How can i test the % of liquid chlorine?

[ste]

I bought liquid chlorine at 12% from the poolstore but seems like is only at 6%
i usually add 1liter of liquid chlorine at 12% in my pool to raise FC level from 0 ppm to 6 ppm with CYA 50-60
but the last bucket i got adding 1 liter FC level raise from 0 ppm to 3 ppm ,


is there a test i can do to see if the chlorine i bought is really at 12% or the poolstore just cheated and dilute it with water?

 

[JoeSelf]

It might be old. Chlorine degrades with time. Check out the date code on the side of the bottle.

 

[ajw22]

There is no easy way. You can try and measure and mix a chlorine solution in a 5 gallon bucket and test it but your margin of error is so high it is unlikely to be conclusive.

Are there date codes for when it was manufactured? Chlorine Date Code Decoder - Further Reading

The chlorine potency depends on its age and conditions under which it was stored.

Breakdown of Bleach Over Time by Storage Temp - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Taylor sells the K-1579 test kit for measuring bleach concentrations in % value. It's marketed to the industrial cleaning industry to be used to test the effectiveness of bleach stored in large volume tanks. A pool owner could use it just as easily but being something one would use very infrequently, it may not be worth the cost.

 

[ste]

manufactured on 26 feb 2020

 

[ajw22]

manufactured on 26 feb 2020

See the Breakdown link above. 3 month old 12% stored around 85F could become 7%.

About half strength in 3 months that you saw is about right.

 

[ste]

Bingo!
First of all here in Costarica the last 3 months temperature was always over 90 F
so what can i say to the store that sold me the chlorine? i'm in the jungle and there is only this new little poolstore so no other option to get liquid chlorine ....so i can't ask the money back....maybe a discount?

 

[mknauss]

Educate them on what happens to sodium hypochlorite over time at elevated temperatures. Do they have a climate controlled room they can store it in?

 

[ajw22]

I think as the store owner he is stocking the chlorine so it is available when you walk in. You have the choice of paying for old stock or no stock. It probably takes him time to get deliveries of chlorine.

Best you can do is ask for the freshest stock he has and suggest he store it in a cool area.

 

[ste]

they sent me a picture of the big barrell and seem like it is stored outside under the SUN !!!!!

Educate them on what happens to sodium hypochlorite over time at elevated temperatures. Do they have a climate controlled room they can store it in?

Ok i will ,they sent me a picture where they store the bigger plastic barrell and seems like is outside under THE SUN !!! No comment !!!!
we talked yesterday about my FC level problem , slam with the solar pump etc etc , well i think my problem is BAD CHLORINE ......i'll ask a discount becouse i can't go anywhere else to buy liquid chlorine here in the jungle .....
thank you and best regards .