So... there is no bleach in this town. Should I use pucks for a while...?

Strawberryshortcake

Bronze Supporter
Apr 22, 2019
422
Hot Springs, Ar
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool Core-55
I'm not in dire need yet, with the temperature still cold my pool is only needing bleach every few weeks.
However, it's warming up, and there simply isn't any bleach due to the virus. Every store is wiped out, and to be honest, I am not going to keep going back in the next few weeks as this evolves to check for more stock because of course I don't want to catch it either! As someone with health problems, I am pretty concerned, but I really don't want my pool to go swamp mode after everything we did :(

My pool currently has 0 CYA. Is anyone else looking at using pucks in the meantime? Or is it just my little town that has had a run on bleach? How long could I get away with using them?
 
I was in Wal Mart last week. Not a bottle of bleach anywhere, but the shelf was chock full of Pool Essentials liquid chlorine. Not sure if the world has caught on by now or not. I havent been back since then.
3.64 a gallon.

Other resources are Home Depot and Lowes, at least where I live, they both carry it in the pool section behind the trees and flowers.
Some pool supply stores carry it and others dont, so thats a possible source of you too.
 
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Home Depot sells liquid chlorine for pools but beware that around here, it's always stored outside in lawn/garden where there is so much temperature fluctuation that any benefit of getting the higher percentage bleach is negated. It's usually also much older and will have lost 50% of its potency too.

I was in Walmart two days ago and the pool section was full of the Pool Essential's stuff with a julian date of the 347th day of 2019. I bought 18 gallons myself and there was still at least 200 left if not more. Luckily, hoarders of supplies aren't the smartest bunch and haven't figured out what it really is since it says Pool Essentials instead of Clorox.
 
Sounds like a good excuse to install a SWG!!

Where I am, stores are out of bleach, but most of the time they have full stocks of "pool chlorine", at least until non-pool people figure out it's the same thing as bleach. But probably a lot of regions don't sell pool chlorine in grocery stores like they do here...

I've found the chlorine at Lowe's to work just fine, and they store it outdoors and it gets very hot where I live.
 
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Also, you can try commercial chlorine suppliers. At my work we buy 330 gal. totes of 12% from a company called Brenntag Pacific. They are located all over the country. I think they sell smaller containers, but I'm not sure how small. Drums maybe?
 
SWG is on my list of upgrades... eventually! ? I can’t afford it right now but man do I hate lugging bleach around.

I don’t have a home depot and my local lowe’s has pool chlorine that is always a year or more out of date ?and they store it outside. Pool chlorine was gone at my walmarts. No home depot nearby. (yay small town).

Still no bleach.

Probably going to get some pucks in the meantime...
 

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We do have an atwoods. Last time I called, they were out too - but that is typically where I get my bleach!

@kimkats could I ask what brand of pucks you're using? There seem to be a lot out there and I'm not sure what to buy!
 
I would not recommend buying that many. Home Depot and Lowe’s carry smaller amounts.
You need a floating dispenser. Also available at Home Depot or Walmart.
 
They have the 10% at Lowes but I drove by and the parking lot was mobbed so I kept driving. I'd rather have a green pool than be green in the gills myself.

Why is everybody at Lowes today? Lowes is still open LET'S GO THERE.
 

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