Just divide the day by 30 and that gives you the month. Really no need to be more accurate than that.
Chlorine Date Code Decoder/Easy Way to Measure Strength.
- Thread starter epro05
- Start date
But the thing is each brand has its own way of coding the date. Its like they don't want us to know the date.
They all show the year and the day of the year ... Just in different formats it seems.
Is there any way to use a hydrometer to measure bleach? Forgive my ignorance on whether new vs. old bleach (at various percentages) would show a difference in specific gravity. It just seems with all of the dilution this adds too much room for error.
This thread just saved me from buying year old bleach at HD. It showed up in a google search first result! Thanks
Are all Clorox pool products date codes as same as bleach bottle to see when it was made? I was at Lowe’s and had few items in the cart. Remember to check dates. I put them back on the shelf. One had 15 and others had 16 as the first number. So would that be 2016 and 2015?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,391
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
It should be printed on the bottle. Most of the time it is blue ink. See if you can find any stamps on the bottle and post them here. We can help you figure it out.
colonelkirby
Silver Supporter
- Mar 20, 2017
- 139
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Qckfrze
New member
Updated Home Depot HDX Chlorine Date Decoder:
18 100 = year 18 and 100 days in so April 10th 2018.
From this product page and comment: HDX 128 oz. Chlorinating Liquid (3-Pack)-30128HDX - The Home Depot
18 100 = year 18 and 100 days in so April 10th 2018.
From this product page and comment: HDX 128 oz. Chlorinating Liquid (3-Pack)-30128HDX - The Home Depot
This is why I buy all my bleach from Wal-Mart. Their in-house brand ("Great Value") is $1.77/gallon for brand-new 6% bleach. Whenever I need some I'd estimate that 90% of the bottles on the shelf were made within the past week or two. It's always the cheapest and freshest stuff I can find.
When I search Greensboro Walmarts, I see $2.94 for the Great Value 6% Bleach. It's also $2.94 in my area. Which Walmart has it for $1.77?
A better deal at Walmart (for me) is "Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid" at $3.64 per gallon (128 oz, not 121 oz). The 2 pack cartons are $3.22 per gallon. It's 10% strength. Not all Walmarts carry it but some do. Best deal around here.
A better deal at Walmart (for me) is "Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid" at $3.64 per gallon (128 oz, not 121 oz). The 2 pack cartons are $3.22 per gallon. It's 10% strength. Not all Walmarts carry it but some do. Best deal around here.
Watch the dates on those 2 packs from Walmart. All 37 Walmart’s around me 
carry those, and I’ve seen them dragging out old stock from last year. (They put away the pool dept to make room for the Christmas stuff, then drag it back out again)
I’ve been buying the single bottles till they get new batches of the 2 pack in.
carry those, and I’ve seen them dragging out old stock from last year. (They put away the pool dept to make room for the Christmas stuff, then drag it back out again)I’ve been buying the single bottles till they get new batches of the 2 pack in.
I really appreciate the info in this thread. I did a drain and refill last weekend, and had been having a hard time getting the FC level up. Turns out the 2-pack of liquid chlorine from Walmart that I bought last week had a date code showing July 2018, so had been stored through the rest of last summer in what I am assuming is a warm warehouse being that I am in AZ! The single bottles had a date code of late December 2018, so still 3 months old, but 3 months of cooler weather so hopefully I am good. Again, thanks for the education here!
AZ, they put away last years remaining stock to make room for Xmas stuff, then they drag it back out for pool season. 
The single bottles you got are the same date code I’ve been using, and they’re fine. I did find a 2 pack of 10% at Home Depot that was made late Jan, so check your local HD to see if they have any.
The single bottles you got are the same date code I’ve been using, and they’re fine. I did find a 2 pack of 10% at Home Depot that was made late Jan, so check your local HD to see if they have any.
I just got a call back from a very nice rep from Vertex. The production date codes read as follows:
First character, ALPHA, corresponds to the Month: A=1=January, B=2=February, C=3=March, etc.
Second two characters, NUMERIC, is the day of said month. 01-31.
Fourth character, NUMERIC, last digit of Year.
Characters 5-7 are not important unless you have an issue. It is simply the ID of the tank in which it was produced.
Character 8 is the manufacturing plant. It should always be "D" since Dupo, IL is the only plant they use to manufacture the product.
Example: "F1900004D" Would be June19, 2020.