Clorox Bleach: Chlorine: Why PB said Not to use

[mnittler]

The service man from PB came by today to startup the SWCG for the first time and the Chlorine was already 3.2 and pH was 7.5. He asked my son what product we were using and my son said Clorox, and Muriatic Acid. The Pool Tech said no you are not using Clorox. He said that since the container did not say for pool use then it would void the warrantee if something goes wrong. So my son told him that we used chlorine and he was happy. We bought the liquid Clorox 8.25% at SAMs. We had also added a couple of 3" pucks to the skimmer. On this forum it is suggested to use Clorox. I told my son that the Pool Tech had just added 11 sacks of salt (NaCl) to the pool the day before and Clorox was Sodium Hypoclorite (NaClO) which was much better than using Calcium Hypochlorite (CaOCl) in a salt water pool. The Chorine is now 5.0 so I guess the generator is working. We reduced the setting from 60% to 20% on the Pentair IC60 for the rest of the night and will check the chlorine level again tomorrow.
Why would the PB not want me to use Clorox?
Isn't Chlorine Chlorine?

 

[mhoy]

I would guess because they don't sell it, but that would be just a dig... The quality of the responses on this forum is rather impressive on their knowledge.

 

[jblizzle]

I would guess because they don't sell it

Yup.

And in general it seems that many pool professionals do not actually understand the chemistry.


Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[duraleigh]

Why would the PB not want me to use Clorox?

I can't address his motivation (it's usually ignorance, but not always) but liquid chlorine (bleach) is absolutely fine for pools. It contains none of the often troublesome side effects of other forms.

 

[JohnT]

They might try to void the warranty, but you would own them in court.

 

[257WbyMag]

I'll say +1 for ignorance.

 

[JamesW]

He is probably just being extra cautious. Many products say something like:

"It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling."

However, you can show him this information from Clorox:

This product is a 6.0% sodium hypochlorite solution, containing approximately 5.7% available chlorine by weight. The purity of its ingredients and the carefully supervised process of its manufacture make this product a quality source of chlorine for water treatment in swimming and wading pools. This product is especially suitable for use in chlorinators as it is a liquid and has no insoluble particles. This product is widely used as a source of chlorine for swimming pool sanitation and does not have any adverse effects on materials used in pool construction including swimming pool liners.
http://www.clorox.com/pdf/5813-50_service-bulletins.pdf

Furthermore, Clorox is registered with the EPA for use in swimming pools, as shown here:
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Pro ... _NR=005813

 

[Matt Ush]

You can use Clorox but why are you? You do not need to add the 3" pucks or Clorox at all. The SWCG creates your chlorine for you. The only time you need to add chlorine is when the level drops below the minimum which would be after a debris filled storm or pool party and shocking is necessary.

 

[JamesW]

You can use Clorox but why are you?

They have a new concrete pool, which needs to allow the plaster to cure for 30 days before adding salt. Now that the salt has been added, the SWG should be able to keep up. If the chlorine does get behind, then shocking with liquid chlorine is a good choice.

 

[Matt Ush]

Oh I didn't see his other thread. True

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Don't put pucks in via skimmer. When the pump is off the acid level rises in the skimmer and that high acid concentration is not good for the equipment. Better to use a floater for this temporary need.

Sent via Tapatalk...

 

[mnittler]

Well, the PB sent one of his employees to my house to give me and my family Pool School and he did mention that some people use liquid chlorine. He did not say the word Clorox but in my mind that was a stamp of approval? He checked the water chemistry and said that everything was nearly perfect. When he left he said that in all the years he had been giving Pool School that we were the most knowledgeable family that he instructed on pool chemistry and care. By the way, we do use the App Pool Calculator. I give thanks to this forum for a fine education.

 

[cramar]

The pool app is an incredible tool, don't know what I'd have done without it.