problems with liquid bleach?

[mau]

Hello I've been reading through this forum the past couple days. Our Haywood chlorinator sprung a leak so I was looking to find a replacement. In the meantime I've just been using Leslie's Power Powder Pro and testing daily to keep TC and FC levels in line. Could this cause any problems? (Leslie's says no)

I asked at Leslie's Pool about using liquid bleach instead and they said that it's a terrible product that will corrode the pool equipment and no pool store will sell it, although I was pretty much sold on it after reading through here. Any comments?

My CYA level is 60.

What is a good substitute for the Haywood ? We'll probably need to get something just for when we're out of town, even if we go the liquid bleach route. We hated how hard the Haywood was to open and won't buy another one. One person we know recommended the Rainbow. Will a floater work just as well?

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Given your CYA level (slightly high side of recommended range), You should stop using any dichlor (powder) or trichlor (pucks) and switch to liquid chlorine or bleach. FYI, the Leslie's stores here sell liquid chlorine ... Given the info you have been told ... I would never go to that pool store again.

A floater would work fine on a temporary basis while you are out of town and is certainly cheaper than buying a new chlorinator and re-plumbing.

If you have not already:
1. Order a recommended test kit so you no longer have to trust the pool store's testing
2. Read Pool School a few times

And of course ask any questions as they come up.

 

[frogabog]

Do the people who work at pool stores not finish high school? Wow...

Bleach is chlorine, is chlorine, is bleach, is... CHLORINE. Liquid means it's chlorine mixed with water. So how would it be possible for 6% bleach (sodium hypochlorite at 6% strength and water - check the bleach label) to be anything other than half the strength of 12% liquid chlorine for pools sold at Leslie's? The product, and it's ingredients are sitting right under the people's noses to compare to bleach if they wanted to speak out of their brain instead of... well, the other end of the spinal cord.

Sorry, but I would bet a barista knows more about the composition of the product they schlep than these pool store employees selling specialized pool chemicals.

Chlorine is a gas in it's natural state. It's highly toxic to the lungs in this state. It has to be mixed with something so humans can handle it. Solid chlorine is solidified into a puck with cyanuric acid (stabilizer). Granular chlorine (di-chlor) is solidified with calcium. Liquid chlorine uses water. It's ALL chlorine though. The only one that doesn't have additives is the liquid, and bleach simply has more water than the pool store liquid chlorine.

Don't listen to those people, please. The problem is, if you mix their recommendations with the ones you get here, it's gonna backfire and confuse you. And fail. Unfortunately.

 

[jblizzle]

Solid chlorine is solidified into a puck with cyanuric acid (stabilizer). Granular chlorine (di-chlor) is solidified with calcium. Liquid chlorine uses water. It's ALL chlorine though.

To be clear and correct frogabog's typo:
pucks are trichlor which are stabilized with CYA
granular dichlor is also stabilized with CYA
cal-hypo is stabilized with calcium

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, mau

I asked at Leslie's Pool about using liquid bleach instead and they said that it's a terrible product that will corrode the pool equipment and no pool store will sell it

That made me laugh...thanks When I saw your thread title I was assuming that you thought you had a bad batch or something :lol:

Take a look at this pool school article: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/types_chlorine_pool

 

[frogabog]

Right, sorry. I did know that. I think it was more of a think-o than a typo though.

 

[MikeInNH]

I asked at Leslie's Pool about using liquid bleach instead and they said that it's a terrible product that will corrode the pool equipment and no pool store will sell it, although I was pretty much sold on it after reading through here. Any comments?

I'm sorry that your pool store is so uneducated. I used to buy it in 5 gallon buckets at the pool store closest to me. Liquid bleach is the only way to go, not counting an SWG.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Leslie's Power Powder Pro is Cal-hypo so you're not hurting your CYA but you are adding to your CH. Can you post that number so we'll have an idea what it is? While you're at it you might as well post a full set of test results and where you go them.

pH
FC
CC
TA
CH
CYA = 60

Using the Leslie's Power Powder Pro won't cause any issues as long as your CH isn't already high.

 

[mau]

Thank you for all your replies. I have not ordered a test kit yet but will soon. For what it's worth, from what I can tell on the strips my numbers are about

300 for Total Hardness (same as CH?)
3 for TC
1.5 for FC
between 7.2 and 7.8 for pH,
about 120 for TA

The CYA of 60 number came from Leslie's and I'm embarrassed to admit that he said all the other numbers were "perfect" and I didn't get a printout or the exact numbers. I only pressed on that because I got worried about it after reading about it here and it looked like it could be about 100 from the strip. We hadn't been using the pucks that much because it was such an ordeal to open the Hayward. Last year they'd always give a printout but there are new managers & you have to ask for it.

I'll update when I can. My head is still spinning from a lot of the info on here!

 

[jblizzle]

Man I love seeing the test strip results ... you just have to see that your own test kit is the best investment you can make.

I like the pH 7.2 - 7.8, well you might need some acid ... or you might need borax ... or you might be fine.

 

[Isaac-1]

Man I love seeing the test strip results ... you just have to see that your own test kit is the best investment you can make.

I like the pH 7.2 - 7.8, well you might need some acid ... or you might need borax ... or you might be fine.

Yeah that is a bit like a fuel gauge in a car that reads somewhere between empty and full (well maybe more like 1/8th and full

 

[techguy]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Given your CYA level (slightly high side of recommended range), You should stop using any dichlor (powder) or trichlor (pucks) and switch to liquid chlorine or bleach. FYI, the Leslie's stores here sell liquid chlorine ... Given the info you have been told ... I would never go to that pool store again.

What does the Leslie think the stuff in the bags and pucks become when you add water to them...Kool-Aid?

Chlorine... just like every pool being maintained by most of the civilized world and everyone here.

Was the store's comment worthy of the Best Comment EVER? or Best Koment EVUR?

 

[kj5kb]

I asked at Leslie's Pool about using liquid bleach instead and they said that it's a terrible product that will corrode the pool equipment and no pool store will sell it, although I was pretty much sold on it after reading through here. Any comments?

Yeah, I got the same line from a friend who's had an in-ground pool for years when I told him I was using liquid. I figured it wasn't worth trying to convince him...and besides, even it it does, so what if I have to buy another $200-$300 pump in 10 years?

(I'm really tempted to tally all my pool expenses for the year and compare to his.)

Anyway, I've been using standard 6% chlorine bleach for years to clean mold stains as well as for clothing. I know what's in it and am comfortable using it. It rinses clean, unlike a lot of other cleaners. So what does it do when you pour it into your skimmer? It whooshes thru your pump and filter and is back in the pool and diluted in a matter of minutes, maybe seconds.

 

[jblizzle]

So what does it do when you pour it into your skimmer? It whooshes thru your pump and filter and is back in the pool and diluted in a matter of minutes, maybe seconds.

You should not be pouring it into your skimmer. It really is least damaging to pour it slowing in front of one of the return jets in the deep end to quickly mix it into the bulk of the water. Same is true for muriatic acid ... only that would do more damage dumping it into the skimmer.