Options for continual Chlorination?

[Go_Bluewater]

All,
I appreciate the help and advice I’ve received here so far. Late last season I got my K-2006 and this season I’ve been doing the TFP method with liquid and everything has been great. Balancing the water has been straightforward and easy with Muriatic Acid, Baking Soda and Borax.

This spring at opening the company said the tablet chlorinator needed to be replaced. They also advised against replacing it with another tablet chlorinator for several reasons. I had them quote a SWG, but due to cost, I held off. I know this is the gold standard of TFP, and with a robot I’d be getting very close to a “trouble free” pool, I had another thought though…

Is there a tank and pump that I could install that would hold a larger supply of liquid chlorine and continually dispense it? So far the liquid method has been surprisingly easy compared to what I thought, but daily additions can be challenging if I’m away on business travel or busy with other things in life. I understand I’d need to test to adjust the rate and I’d also have to add chlorine unlike a SWG where it simply uses the salt in the pool.

Is there an option like this and what are the pros/cons?

(Sorry this is in the newbie section, feel free to move if it is more appropriate somewhere else)

 

[SJPoe]

Stenner liquid chlorine pump - How to choose and install

CHLORINE (LIQUID CHLORINE OR BLEACH) INJECTION SYSTEM Overall comment: if you can use a salt water generator (SWG), you should. Bleach is harder to do. Do you really want to use bleach? Will a SWG (generates bleach in the pool) work for you? If you have a variable speed (VS) pump, then...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Mdragger88]

We have lots of stenner folks- and many who have since converted to swcg’s since liquid chlorine doubled in price.
@PoolStored is one of those individuals & may share some insight

 

[Mdragger88]

Here’s the wiki info

Stenner Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[SJPoe]

Here’s the wiki info

Stenner Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

That was the one I couldn't find

 

[Go_Bluewater]

Stenner liquid chlorine pump - How to choose and install

CHLORINE (LIQUID CHLORINE OR BLEACH) INJECTION SYSTEM Overall comment: if you can use a salt water generator (SWG), you should. Bleach is harder to do. Do you really want to use bleach? Will a SWG (generates bleach in the pool) work for you? If you have a variable speed (VS) pump, then...

www.troublefreepool.com

We have lots of stenner folks- and many who have since converted to swcg’s since liquid chlorine doubled in price.
@PoolStored is one of those individuals & may share some insight

Thank you very much guys! Excellent reading material.

 

[PoolStored]

We have lots of stenner folks- and many who have since converted to swcg’s since liquid chlorine doubled in price.
@PoolStored is one of those individuals & may share some insight

I have one, and it is still installed. I have a SWCG now, which I installed after a season using the Stenner. Keeping the Stenner is nice, because I open early and close late. When the water is too cold for the SWCG, I just use the stenner.

Pros
-It works
-Minimal installation time. You can drill and tap an elbow, or in my case, I put a threaded T to accept the injector/duckbill.
-I used a smart plug and alexa routines. I set them up for 10 minute increments (run 10, run 20, run 30 etc.). Test FC, "Alexa run Pool 30" Chlorine was in!

Cons
-Lugging jugs.
-Cleaning the tank and lines every year, you will get salt buildup
- Replacing the tubes in the pump annually.
-Location...you really want to keep the chlorine cool, so it doesn't degrade. If you have to put it outside in the sun/heat, expect chlorine degradation. I was lucky, I put mine in the garage on the other side of the wall from the pool equipment. Still got 80 in the garage, but degradation was minimal.

It works nice. Comparing the two, I would go SWCG. The stenner setup will set you back at least $600.

My advice is wait a season and save the money until you can afford the SWCG.

YMMV

OH....Go Blue!!!

 

[hexabc]

We have lots of stenner folks- and many who have since converted to swcg’s since liquid chlorine doubled in price.
@PoolStored is one of those individuals & may share some insight

I was one of them:



After 2 seasons I had enough, it was too much effort to hunt for and lug bottles of chlorine to fill the blue barrel. Also, dangerous - always checking this 1/4 inch plastic line injecting chlorine into the return pipe. It shoots chlorine 2 yards into the air if cracked. Yes, it happened to me once.
Switched to a VS pump and SWCG and never looked back.

 

[Go_Bluewater]

I have one, and it is still installed. I have a SWCG now, which I installed after a season using the Stenner. Keeping the Stenner is nice, because I open early and close late. When the water is too cold for the SWCG, I just use the stenner.

Pros
-It works
-Minimal installation time. You can drill and tap an elbow, or in my case, I put a threaded T to accept the injector/duckbill.
-I used a smart plug and alexa routines. I set them up for 10 minute increments (run 10, run 20, run 30 etc.). Test FC, "Alexa run Pool 30" Chlorine was in!

