is 7 and i am assuming that CYA is stabilizer is at 50....i think that i definitely need to shock.....and get a better testing system than those silly strips....
Click to expand...

I'd say so. I used to use strips (pre TFP) and they read my CYA level as 30-50. In reality it was over 100. :shock:
 
So I started to shock last night and dropped from 10+ in chlorine to around 4 or 5....gonna continue shocking as per Pool School. Just shocked again and will check again after i get home from work....Would it be more beneficial to cover my pool while shocking during the day so as to not lose as much chlorine from sunlight???
 
Hi, Jeff,

Would it be more beneficial to cover my pool while shocking during the day so as to not lose as much chlorine from sunlight???
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Perhaps a little but the extra effort and some negative side effects would make it not worth it, IMO.

Chlorine is cheap enough during this shock process so I would leave it uncovered and take the loss. I didn't read all this thread, however. You do have CYA in the pool, correct?
 
My CYA is around 30....i have to get a better test kit.....but that is as good a guess as i can make from these strips....

I will go ahead and leave it uncovered and retest when i get back from work....maybe if i can make it home for lunch i can check and shock again....
 

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