Added stabilizer in skimmer sock in front of return. Bad idea?

[Nlandr7]

Sooo I’ve read about putting stabilizer in a sock in front of a return jet to help dissolve. I’ve also read that it takes hours for it to dissolve.

I recently bout some Clorox stabilizer and put 4 pounds in a skimmer sock (thinking this would be the same type material as panty hose). I hung the skimmer sock in front of a return and bumped my pump up to 3400 rpm’s. I set a timer for 20 minutes, to then go out and try squeezing the sock.

After 20 minutes, I came back and noticed white granules lining the bottom of my pool wall, opposite from the return jet I set up the stabilizer in. I looked at the sock and granules (real fine) were flowing pretty good through the sock. I squeezed the sock and everything came out super easy. I was done squeezing in about 5 minutes. After, I noticed lots of fine stabilizer dust in the pool. I grabbed my brush and brushed as much as I could, along with rubbing my dolphin.

My question is, are skimmer socks a bad idea to use? This seemed way too easy from what I’ve read. Is the material too thin to allow stabilizer to dissolve? I’m just worried I may stain the plaster if I didn’t get everything.

 

[Jimrahbe]

7,

I have never used skimmer socks, but I put my stabilizer in a lady's knee-high stocking and get about the same results that you did.

Half an hour later and I'm done.

I have used old athletic socks and it took forever for them to work.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Brad_C]

I use the skimmer sock in my skimmer. I just dump the granules into the skimmer and an hour later they're gone. These skimmer socks are incredibly fine. So much so they get clogged with kids sunscreen, so I'm not worried about the stabiliser making it out of the sock undissolved.

An hour after that a test confirms it made it into the pool.

 

[Nlandr7]

Everything looked ok this morning with no stains. I also tested cya and it looks like it dissolved fully because it raised from 30 to 50.

 

[wireform]

I use the skimmer sock in my skimmer. I just dump the granules into the skimmer and an hour later they're gone. These skimmer socks are incredibly fine. So much so they get clogged with kids sunscreen, so I'm not worried about the stabiliser making it out of the sock undissolved.

An hour after that a test confirms it made it into the pool.

Using the skimmer for stabilizer will cause some if it to stay back in the filter and could take upto a week to fully be in the water that's why the carrot and stick method in front of the return is recommended.

 

[BoDarville]

I've added stabilizer granules using an old athletic sock (make sure there are no large holes in it) in the skimmer. I've never noticed any granules on the pool floor. Granules will dissolve faster in warmer water. If you're adding it now (early Jan), it will likely take several days. If you need to add a lot of stabilizer, I would use multiple socks - one in each skimmer. Oh, and a couple of squeezes of the sock each day helps the granules dissolve faster.

 

[ajw22]

We have had members put stabilizer in a sock in the skimmer and have the sock burst and the stabilizer clog the suction pipe. 99% of the time it will work out fine. That is the risk that you will be the 1% and why it is not recommeded.

 

[BoDarville]

Yeah, the sock in the skimmer can burst. Never happened to me but certainly possible. The same can happen with the "carrot & stick" method. Either the sock or whatever is used to contain the granules can rupture or it can somehow become dislodged resulting in undissolved granules on the pool surface or somehow get relocated just enough that it winds up resting on the pool wall. Unlikely, but possible. As I just had my pool resurfaced with a plaster/quartz mix, that's the bigger risk I'm trying to avoid.

Given that I just had the pool refinished, I need to re-balance the chems, including adding stabilizer. Since it's January with its shorter days, less sunlight hitting the pool, colder water temps, and no bather load, I'm not concerned about getting this added quickly and all at once. Therefore, I'm adding it gradually while recording the amount by weight of granules, waiting for it to completely dissolve, and then testing about 24 hours later. Even if the sock were to rupture, the smaller than usual amount of undissolved granules is less likely to cause plumbing problems and would remain in the filter until fully dissolved. Just need to be aware that if I backwashed the filter before the granules had fully dissolved, then my test results would be off based on the amount I added.

 

[ajw22]

Yeah, the sock in the skimmer can burst. Never happened to me but certainly possible. The same can happen with the "carrot & stick" method. Either the sock or whatever is used to contain the granules can rupture or it can somehow become dislodged resulting in undissolved granules on the pool surface or somehow get relocated just enough that it winds up resting on the pool wall. Unlikely, but possible. As I just had my pool resurfaced with a plaster/quartz mix, that's the bigger risk I'm trying to avoid.

It is a lot easier to brush the stabilizer around the pool floor if it lands there than unclog pipes.

But it is your pool and you can pick your poison.

 

[BoDarville]

Both methods are listed in the ABC's article in Pool School. Regardless of which one is chosen, or whether a combination of both are used, my recommendation is to not put all your eggs in one basket. IOW, if you have to add a lot of stabilizer and need to do it quickly, it is preferable to use multiple "socks" and avoid overloading any one of them to reduce the likelihood of rupturing and spilling undissolved granules where you don't want them. In this scenario, using a combination of both methods may be the most prudent course of action.

 

[Bvacchiano]

Put it in a skimmer sock and put in the skimmer for an hour. Go back out and squeeze it all out into pool. Where some gloves. Boom, done…

 

[Brad_C]

But it is your pool and you can pick your poison.

I like to live on the edge. Rapidly dissolving CYA makes me feel alive.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Just remember that CYA is acidic. My skimmer socks are so thin that I would think the acid would eat right through them in a short amount of time.

I used an old athletic sock from my beer league softball days to add CYA. It worked fine but after the 3rd time I used the thick athletic sock it also dissolved a hole in it. Luckily it was when I was squeezing the mushy CYA that had already been dissolving for a few hours so it wasn't a huge deal that it spilled out.

I also would not want those acidic particles sitting in my filter possibly eating a hole in my mesh screens in the filter.

 

[BoDarville]

@JJ_Tex...+1. Regardless of which method is used, always check the condition of the sock or whatever implement you are using to contain the granules to avoid a rupture and be careful not to overload them.

 

[HermanTX]

I used men's dress sock and set up a stick outreaching over the return. See pic.
It took a couple of hours and I would squeeze every so often when I walked by it while doing other garden chores.

 

[Getitrite]

I use the skimmer sock in my skimmer. I just dump the granules into the skimmer and an hour later they're gone. These skimmer socks are incredibly fine. So much so they get clogged with kids sunscreen, so I'm not worried about the stabiliser making it out of the sock undissolved.

An hour after that a test confirms it made it into the pool.

Using the skimmer for stabilizer will cause some if it to stay back in the filter and could take upto a week to fully be in the water that's why the carrot and stick method in front of the return is recommended.

Years ago, prior to my TFP discovery, I was able to get a human on the phone at Hayward to discuss my original Perflex EC75 DE Filter. I do not recall fine details of the call, but I do remember that he asked about my treatment methods. When I told him "through the skimmer" (like the $tore instructed), his advice was "Treat the Water, Not the Equipment". Even though I was still relying on the pool store and chasing my tail, I began adding to the water, not the skimmer. Now that I have some TFPC book learn'n under my belt, treating the water makes sense to me.

Nylon sock in front of a return works for my CYA additions. 1 pound is "squeezable" and easily mixes in 20-30 min. I squeeze a few times to get most of the content from the sock, then leave it hanging a little longer to get the fine residue cleared out, and either run the Bot or brush near the return stream to ensure a good mix.

 

[woodyp]

You guys are not supposed to be using fishnet stockings.....just sayin'!

 

[Jeremy R]

I’ve been using skimmer socks but I use two and I close them with a zip tie. It’s worked well for me. I also only put enough CYA in the sock to raise the level by 10ppm.