Coming chlorine shortage? - It is Here!

[Katodude]

Ask them who their retailers are, and then call them.

 

[Captchaos]

The shortage caught me here too. I’ve been having trouble buying at Walmart since I last bought some in early June. I use a bottle every two days so I usually buy 15-20 bottles and last year Walmart let you buy online and pick up in store. This year they stopped that but I was still able to get it until now. The local hardware store was always my backup as they were a little more expensive and sometimes out but last week they said they couldn’t get any.

I also went to two different Lowe’s yesterday and they were completely wiped clean. Using bleach is a huge pain because half of it isn’t labeled, it’s weak, expensive, or it’s old stock (or a combination of all of those). $1400 for a SWG is not really in the cards either but my pool will be open at least until late October. My chlorine usage will slow down in late September but we’ve got a long ways to go until then. I have a puck chlorinator but it doesn’t work well at all and that type of chlorine is super expensive. This next couple months could be a real pain.

 

[myrison]

I’ve been completely unable to find liquid chlorine in the Denver area for the last few weeks. Although I haven’t used pucks for a couple of years (since discovering TFP), given my pool distributor only had one bucket of those as well (with their next restock coming at the end of August at the earliest), I broke down and bought the tabs to avoid being caught with nothing at all if the shortage gets worse or goes on for an extended period. Talk about desperate times.

 

[mknauss]

@myrison A number of Ace Hardware stores in the Denver area show 10% liquid chlorine in stock. Home Depot normally carries it but no longer shows inventory.

 

[sbcpool]

Check for a Hasa dealer in your area, there should be a bunch.

My local pool stores are rationing Hasa chlorine. For the past 6 weeks or so it is also significantly weaker than in the past. I'm not sure if that's Hasa's doing or the pool store's. Also, the price is up about 25% over a couple months ago.

 

[sbcpool]

Update. The situation continues to deteriorate in Southern California. I just got back from the local pool store, who did not have any Hasa chlorine. Hasa is no longer able to fulfill their orders. They did have some weaker bleach available at the same price as the Hasa. So, in the space of two months we've gone from 21 cents per ounce of chlorine to 41 cents, and it's hard to come by and being rationed at most stores that have it. My chlorine bill alone will top $100 per month now.

 

[Sunnydaze]

Update. The situation continues to deteriorate in Southern California. I just got back from the local pool store, who did not have any Hasa chlorine. Hasa is no longer able to fulfill their orders. They did have some weaker bleach available at the same price as the Hasa. So, in the space of two months we've gone from 21 cents per ounce of chlorine to 41 cents, and it's hard to come by and being rationed at most stores that have it. My chlorine bill alone will top $100 per month now.

That is odd. In a not-so-far-away market in phoenix, liquid chlorine is plentiful. Walmart, lowes, home depot all have plenty in my area. Walmart hasn't increased prices either...still $3.74 a gallon. Have you tried Walmart?

 

[sbcpool]

Yes. Three Walmarts I have tried are out of bleach and liquid chlorine. One had some chlorine but was limiting it to two gallons per day. Home Depot and Lowe's have removed the ability to see chlorine stock at the store on their web sites.



I'm toying with the idea of making a trek some distance to a place with less swimming pools in the area and trying to make my own hoarding purchase. I suppose that's how we got here, but when everyone else is buying it by the pallet the only thing trying to be responsible is getting me is a headache.

Even Costco is selling 10% bleach for $8.11 per gallon equivalent ($22.99 for 3 121-ounce bottles).

 

[Selenap]

I live in western NC. Pool essentials is in abundance at Walmart $3.74 gallon. Actually most pool chemicals can be found except pucks. I don’t think we have a whole lot of pools in my area. Regular bleach is hit and miss though. I have resorted to using my pool bleach for laundry. As it turns out, 1/4 cup is perfect for a load of whites. Being so rural, I’d say if there are an abundance of pools idk about, people use test strips and probably under chlorinate based off those. Of the pools I have seen, they are seasonal so probably get emptied and refilled if they get yucky anyway. Lowes has big buckets of pucks but they’ve been sitting there so long that the writing on the buckets is faded and they are covered in layers of dirt. Lol

 

[Pv2]

My local pool stores are rationing Hasa chlorine. For the past 6 weeks or so it is also significantly weaker than in the past. I'm not sure if that's Hasa's doing or the pool store's. Also, the price is up about 25% over a couple months ago.

I couldn't get HASA in Tucson a couple weeks ago but other stores had plenty of pool chlorine. Pool store got the refills of HASA back in stock last week, price went up a bit (was already up this year) sent son to pick it up so he didn't get nosy about why it was not available earlier (when he also went for it LOL, wanna live at home you run errands)

 

[myrison]

@myrison A number of Ace Hardware stores in the Denver area show 10% liquid chlorine in stock. Home Depot normally carries it but no longer shows inventory.

Thanks for the tip @mknauss . I’ve never tried Ace and will do so!

edit: I checked and they limit 3 gallons per order. Better than nothing but it basically means I’d have to visit every other day to purchase. Fortunately we can’t swim in the winter in Denver so I only have to limp through another couple of months and hope it’s better next season!