Experience with "Pool Essentials" 10% chlorinating liquid?

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bedelliott

bedelliott

0
Jun 13, 2017
101
Austin, TX
I'm curious if anyone else has suspected/experienced this... I buy this product from Walmart & Lowe's and always make sure the mfg date is recent, but even so, I've noticed that some product is more yellow in color than other, I've also noticed that sometimes a gallon doesn't increase the FC in my pool like it should, sometimes by 50% (I add the gallon, wait 1-2 hours while the pump runs, then test). I'm suspecting that the less yellow product maybe has been stored in the heat and/or sun and has lost much of its sodium hypochlorite - does anyone know if this is possible given they come in white (but plastic) bottles? Can heat affect these bottles or only direct sun? I wish I had an easy way to test the concentration of one of my bottles, but looking online it looks to be not so simple. Any thoughts would be great, thank you!
 
bedelliott said:
I wish I had an easy way to test the concentration of one of my bottles
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For the trouble you'd go through, it would only let you know that bottled strength. The one next to it on the pallet could have been shielded and different. Once it's open to test it, you can't return it.

Dump it in the pool and test after it has 15 mins to circulate. If you need a skootch more from weak juice, then there's youre answer and add more. :)
 
Newdude said:
For the trouble you'd go through, it would only let you know that bottled strength. The one next to it on the pallet could have been shielded and different. Once it's open to test it, you can't return it.

Dump it in the pool and test after it has 15 mins to circulate. If you need a skootch more from weak juice, then there's youre answer and add more. :)
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They are returnable, Lowe's is great about that, and since they're packaged together (a box holds 6) if 1 is bad likely the others are, and since I buy 20-30 at a time, it adds up, esp given they're $5-6 each now. The only problem is that they get hard to find in the fall, the other problem being it'd be nice not to have to test an hour after I add each bottle, it'd be nice to be able to trust them. Regardless of all that, the question I asked was about the color & others experience with their effectiveness...
 
To answer your question,
I do think the color is a helpful indicator of potency especially given that as it degrades it basically becomes salt water. But that is mostly my anecdotal experience & I haven’t really tested my theory too much. I don’t generally dose bleach all that exactly & often put a scootch more in than what is called for since my dosing is mostly supplemental to my swg’s. I am not trying to ride the minimum line so it doesn’t really make that much difference usually.
I would assume that each bottle from the same case would yield you similar results as they are likely from the same batch & have lived the same life. If I notice my current bottle looks more clear I may follow up with a test to see where I landed. I usually buy the bulk of my liquid chlorine - around opening time (march/April) to get me through opening & the pool season & around closing time (oct) to get me through closing & through the winter with my hot tub. For this reason I just add a little extra when I know it’s “aged”. I’d rather have reduced potency chlorine than none at all.
 
bedelliott said:
since they're packaged together (a box holds 6) if 1 is bad likely the others are, and since I buy 20-30 at a time, i
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OK, thats a huge piece of the puzzle that was missing. :)

Just an FYI, you don't need to wait 1-2 hours to test. 15 mins if mixing is plenty. 2 hours is fine if you're busy with something else 15 mins later, but not needed.
 
Elliott,

I have noticed that chlorine from Lowes and from a pool store where I buy HASS chlorine seem to be a lot weaker than they were a couple of years ago. They still say 10% or 12% but that is not how they react when used in a pool.

I have not noticed a color issue, but the smell is not as 'strong'.. Not sure that even means anything.

Not really sure why, and since I have a SWCG and mainly use Liquid Chlorine during the winter, it has not been something that I have been focused on.

I did mention it to my HASS supplier, and he said a number of people have told him the same thing.

Seems to me that there is a thread on TFP that outlines how to test the percent of chlorine in a gallon jug somewhere.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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