2018 Bleach Prices

[tcat]

I'll have to try HEB! Been buying "gallons" at Costco, but not quite a gallon and more expensive!

Do you know anyplace to buy bulk around Austin? At the right price it would pay for a carboy or two.

Best place in Austin is HEB. Ace hardware usually runs 10% on memorial day for $2.50.

Solar Breeze - Aquabot 4WD - TFP

 

[laprjns]

Just bougth 8 jugs (128 oz) of 12.5% chlorine from Ocean State Job Lot. OSJL is still selling it at $2.99 ($0.187 per fl.oz) a jug. This is their nomal every day price and it been at 2.99 since I started buying from them in 2013. Stuff is alway fresh. This month flavor is Diamond Clear Mega Shock.

 

[gregsfc]

Last year Ollies had full gallons, recent manufacture dates, 10% for $2.50 regular price. I'll have to check out Ace. I've got 2 locations closer by than Ollies, and they do sell limited pool supplies, so I'll have to check that out.

 

[sierioiza]

Thank you guys for all your input. Here is the research I did based on what I read here and on my own:

Places to buy chlorine in Houston (I am in Southwest part of Houston, so driving up to Spring to Napco is not an option for me)
1. Home Depot--HDX Chlorinating Liquid 3x1 gal 10% for $9.98. The question now is which HD has the fresh stuff...
2. HEB--HEB Bravo Concentrated Regular Bleach 121 oz 8.25% for $2.67
3. Leslie's Pool Supplies--Chlorinating Liquid 4x1 gal 12% for $17. You have to ask, they have it in the back of the store. I don't know how fresh it is.

Walmart and Target have slightly more expensive bleach (Pool Essentials [if you can find it] in WM, Up & Up in Target).

I also checked Dollar Tree, Dollar General, King Dollar, Family Dollar, and 99 Cent Store. Dollar General and Family Dollar are the only ones that had good concentration bleach (their store brand), but was still more expensive than the three top options I listed. I saw bleach on sale at Dollar General for the price of the Home Depot's, but it was very old.

Using the calculator from the original post in this thread, I found that the cheapest chlorine price around where I live is 26 cents/oz. Please share if you found lower price in Houston (southwest part).

 

[tcat]

Thank you guys for all your input. Here is the research I did based on what I read here and on my own:

Places to buy chlorine in Houston (I am in Southwest part of Houston, so driving up to Spring to Napco is not an option for me)
1. Home Depot--HDX Chlorinating Liquid 3x1 gal 10% for $9.98. The question now is which HD has the fresh stuff...
2. HEB--HEB Bravo Concentrated Regular Bleach 121 oz 8.25% for $2.67
3. Leslie's Pool Supplies--Chlorinating Liquid 4x1 gal 12% for $17. You have to ask, they have it in the back of the store. I don't know how fresh it is.

Walmart and Target have slightly more expensive bleach (Pool Essentials [if you can find it] in WM, Up & Up in Target).

I also checked Dollar Tree, Dollar General, King Dollar, Family Dollar, and 99 Cent Store. Dollar General and Family Dollar are the only ones that had good concentration bleach (their store brand), but was still more expensive than the three top options I listed. I saw bleach on sale at Dollar General for the price of the Home Depot's, but it was very old.

Using the calculator from the original post in this thread, I found that the cheapest chlorine price around where I live is 26 cents/oz. Please share if you found lower price in Houston (southwest part).

That's the same as Austin prices, except HEB is $2.59, comes out the same as the HDX. HEB is almost always less than 2 or 3 weeks old and more convenient. I just but 3 or 4 anytime I need groceries (so no hidden gas $$ to be added to the chlorine calc.)

Solar Breeze - Aquabot 4WD - TFP

 

[karendino]

I'll have to try HEB! Been buying "gallons" at Costco, but not quite a gallon and more expensive!

Do you know anyplace to buy bulk around Austin? At the right price it would pay for a carboy or two.

I just bought HEB Bravo 8.25% for $2.67 w/o tax. No great, but not terrible

 

[clambert1273]

Ours is at a local pool store for the exchangeable jugs/containers...

