Calcium Hypochloirte pellets 72%

[AnnaK]

I didn't know where else to post this.

We use these pellets to shock our well occasionally. It's drilled into a sulfur vein which makes the water smell bad. We have a chlorine treatment system and a carbon filter to get rid of the chlorine but when the system fails we shock the well directly by dumping in some of these pellets.

Our supply is low. We found one place online, Ohio-something, that wants $200 for 6 jars. I came here to ask if anyone knows of a less price-y place? I guess it doesn't matter whether it's pellets or powder. We're using this Ca hypochlorite product because that's what the well driller gave us. We do need the concentration.

Would really appreciate your input.

AnnaK

 

[JasonLion]

Leslie's Power Powder Plus is 73% cal-hypo and costs $3 to $4 per pound. The sale on the 24 pack right now is a good deal.

 

[AnnaK]

Thanks for the tip, Jason.

My husband says it really needs to be pellets rather than powder. The well is 450 ft deep with the water level at 260 ft measured from the top down. There's a better chance of getting all the pellets down into the water than powder which could get stuck on the lining and piping and cause corrosion. Makes sense, I guess.

Pellets, anyone?

 

[duraleigh]

Anna,

Confirm you need Cal Hypo. It is merely a chlorine delivery vehicle (plus calcium, which you dont' need). We simply use clorox when the need arises.

That "rotten egg" smell is typically a bacteria that Clorox (chlorine) quickly kills. You then can flush the residual chlorine from your system and your good to go.

 

[AnnaK]

Hi Dave,

No, we don't necessarily have to use cal-hypo. Any chlorine will do.

We have a fairly sophisticated chlorinator setup in the basement whereby a chlorine dilution is misted into the incoming water line whenever the pump runs. The chlorinated water sits in the 120 gal holding tank and, when called for by one of the faucets in the house, runs through a carbon filter to clear out the chlorine.

Unfortunately, the mister valve wore out and needs to be replaced. Of course, it has to be special ordered and until it can be installed, we have to shock the well. We only used the cal-hypo because that's what the plumber sold us. This was "B. TPF" (Before TFP). I now know that just plain bleach will work just as well (no pun intended).

You're right in that the rotten egg smell is a metabolic byproduct from sulfur producing bacteria. The well hit what's known as a 'sulfur vein', very common in the coal regions and slate belt of Pennsylvania. The bacteria don't actually populate the well; rather, they live in the aquifer which fills the well shaft. It is their metabolites which stink up the water. When we treat it with chlorine, either through the inline system or by shocking the well directly, we chemically neutralize the sulfides. We don't actually kill the (unreachable) bacteria.

And now a major THANK YOU! to Jason for the Pool Calculator. What an incredibly versatile tool! With it, we calculated the volume of our well (round pool, .5 ft wide, 460 feet deep) and how much Clorox to add to shock it to 15 ppm FC. It certainly beats the plumber's instructions to "just add a cap full of them pellets when the water smells bad". Though the pool is closed I can still do pool chemistry of sorts by testing for FC in my holding tank

Anna