Lower chlorine level with Sodium Sulfite

[JamesW]

It makes me a bit nervous to add something to my pool that it not sold in pool stores so I want to make sure it won‘t cause any problems.

Just go to the pool store or call a local expert for advice.

Whatever you do is at your own risk based on your own research.

Do not rely on anything I say.

I am just giving my opinion and I am not someone that you have hired to give you professional service.

 

[SJPoe]

1oz of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide will lower 100 gallons of water by about 5PPM.
So in 17000 gallons, you'd need 170 oz to lower it by 5PPM, or roughly 32oz by 1PPM = 1 quart per PPM in your pool - just like JamesW said in his first reply.
If you want to reduce it by 20 PPM, you need 20 quarts. About $20.

Sodium Thiosulfate you would need about 2oz/10,000 gallons/ppm = so 3.5 x 20 = 70 oz, or roughly 4 1/2 pounds, somewhere around $35
I don;t have the dosing for Sodium Sulfite, but it's probably marginally cheaper.

If you are in a hurry, go to the drug store and get some peroxide. Otherwise, go to your pool store and get whatever they want to sell you.

The net result will essentially be the same, but with Peroxide, the byproduct is Oxygen which will off-gas and disappear, and with Sodium Thiosulphate (or sulfite, which is just one less Sulphur ion) is Sodium Sulfate, which as I recall is a laxative.

So, do you want Oxygen or Suprep Colon Blow in your pool ?

At the end of the day, if you only trust the pool store, this site may not be for you

 

[swimmy22]

Just go to the pool store or call a local expert for advice.

Whatever you do is at your own risk based on your own research.

Do not rely on anything I say.

I am just giving my opinion and I am not someone that you have hired to give you professional service.

I’m sorry if you took offense to my statement. I trust your advice over some teenage kid at a pool store. It just made me a bit nervous that I couldn’t find any information about using drug store hydrogen peroxide in a pool or the dosage online anywhere. I’m going to give it a try because it sounds like it would be a cleaner way to lower the chlorine level and easier too since it can be poured into the pool in front of a return. Thanks again for all of your helpful advice

1oz of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide will lower 100 gallons of water by about 5PPM.
So in 17000 gallons, you'd need 170 oz to lower it by 5PPM, or roughly 32oz by 1PPM = 1 quart per PPM in your pool - just like JamesW said in his first reply.
If you want to reduce it by 20 PPM, you need 20 quarts. About $20.

Sodium Thiosulfate you would need about 2oz/10,000 gallons/ppm = so 3.5 x 20 = 70 oz, or roughly 4 1/2 pounds, somewhere around $35
I don;t have the dosing for Sodium Sulfite, but it's probably marginally cheaper.

If you are in a hurry, go to the drug store and get some peroxide. Otherwise, go to your pool store and get whatever they want to sell you.

The net result will essentially be the same, but with Peroxide, the byproduct is Oxygen which will off-gas and disappear, and with Sodium Thiosulphate (or sulfite, which is just one less Sulphur ion) is Sodium Sulfate, which as I recall is a laxative.

So, do you want Oxygen or Suprep Colon Blow in your pool ?

At the end of the day, if you only trust the pool store, this site may not be for you

Thanks for the information! My previous statement was poorly worded because I’m definitely not the type of person who trusts pool store advice. I’m just a bit of a worry wart that likes to see dosages in writing before adding anything to my pool so the information you gave me makes me feel a lot better about adding hydrogen peroxide to my pool. Do you happen to know if hydrogen peroxide tends to lower the chlorine level quickly or if it could take a while before I see the maximum effect with my Taylor chlorine test? If the hydrogen peroxide ends up lowering the PH, how to I increase the PH with baking soda without taking the cover off since it is supposed to be broadcasted around the pool? I can’t tell what the PH level is right now because the FC is so high but it was 7.6 before I added the chlorine last week.

 

[SJPoe]

Do you happen to know if hydrogen peroxide tends to lower the chlorine level quickly or if it could take a while before I see the maximum effect with my Taylor chlorine test?

I do not - however, I would suspect 30 minutes to an hour would be plenty of time to see a reaction. Chemistry doesn't tend to take weeks...

I would be tempted to start with maybe 1/2 of the expected addition, measure after a couple of hours, and then adjust accordingly. Assuming you have until Friday, You could dose #1 today, Dose #2 tomorrow...it won't hurt anything if you overdose, other than needing to add a little more Chlorine back...

If the hydrogen peroxide ends up lowering the PH, how to I increase the PH with baking soda without taking the cover off since it is supposed to be broadcasted around the pool? I can’t tell what the PH level is right now because the FC is so high but it was 7.6 before I added the chlorine last week.

Based on JamesW's post, I suspect it won't make that much of a difference (I'm not a chemist, but JamesW might be!!)- a point or two isn't going to hurt anything. Chances are the 'extra' Liquid Chlorine probably raised your PH more than the Peroxide will lower it.. If you want to tweak your PH without the circulation, mix your baking soda in a bucket and dose a bit at a time at various points around the pool. You can usually get your hand under the cover enough for a cup or small bottle - or just pop one strap off to give you enough slack and pop it back once you're done. Unless your PH is below 7.2 or so, I probably wouldn't even worry about it.