12 gallons (3 containers) of 12% cost me $31.89 so about $2.66 per gallon..

 

[atx]

Not sure how long it will last, but I just went to Target and their bleach was still 8.25%. I hope they don't get caught up in the "6% for 8.25%price" trend.

I noticed that Target's bleach is now 6% also on my trip to Target the other day. They had a couple of the old bottles left, but was mostly the new reduced percent. The new bottles of bleach also do not list a percentage anywhere. The only way I found out it was reduced was on the back of the bottle is says to use 3/4 cup per load of laundry, instead of the old bottles next to them said to use 1/2 cup. So that is another way to check it. The old tags on the shelf incorrectly still say 8.25%.

 

[7snorkel]

Home Depot has their HDX chlorine at 8.25% priced at $2.99. This is NOT their Outdoor Bleach.

I noticed that Walmart's GV bleach at 6% is priced at $2.60 instead of $2.94 for the prior 8.25% stuff.

 

[sierioiza]

OK. So after further investigation, I found that Pinch a Penny Pool Patio Spa sells liquid chlorine in Houston area. Their stores are located on the west and north sides of town. They sell 12% of 2.5 gal for $8.53 (22.2 cents/oz). This is by far the cheapest price I found. The only catch is that they sell you their jug, and then you bring it for refills. The initial fill with the price of their jug is about $17.30 (still 12% 2.5 gal). After 10 fills it comes down to under 24.5 cents/oz (based on the calculator in this thread), and then with each fill you get closer to 22.2 cents/oz. By comparison, Home Depot's HDX chlorine (a three-pack) is 26 cents/oz, but I am yet to find a fresh batch...

There are a few wholesale stores for pool businesses that, I am sure, carry even cheaper liquid chlorine, but they wouldn't tell me the price after they found I was a retail buyer. Is anyone on here a wholesale buyer in Houston area? I would like to find out more if there may be a way to get access to those wholesale stores.

 

[Husky25]

Just bougth 8 jugs (128 oz) of 12.5% chlorine from Ocean State Job Lot. OSJL is still selling it at $2.99 ($0.187 per fl.oz) a jug. This is their nomal every day price and it been at 2.99 since I started buying from them in 2013. Stuff is alway fresh. This month flavor is Diamond Clear Mega Shock.

Not yet on sale in Gales Ferry, but they've cleared the shelves in the back where they normally stock the seasonal pool stuff. I haven't check Groton or Berlin yet.

We moved and got a new pool. I'm getting ansy for it to warm up and get the season underway. Getting closer!!!

 

[laprjns]

Not yet on sale in Gales Ferry, but they've cleared the shelves in the back where they normally stock the seasonal pool stuff. I haven't check Groton or Berlin yet.

I got mine at the Enfield store. Looked like they just got their shipment. They had around six pallets on the floor still with plastic wrap around the boxes.

 

[Husky25]

I got mine at the Enfield store. Looked like they just got their shipment. They had around six pallets on the floor still with plastic wrap around the boxes.

Thanks for the info.

Having the pool opened on May 8, but I want to add a gallon or two before the cover comes off for the season. New pool, new plumbing, plus heater. I left the buyer of our former home step-by-step instructions on how to open and close. I wasn't so lucky. The former owner is not a TFP'er and had the pool "professionally" closed (with a cover that had SEVEN holes in it!!!) before we moved in. I'm going to look over the shoulder of the guys opening so I can learn the system. Full stop. The C.S. rep gave me the run down of what they did for the former owner and asked what I would be needing. I responded, "None of that (especially the chlorine)."

 

[dwlarso]

Liquid Chlorine Prices

Some of you may have noticed that WalMart's Great Value Bleach reduced their Sodium Hypochlorite content from 8.25% to 6.0% sometime between last fall and this spring (2018). That is a 28% reduction of chlorine in the same bottle (their "gallon-size" bottle that really only has 3.78 quarts). Their new and current bottle also has big new bold label stating "Keeps Whites Brighter Longer". Right, with less sanitizer and cleanser!! So you have to add 44 ounces of their "new bleach" to have the same FC effect on your pool that you got for 32 ounces before.

