I'm probably a month or so away from opening my pool for the first time and am ready to go chemical shopping. I'm going to do the BBB method this year and am looking for an idea of how much of each chemical I should start the season with. I have storage available and don't want to be going to Walmart every week for Bleach, Baking Soda and Borax.I have no idea how much of these per month I will need. What's a good rule of thumb for an inventory of chemicals to start with?
Kinda wondering....
- Thread starter HoleInOne
- Start date
Welcome to the forum :lol: I wouldn't buy anything (except maybe Clorox). Your first requirement is to test your water to see where you are and what, if anything, needs to be adjusted.
You may not need anything else based on the test results of your water. Clorox is a given in that you will consume it all summer....quite a large bit at first.
You may not need anything else based on the test results of your water. Clorox is a given in that you will consume it all summer....quite a large bit at first.
And unless that storage space is air conditioned, about a 30 day supply of good old bottled bleach may be all you want to keep on hand at a time--especially as June, July, and August approach.
I agree. Get around a 30 day supply of bleach. If you have had a lot of pH fluctuation in the past then you might want to keep a bottle of MA around. Otherwise I would check the condition of my vacuum hoses, brushes, and other maintainance equipment to see if anything needs replacing, and invest in some poolside goodies to make my summer more enjoyable!
You could also check pricing for chlorinating liquid as it might be close to as economical, but is less weight to carry. I buy 12.5% chlorinating liquid from my local pool store where they charge a very reasonable price these days of $3 per gallon and they reuse the bottles which is better than recycling. This pricing is equivalent to getting a 96-ounce (3/4 gallon) bottle of 6% bleach for $1.11 (the "Trade %" for 6% bleach is actually 6.17%).
Thanks for the info but about how many gallons for a month supply? My pool center has chemicals 15% off until March 20 and I was going to check their pricing on liquid chlorine.
You'll probably use about 1 case a month of 12% chlorine (4 gallons).
6% bleach will be 6 or 7 of the bigger jugs.
That's making A LOT of assumptions about your chlorine usage (1 - 1.5ppm per day). It could easily be more than that.
If you could test a sample of your water - PH and TA - we could at least give you an idea if you might need acid, soda, etc.
If you are using liquid bleach all season then you'll probably have a PH that rises over time. So some acid will be handy.
Keep in mind - both chlorine and muriatic acid weaken over time- especially in the heat. So it's a little counter productive to stock up on too much. Take it month by month. Borax, baking soda, CYA are certainly not week to week needs (in quantity).
6% bleach will be 6 or 7 of the bigger jugs.
That's making A LOT of assumptions about your chlorine usage (1 - 1.5ppm per day). It could easily be more than that.
If you could test a sample of your water - PH and TA - we could at least give you an idea if you might need acid, soda, etc.
If you are using liquid bleach all season then you'll probably have a PH that rises over time. So some acid will be handy.
Keep in mind - both chlorine and muriatic acid weaken over time- especially in the heat. So it's a little counter productive to stock up on too much. Take it month by month. Borax, baking soda, CYA are certainly not week to week needs (in quantity).
I buy about 8 large jugs of bleach a month. The higher percentage the bleach the faster it degrades. 6% is pretty stable for several months. If you buy 12.5% or so I would take the advice above and not keep more than about a months usage on hand. I've kept Muriatic acid for a year and not noticed any degradation in strength It's really stable.
Thanks. I am going to try the 12% first. Pool store has a case (4 jugs) for $16.99 less 15% this week.
Just FYI. Assuming these jugs are 1 gallon, then this price is equivalent to ($16.99/4)*0.85*(6.17/12)*(3/4) = $1.39 for a 96-ounce (3/4 gallon) jug of 6% bleach or $2.78 for a 1-1/2 gallon jug of 6% bleach.HoleInOne said: