Trichlor tabs

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"Then add another rope 2 feet shorter than your deep end...."

Sorry but here's where you have lost me. Depth is 8 ft so I understand that the first rope is 8 ft long, the ball is at the top, the container is suspended in the middle, and the remaining end just touches bottom. But I am not sure where you tie the 6-ft rope with the weight. If you tie it to the end of the first rope it will lie entirely on the bottom where it will get tangled up with my Polaris Sweep

But yes thank you for confirming my guess that ideally the best place for the tabs would be in the center of the deep end, seems quite obvious
 
An easy solution that currently exists is to install an inline trichlor feeder and stop using a floater or stop using trichlor and switch to either a persitaltic pump or other delivery system for liquid chlorine, a SWG, or a cal hypo delivery system (which usually delivers the cal hypo to the skimmer.
Solutions do exist but they will not really solve the problem of solar covers not lasting. Fact is they don't.
 
dalehileman said:
"Then add another rope 2 feet shorter than your deep end...."

Sorry but here's where you have lost me. Depth is 8 ft so I understand that the first rope is 8 ft long, the ball is at the top, the container is suspended in the middle, and the remaining end just touches bottom. But I am not sure where you tie the 6-ft rope with the weight. If you tie it to the end of the first rope it will lie entirely on the bottom where it will get tangled up with my Polaris Sweep

But yes thank you for confirming my guess that ideally the best place for the tabs would be in the center of the deep end, seems quite obvious
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Sorry if I was unclear, really I thought I'd edited that "shorter than" part out. I see the choices as having a float on the surface or near but beneath the surface as long as there is little to no drift of the weight on the bottom. A shorter than depth line would tend to minimize drift I'd guess and might minimize air effects on the float if it is large and not flat-ish.

But, now you've added the complication of the Polaris. Mine tends to swim though the water a lot, not always on the floor or walls so anything hanging in the pool will tend to tangle with that.

Perhaps you need to turn that liability into an asset.... make a perforated cage that can attach to the Polaris hose. Ideally it would be neutrally bouyant (spellling?), and not so large as to create much drag on the Polaris. And it would need to hang off the line, so as to not decay it since those durn Polaris parts are so pricey.

Or, you just tie a cage for the tab onto a rope and stretch it across the pool, letting it sag so that it is 2' or maybe 3' below the surface. Not sure how the Polaris will interact with that, however.

And, as for confirmation about the location of a chlorine source, my musings on it don't amount ot much. Let's see what the experts say about that.
 
Somehow suspending a trichlor tablet in the middle of the deep end would be very good chemically, but would tend to cause problems for swimmers and cleaning robots. Automatic tablet chlorinators are designed for this purpose, don't cost too much, and work. So I am not sure how much effort you should put into something that is sure to be in someone's way at some point.
 
Thanks kindly to all for your advice and tips

But I am still interested to learn if anyone at all who had tried my questionable tactic (just "throw in" the tabs) and over a period of time had experienced damage to the bottom. Especially how did you recognize the onset of trouble and if you didn't then terminate the practice how long did it actually take to eat clear through
 
Trichlor will first make the plaster rough, pitted, and usually stained. Eventually it will cause the plaster to fail, which will mean spots will start chipping off and there will be a slow leak.

In a vinyl pool it will cause the liner to become brittle and possibly discolored. Eventually the liner will crack and all the water will leak out fairly rapidly.

This is such a spectacularly bad idea that I doubt that very many people have much experience with it.
 
"Trichlor will first make the plaster rough, pitted, and usually stained..........In a vinyl pool it will cause the liner to become brittle..."

Yes apparently the practice is roundly condemned

"... spectacularly bad idea that I doubt that very many people have much experience with it."

Probably not. However this paucity of testimony leaves one to wonder about the seriousness of the effect and the length of time required to eat clear though. But again thank you all most kindly for the warnings though I remain somewhat skeptical

However in this connection it is interesting to note that the kind of damage you cite may happen even in "normal" concentrations. Between my predecessor and I, we had subjected this pool to at least 17 years of Cl provided by tabs situated in the skimmer outlet, apparently concentrating the effect toward the shallow end during the 20 hours a day during which the pump was off. Indeed, I just recently observed the bottom at this end is indeed roughened and pitted as you describe, contrasted with the deep end where it is still as smooth as a baby's bottom

Thus if I now resort to throwing the tabs in at the deep end and it would nonetheless survive another 17 years, then at age 97 I should be perfectly satisfied to forego my daily plunge and convert it to that flower garden

Nonetheless thank you all again. Meantime I stumbled on another possible method, which I felt deserves a separate thread for your perusal and comment:

alternate-chlorination-t16315.html
 
But, in the skimmer, is not the same as on the floor of the pool.

Most effects decay in an exponential manner. So, you need to consider that if you see damage to the plaster on the bottom of the pool, when the tablet is inside the skimmer, how the damage would be exponentially worse if the tablet was sitting on the floor itself.
 
"...how the damage would be exponentially worse if the tablet was sitting on the floor itself."

Yes I've indeed contemplated this eventuality though my Polaris every day nudges them to a different spot. Trouble is, there are so few instances of testimony as to be altogether convincing
 
That is generally regarded as terrifically poor maintainence for a pool that probably cost $10K and up to install. Like buying a new car and refusing to add air to the tires. edited for politeness - MikeInTN
Somewhere there is a post about a foreclosed home with stains on the plaster from tablets tossed in the deep end. Similar to the post about the foreclosed home where in order to winterize the pool they stuffed a sealed jug of antifreeze into the skimmer opening.

You can only assume someone told someone else to add some chlorine to the pool or to put a bottle of antifreeze into the skimmer. The lackey who had to do it edited for politeness - MikeInTN had no idea that there was an inline chlorinator that the tablets go into or that they were to OPEN the bottle of antifreeze and pour it into the skimmer, not just stuff the sealed bottle into the opening. edited for politeness - MikeInTN So, the lack of posts about this concept does not mean that it might be a good idea, far from it.

edited for politeness-MikeInTN

Appologies for lack of "politeness"
 

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Edited for politeness - MikeInTN

I find it interesting that I have provided you with several viable solutions but you ignore them. You are not going to find the answer you are looking for that it is ok to throw trichlor on the floor of the pool because it is not, period. We do not have a hidden agenda here to try and sell you triclor or any other form of chlorine. We are just presenting good pool care techniques as simply as possible for those that want to follow them. If you chose not to that is your choice.
 
Exactly, if you have a bubble cover it probably came with a sheet of white plastic to cover it. Just about all of them do. An old white sheet works well and is easier to handle.
 
Ohm_Boy said:
White reflects sunlight.
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Of course. I didn't think about it because here in New England no one would store anything outdoors after the pool season is over.

Regarding solar cover warranties:
My first solar cover was 18 mil "diamond" style purchased at solarcovers.com, aka poolsupplies.com. The first season I used it before my conversion to the BBB method, using trichlor tabs. It survived the season. At the beginning of the second season I converted to BBB and had to use about 6-7 ppm FC due to my CYA level.
At the end of the second season the diamonds started to break .
I didn't bother to call the supplier because I knew I had three year non prorated warranty. I called the vendor just before the beginning of the third season (this season) and they replaced my damaged cover at no charge (I just had to pay shipping.) I had sent them a sample too and they said nothing about high chlorine level.
They admitted that the diamond style doesn't last long. This time I chose the regular bubble type of 12 mil thickness, because reeling in a 16 mil cover isn't that easy.
I suspect that the high FC level contributed to the fast decay, although I can't prove it. This year my FC is 2 - 3 and the solar cover is holding well. Let's see how long it will last this time.
 
Whenever it is NOT on the pool you want to keep it covered with something white and, if possible, in the shade to maximize it's life. UV and heat are the biggest culprits, not chlorine, in their demise.
 
Water_man said:
. I didn't think about it because here in New England no one would store anything outdoors after the pool season is over.

.
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I stored mine outdoors last winter. It's on a reel. I covered it 1st with a white cover that i have to cover it during pool season. Then, i wrapped the whole thing, reel and all, in a big blue tarp. I covered both ends of the reel, including the castors, with a separate tarp on each end. I left it on the back end of the pool deck. At one point in Janaury, there was 4 feet of snow on it! In April, i uncovered it, and it looked like it did the day i covered it. If you dont have a reel, i'd fan fold it and bring it inside though.
 
Brad S said:
I stored mine outdoors last winter. It's on a reel. I covered it 1st with a white cover that i have to cover it during pool season. Then, i wrapped the whole thing, reel and all, in a big blue tarp. I covered both ends of the reel, including the castors, with a separate tarp on each end. I left it on the back end of the pool deck. At one point in Janaury, there was 4 feet of snow on it! In April, i uncovered it, and it looked like it did the day i covered it. If you dont have a reel, i'd fan fold it and bring it inside though.
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I do have a reel, and the shaft is made of aluminum, although the screws that hold it together aren't. I wonder what is more tedious - to take the cover out and to store it or to cover everything the way you suggested. Also, during April – May, the entire package can get heated if kept covered outdoors and this may contribute to a faster decay. Did you spray the cover with any recommended storage spray?
 
In addition to the alternatives that waterbear suggested, there are also BioGuard Smart Sticks that are designed to be used in the skimmer. Since they presumably do not dissolve (much) without water flow, they presumably won't damage the area around the skimmer when the pump is turned off. You'd still need to use these in a skimmer and not just throw them into the pool because they need water flow to dissolve, but if it's convenience you are looking for when using Trichlor, then this seems to be a solution for you, assuming you don't want to spend the money on an inline chlorinator.

And I assume you already are aware of the problems with continued Trichlor use in terms of Cyanuric Acid (CYA) buildup.
 

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