So, at least here in southern Utah, they are no longer even close to being the best bargain. For example, you can get HDX pool chlorine (10% sodium hypochlorite) from Home Depot that is substantially less. If you buy enough to get the "bulk price" (four two-pack gallons, i.e. 8 gallons) the price is less than $3.10 per gallon. For that you get a full 76% more chlorine per gallon than in the Great Value Bleach (3.78 quarts) that costs $2.90. You get 76% more chlorine for a 7% higher price than the WalMart brand. Got to watch those mass marketers and their very non-transparent way of changing prices.

 

[kimkats]

Re: Liquid Chlorine Prices

Clorox has also moved to 6%. So far Target's up and up is sitting at 8.25% but keep an eye on them as well as they might follow the trend.

There is a thread floating around here that talks about the price in different areas. So far it is really looking like the Pool Store's bulk chlorine is the best deal IF if is not a huge trip to get there.

 

[tcat]

Main thing I like about HEB it's still 8.25%, close by, and always fresh. 12.5% degrades to 8.25% in a little over a month, so shelf life is real important on determining real value.

Solar Breeze - Aquabot 4WD - TFP

 

[shottel]

I've been shopping a PaP on Louetta in NW Houston. They always claim 10%, same for the 290/6 location. Its 7.88/2.5Gallons....though I got a 1.18 discount when they saw my jaw drop on the Muriatic. What the happened? they were 2.99/gallon when I bought a four pack last year now 5.95/gallon. Not good with math but that's near double.....HCL went up that much in 6 months?

 

[LaurieBlue]

I went to 2 different WalMart's looking for the old standard Bleach, and didn't realize they actually HAVE discontinued the 8.25% bottles. One employee said a new shipment was coming in the next day, so I sent hubby to grab them. The pool is turning green, and while I was out, he added 15 gallons. However, I wasn't paying attention until I saw a foamy film on the top of the pool, which I'd never seen before. Well, it turns out he used 5 bottles of the 8.25% bleach, and 10 bottles of the Cleaning Bleach, which he thought was the same thing. Is there anything that I need to be aware of or will this all eventually work itself through the pool?

 

[epro05]

Now that it's hard to find 8.25% bleach, I found out that some Walmarts in my area (but not all) carry Pool Essentials 10% Chlorinating Liquid. I haven't found it at the smaller neighborhood Walmarts but some of the big ones have it. The 2 pack's are $6.44 ($3.22 per gallon) which is reasonable. Best of I'm finding that the date codes are fairly recent. On day 101 I bought 5 packs of date code 093. If you go to Walmart.com you can figure out which stores have it. If you can't find it, I would suggest asking the store manager to order it.

 

[atx]

I went to 2 different WalMart's looking for the old standard Bleach, and didn't realize they actually HAVE discontinued the 8.25% bottles. One employee said a new shipment was coming in the next day, so I sent hubby to grab them. The pool is turning green, and while I was out, he added 15 gallons. However, I wasn't paying attention until I saw a foamy film on the top of the pool, which I'd never seen before. Well, it turns out he used 5 bottles of the 8.25% bleach, and 10 bottles of the Cleaning Bleach, which he thought was the same thing. Is there anything that I need to be aware of or will this all eventually work itself through the pool?

I contacted walmart corporate about the new change couple weeks ago. I was told that they constantly evaluate the great value line, and they try match it to that of the name brand product. That was their reasoning for the switch. The reason they are not using the 182oz bottle like the 6% before is that the name brand does not either and that is who they are competing with. I was also told the new standard bleach was renamed with the "2" on it to match the Chlorox Regular Bleach2 with chloromax fabric protection. It is another ingredient that claims to "Help reduce soil adhesion to surfaces". Sounds to me like soap, so that may be the foaming you see. I know that trouble free pool does not recommend the use of splash-less or scented bleaches for this reason, so I would recommend you take back the unused bottles and buy some at another store that sells plain bleach/liquid chlorine. I'm pretty sure that the soap will eventually work itself out, but I'll let others reply to confirm.