economical clorinating source this summer? need CYA/CH too

[patplh]

after a few days of tackling various things in the pool. the water is sparkling now .. thanks for all the help!
however, i'm trying to figure out the most economical way of managing the pool this summer.. last year, i used 6% bleach exclusively, and added some borax, washing soda and CYA over the summer... i think we were able to maintain FC pretty economically last year, except i remember CYA being kinda pricey. This year, i opened to really low CYA (less than 20) and low CH (around 120).

i purchased some HTH Dual-Action Tabs from BJs when I bought my liquid bleach and was just googling it and discovered that it's actually trichlor + copper + aluminum. not good, right? i don't want to be adding anything other than trichlor, right?
BJs also sells HTH Chlorinating Granules , which appears to be cal-hypo which would help me increase my CH and CYA, right?
Costco sells DuPontâ„¢ Pool Care Dual Purpose 3" Chlorinating Tablets which, based on google results, is 99% trichlor. I also think they sell Multifunctional Shock, which I believe is dichlor, some sort of clarifier and DuPont Oxone (whatever the heck that is)

are HTH Chlorinating Granules the way to go, considering i have low CYA and CH?
or should i just stick with liquid bleach and buy CYA and CH separately? I already added 18lbs of CalPlus (from Namco) but need to buy some more to bring it to the appropriate levels (CH is around 180 now)

thanks, i'm a penny pincher, but i also have a 3 month old and a 3 yr old at home now, so i should probably consider convenience too, which is why i bought the trichlor pucks.

 

[zea3]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

Cal-hypo does not contain CYA. CYA and calcium do not play well together in the same container (explosive chemical reaction), which is why you will not find anything that adds both in one product.

You do not want to add anything to the pool you cannot identify or do not need. If your pool is sparkling you do not need a product with clarifier. If you tend to lose a good amount of CYA over the winter then you may want to search online for a good deal on bulk CYA that will last several seasons.

Return the HtH tabs if you can. HtH does sell just CYA, sometimes Walmart will have it in stock.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

In most cases liquid chlorine or bleach is the least expensive, though that varies depending on sale prices and what other levels need to be adjusted. I would avoid anything with copper/zinc/aluminum in it.

 

[amazing-poolpro]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

Forget about HTH. Spend the few extra dollars on a quality brand name cal-hypo shock like Leslie's Power Powder, which is 73% calcium hypochlorite. There are a few others on the market that are comparable, educate yourself.

Return the HTH immediately and don't bother with it ever again. The HTH stuff contains filler, and metals, all of which have no business being put in to chlorine shock to begin with,. and contribute to pool problems. On the other hand, you could always go with the 1 gallon/4 packs of liquid chlorine 12% chlorine, (sodium-hypo), (normally $20-25 per 4 pack)or the larger, 5 gal. blue carboy containers, which are cheaper in bulk. Remember, the more you buy, the more you save, that is, if you prefer a non-powdered alternative to calcium based shock. NOT the 6% cheap stuff you're getting from the grocery store. Oh yeah it'll work - but why run the risk of chlorine lock with the weaker 6% regular bleach. You can use that after you've cleared the water as your weekly or bi-weekly dose. None of these contain CYA, as they are all UN-stabilized forms of chlorine. Most "shock" is un-stabilized, however, not all. There are some tri-chlor and di-chlor shock available, but be careful with these, as you don't want to raise your CYA too high, or the chlorine won't work at all. Suggest a feeder with tri-chlor tablets, or a floater. I wouldn't mess around with adding any CYA, as 20, even less, is fine. The CYA WILL raise after you circulate the water over the next few weeks and introduce stabilized chlorine in the form of tablets. Leave your CYA alone.

Just spend the extra $$$ up front, and you'll end up saving throughout the entire season, have less headache whilst remaining maintenance-free.

 

[RobbieH]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with grocery store 6% bleach.

If your CYA is below 20, the sun is going to eat your chlorine for lunch. 30-40 is a good range, it's where I keep mine.

Cal-hypo is a good shock, if you need to shock, and will get your CH numbers up. Having a gunite pool, you are right your CH numbers are low. You can use it for your chlorination for a while too, just use the pool calculator to determine how much to add.

 

[patplh]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

thanks for all the responses..
i'm still looking to buy in bulk, but it looks like the options available at BJs and Costco aren't ideal ..
i guess i'll stick with the 12.5% liquid bleach at BJs, which is only $12.99 for 4 gal - if I buy it monthly, i'm hoping it'll remain that potent. .
and buy separate CH and CYA - does anyone know how the prices for CH and CYA at Namco compare to a place like Ace, Lowes, Homedepot? I could go to Leslie's but it's further from me.

Thanks again.
Patty

 

[patplh]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

also, i still have 2+ yr old trichlor tabs (from prev owner) that i want to get rid of.. seeing as how they have CYA, i've put 7 of them in my auto-chlorinator ..but of course, they dissolve slowly.. is there any harm in crushing some and leaving them dangling by the returns in a sock? they don't seem to be affecting FC levels, but since i have so little CYA and it's been so sunny, my FC is dropping real fast. or will these effect CYA so little that it's not even worth the trouble?

I'm also debating on ignoring my cheapness and just buying instant conditioner, since it seems that it doesn't effect pH as much as the powder form and is immediate. My pH is 7.2 right now and TA is 130.

 

[patplh]

Re: economical clorinating source this summer? need CYA/CH t

i ended up having namco test the pool and looks like my CH is OK (confirmed when i got home with my own test kit), which is weird since i only put 1/2 the amt as needed according to the pool calc. it makes me wondering whether i calculated my pool size correctly..

in the end, i now have extra CH and CYA and was wondering how long before it loses it's power.
thanks for all the help

 

[Flotsam]

Re: economical clorinating source this summer? need CYA/CH t

Revisit Ace - I'm getting 10% chlorine for $5 bucks a gallon ... which goes a long way after balance. Otherwise - it sounds like you're on top of it.

 

[zea3]

Re: economical clorinating source this summer? need CYA/CH t

i ended up having namco test the pool and looks like my CH is OK (confirmed when i got home with my own test kit), which is weird since i only put 1/2 the amt as needed according to the pool calc. it makes me wondering whether i calculated my pool size correctly..

in the end, i now have extra CH and CYA and was wondering how long before it loses it's power.
thanks for all the help

As long as they are stored in their original containers and kept in a dry location they should last a couple of years. Save your pucks and floater to use when you go on vacation.

 

[chem geek]

Re: most economical clorinating source this summer?

NOT the 6% cheap stuff you're getting from the grocery store. Oh yeah it'll work - but why run the risk of chlorine lock with the weaker 6% regular bleach.

Welcome to TFP!

There is no such thing as chlorine lock. There is the known relationship between FC and CYA where the FC/CYA ratio is related to the active chlorine level so as the CYA rises if one is using stabilized chlorine than one needs to proportionately raise the FC level to prevent algae growth as shown in the Chlorine / CYA Chart. However, 6% bleach is fine to use so long as it is not a specialized bleach product (e.g. splash-less, "outdoor") -- off-brand "Ultra" bleaches are usually 6%. Even though it is less concentrated than chlorinating liquid, it is often less expensive even accounting for its strength. Also, Clorox Regular bleach has the lowest amount of "excess lye" (0.063%) compared to any other bleach or even to any chlorinating liquid (lowest is 0.25% excess lye).

Personally, I use 12.5% chlorinating liquid from my local pool store because it is reasonably priced and they reuse the bottles so is better than recycling, but some areas don't have chlorinating liquid or have it at much higher prices.