Cons
-Lugging jugs.
-Cleaning the tank and lines every year, you will get salt buildup
- Replacing the tubes in the pump annually.
-Location...you really want to keep the chlorine cool, so it doesn't degrade. If you have to put it outside in the sun/heat, expect chlorine degradation. I was lucky, I put mine in the garage on the other side of the wall from the pool equipment. Still got 80 in the garage, but degradation was minimal.

It works nice. Comparing the two, I would go SWCG. The stenner setup will set you back at least $600.

My advice is wait a season and save the money until you can afford the SWCG.

YMMV

OH....Go Blue!!!

Thanks for the response, it all makes sense. Any drawbacks to the SWG? You mention early open/late close. I’d be ok with liquid to supplement, but what is the temp that it can’t work? Also, I’ve seen that saltwater kills grass on back flushing, I’d have to figure that out.

Regarding the liquid storage, my equipment is in the sun most of the day, so I think with all the downsides I’ll just go for saltwater conversion next season.

Thanks and Go Blue!

 

[PoolStored]

Thanks for the response, it all makes sense. Any drawbacks to the SWG?

You don't have one is the only drawback I can think of...

You mention early open/late close. I’d be ok with liquid to supplement, but what is the temp that it can’t work?

Depends on the cell. Some work down to 50, some stop at 60. Mine works to about 55.

Also, I’ve seen that saltwater kills grass on back flushing, I’d have to figure that out.

Most owners will say pool water has been just fine on their grass. There are at times a few exceptions, extremely arid locations, or perhaps because of the specific type of grass in that spot, but usually it has no negative effects - other than making it grow faster. If you are really concerned about your lawn (as an investment of sorts), i.e. new sod or high-end turf, I suppose you could drain some water in an isolated area a few times just to check.

 

[Newdude]

I’d be ok with liquid to supplement, but what is the temp that it can’t work?

Cold enough that UV loss is slim to none. I've found that it dances on the fence of shutting off for a couple weeks and all you need is one day that the water is just warm enough and the cell produces enough to last the next spell. If by chance it's cool all week, one LC dose will likely last another week.

So yes, you may have to manually dose, but no, it won't be frequent and it's almost a joke in the early/late season.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Salt cells will save you tons of money over liquid chlorine. You have to be in it for the long run to see the benefits down the road but it's more than worth it. You still need balanced water and testing 2-3 times per week to keep on top of it but the work you put in is substantially less than adding chlorine on a regular basis.

 

[SJPoe]

I usually have a couple bottles of LC handy because I use it in the HotTub anyway - so at the very start/end of the season I can usually supplement with that if needed.

Below 55F or so, Algae isn't going to grow particularly quickly anyway - so generally I take my pool up close to SLAM level just before I turn off the heaters, and then just maintain circulation until its below 60 and the guys come to close up/winterize.

 

[reggiehammond]

Salt cells will save you tons of money over liquid chlorine. You have to be in it for the long run to see the benefits down the road but it's more than worth it.

I disagree; I think it's worth it from Day 1. Even if the SWCG was 2-3x cost of lugging jugs, I'd still do it in a heartbeat.
There's a lot more value to not having to worry about daily chlorinating than you're giving it credit for...

 

[Newdude]

I think it's worth it from Day 1. Even if the SWCG was 2-3x cost of lugging jugs, I'd still do it in a heartbeat.

Agreed. The fact that the SWG is 2x to 3x *less* for most is nothing but gravy. I'd pay more tomorrow. Lol.

 

[SJPoe]

I took some convincing - now I wouldn't give up my SWCG for anything.

I just got back from vacation - I spent a week with my Grandson in Florida. In that week, we had 7 inches of rain at the house, two thunderstorms, then 90 degree heat. My wife never checked the pool chemicals once in that week. My Son came and drained about 5 inches of water out of the pool to stop it overflowing.

When I got back and ran tests, I'd lost 1.5ppm FC since I left the week before...which was about 10%. 5 inches of water is about 2000 gallons...or roughly 10% of my pool.

Not sure how much more 'trouble free' it gets really.

 

[pjt]

Muriatic Acid, Baking Soda and Borax

Borax is optional and most likely not needed. If you've abandoned tabs, you should never need baking soda. TA down to 50 is perfectly fine.

I'd highly recommend a SWCG.

 

[Go_Bluewater]

Salt cells will save you tons of money over liquid chlorine. You have to be in it for the long run to see the benefits down the road but it's more than worth it. You still need balanced water and testing 2-3 times per week to keep on top of it but the work you put in is substantially less than adding chlorine on a regular basis.

At this point I’ve balanced and am testing 4 times a week anyway, just having to add chlorine everytime. So a 90% reduction (and worry free time away) are worth it I think.

 

[Go_Bluewater]

Borax is optional and most likely not needed. If you've abandoned tabs, you should never need baking soda. TA down to 50 is perfectly fine.

I'd highly recommend a SWCG.

I just used the items that Pool Math recommended to get it all balanced at the start of the season. We had some big parties with splash out/backflushing and decent rain that I had to adjust a few times as well.

I need only a few pounds of each.