Chlorine Tablets Dispensers

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RodRamos

RodRamos

In The Industry
Jul 24, 2019
144
Trinity, Florida
BACKGROUND: Hello, as I mentioned in previous threads I'm very new to pool chemical and maintenance and I'm really loving these forums. Everyone is so helpful and I'm currently going through the Pool School articles. There is one thing I never see mentioned, those floating chlorine tablets dispensers. The reason I'm asking is after I get my pool chemistry balanced (so very close) I plan on adding some convenience upgrades. We already upgraded the pump, added a skimmer, added valves and will maybe even hard plumb the system. I came across an in-line chlorine tablet feeder. Thought it might be nice to have instead of the blue and white bobbing floater. When I started working on my pool chemistry someone asked me to remove it from the pool. I wasn't sure if they meant permanently or just while I get the chemistry right.

SHORT STORY: So what is the general consensus in reference to the chlorine tablet dispensers?

Thank you.
 
NO
[edit]
Tablets add CYA and lower pH. Only use them when you can't dose with chlorine manually. If you set your CYA manually, then you know how much FC you need. If you add it via pucks, it goes up and all of a sudden you don't know how much FC you need unless you test CYA frequently.
 
Tablets increase CYA stabilizer which after the designated point (look at the CYA/FC free chlorine chart on this site) is bad. If you keep it on the low end for your pool doing the normal TFP methods, then usage during vacations, etc is allowed.

You probably should just plan on a floater because is you do TFP then you won't be using many Trichlor tabs anyway.
 
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As long as you understand what you are putting into your pool and exactly how those chemicals will affect it, there isn't a problem. The chlorine tabs are great for times when you are away like vacations. Planning for the anticipated increase in CYA and knowing how to adjust for it is the key. The simplest/cheapest way is to use the floater. If you prefer not having it in the pool and want to make the added expense to install the chlorinator is entirely up to you. You were probably asked to remove the floater because your CYA was high, we're trying to help you get your pool sorted out and the tabs would continue to make it climb = eventual algae.
 
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Batman says NO, so no it is lol. Like I said I'm a newbie at this so thank you for being patient. My CYA as of today is 50 which is at the high end of the normal range (30-50). I'm in Florida so I've been told being at 40s and 50s should be ok because of the sun exposure we get. I'm just trying to ask before I put anything in my pool that may jeopardize the chemistry.
 
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Even at 50 you have some wiggle room. Never go against Batman, of course, but pucks and the floater will come in handy at some point. TFP isn't against careful usage of pucks, it's against relying on them long-term and without measurement.

I have a floater in my pool right now. I use it when I can't regularly test and dose the pool. It also helps manage pH and the attrition of CYA.
 
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Rollercoastr said:
Even at 50 you have some wiggle room. Never go against Batman, of course, but pucks and the floater will come in handy at some point. TFP isn't against careful usage of pucks, it's against relying on them long-term and without measurement.

I have a floater in my pool right now. I use it when I can't regularly test and dose the pool. It also helps manage pH and the attrition of CYA.
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GOOD POINT!!!
 

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Unless I'm mistaken, one 8oz puck of tri-chlor will increase the CYA in a 1750 gal pool by 19. Probably not what you want to have happen.
 
I've decided against the pucks...UNLESS...as some have mentioned, I go on vacation and cannot dose my pool. I think with the rain we get CYA should slowly decrease, at which point IF we ever go out of town I can afford to throw in a puck without wrecking the pool chemistry. Ice shadow makes a good point, raising my CYA by 19 is no joke, from what I understand you cant lower it unless you drain some water and replace.
 
RodRamos said:
I've decided against the pucks...UNLESS...as some have mentioned, I go on vacation and cannot dose my pool. I think with the rain we get CYA should slowly decrease, at which point IF we ever go out of town I can afford to throw in a puck without wrecking the pool chemistry. Ice shadow makes a good point, raising it by 19 is no joke.
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RodRamos
Jerry Seinfeld GIF
 
Rollercoastr said:
ahhhh! That changes things... IMO, 1,750 gallons falls into the seasonal pool category - even in Florida. If it were me, I wouldn't be very concerned about high CYA when it could be halved by exchanging 900 gallons of water...?
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Except, @RodRamos is using this pool as a starter pool to gain a more in-depth understanding of pool management. According to some of his other posts, he intends to upgrade to much larger pools as his family grows up. I think in general he would like to manage the chemistry the way we manage our larger pools because some day he will be managing a larger pool!
 
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thetekgeek said:
Except, @RodRamos is using this pool as a starter pool to gain a more in-depth understanding of pool management. According to some of his other posts, he intends to upgrade to much larger pools as his family grows up. I think in general he would like to manage the chemistry the way we manage our larger pools because some day he will be managing a larger pool!
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This is exactly my thoughts. I could technically drain the whole thing (and have done in the past) using our sump pump which drains 2k gallons in one hour and refill but I want to learn as much as possible si ce in a few seasons i will be going to a 7k gallon pool and eventually maybe a 10k.

Thetekgeek gets it lol.
 
Whatever you're more comfortable with!

However, I think there's a tendency however to over-estimate the complexity of the TFP care method. It's really not complex at all. The foundation of the TFP method is accurate at-home testing, and accurate dosing of the appropriate components to achieve water balance as defined by current science. It's really as simple as that.

This does not preclude the usage of pucks. This does not preclude water exchange in a small pool, heck, as I've learned from our friends in the SW, it doesn't even preclude water exchange in large pools!

Regular testing is done as part of the TFP method whether the water will eventually be exchanged or not.

If it were me, I'd become an expert on the best way to manage the pool that I have.
 
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Rollercoastr said:
Whatever you're more comfortable with!

However, I think there's a tendency however to over-estimate the complexity of the TFP care method. It's really not complex at all. The foundation of the TFP method is accurate at-home testing, and accurate dosing of the appropriate components to achieve water balance as defined by current science. It's really as simple as that.

This does not preclude the usage of pucks. This does not preclude water exchange in a small pool, heck, as I've learned from our friends in the SW, it doesn't even preclude water exchange in large pools!

Regular testing is done as part of the TFP method whether the water will eventually be exchanged or not.

If it were me, I'd become an expert on the best way to manage the pool that I have.
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I agree. Like I said I'll save the tablets I already have in case I go out of town and cannot dose the pool. Also draining the pool should not be an issue, if I see that the need is there I can drain it using my sump pump in less then an hour and fill it back up in a few hours. As a matter of fact if I screw up the chemistry (I am new at all this) it's a good option to drain and start over. I just want to learn as much as I can now so that when we do upgrade to a 7k or 10k pool I dont have to drain it often to fix mistakes. I'm reading the pool school posts and I got to tell you, as simple as the TFT method is, there is a lot of info I didn't know, things I was bound to screw up on. The plan is to absorb as much as I can and make the mistakes now. I completely agree, I should learn to manage the pool I have now, I just dont want to get in the habit of draining the small pool and then come to rely on that process when I have a 10k gallon pool.
 
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