Stenner liquid chlorine pump - How to choose and install

[Stenner Tech Support]

I have been very satisfied with my Stenner pump. Steve helped me tremendously when I put in the pool, and told me what to get a year or so ago, and it has worked very well. My only complaint is hauling all that bleach up to my ranch every 2 weeks. And of course, all those gallon empties... disposing of them. Feeling a bit badly about all those plastic jugs, I'm going to change. So I'm going to install an SWG this next spring. Since I'm off the grid, I wish they made a DC direct SWG. I understand that they are DC, but they all are AC in, then using an inverter to make the DC. With Solar panels so cheap now, I'd prefer just to put a dedicated solar panel to supply the power for the SWG. If the sun is not out, then no SWG, but so what? Oh well. I'll go from my inverters to supply the AC.

We are glad you are satisfied with our pump.

 

[Steve_in_C]

I've just ordered a Stenner and am getting ready to set up after reading all the info on best practices here and on some of the other threads - it really is fantastic information and very helpful. Thank you all.

Curious on your Walmart bleach source. A few questions - how do you order 50 gallons from Walmart? Do you have it delivered, pick up or buy in store? At $1.77, that's a really good price. My Walmart source is $3.30 per gallon for 10%. But I hear you on the much longer 1/2 life benefit.

Does the Walmart bleach come in 1 gallon jugs that you then must transfer to another tank? Is that a hassle and if so, how do you deal with splash and pour risk, disposal of 50 jugs. Curious on how you work the transfer and disposal.

Needing advice on this decision also - I have access to a pool store about 2 miles away that will deliver a 15 gallon carboy of 12.5% liquid chlorine for $60 ($4 per gallon) - positive here is the delivery aspect where they will take back the prior drum, and place the new one where the old one sits - a nice convenience factor. I'm ok with the higher price given the convenience factor. But the half life issue is not sitting well with me, especially in my June- Aug heavy heat months, which will affect the dosing as potency degrades. With your experience, what do you think about this tradeoff or other issues I haven't thought of.

Walmart would not order bleach for me this year due to COVID. I have bought bleach from NC ’s #1 Landa Pressure Washer Dealer | MVP Services in Raleigh. Prices are on the website. $129/55 gallons (products: cleaning chemicals - scroll to bottom). However this requires a pickup truck. I go to Raleigh often enough that it's not a special trip for me. I updated the top post about buying bleach in barrels. For me, it's just once a year. However you may have a larger pool and more demand. Call them, they deliver to some areas and possibly might deliver the bleach to you in Chapel Hill.

 

[JAb1]

Where is everyone buying their stenner pumps from these days? Prices look all over the map.

 

[Paulk]

Jab1, I don't know what the best source is. EBAY certainly has them, and I've bought new tubes for the Stenner there, no problem. I bought mine WITH the 30 gallon tank. I HIGHLY recommend getting a tank with it, and 30 is as small as I'd recommend. I'm probably going to switch to an SWG this year, the only real reason is I didn't love hauling all those plastic bottles back and forth from my ranch. Otherwise, have to say the Stenner performed perfectly well. Steve from NC, (above) gave me a lot of help and advice. I bought the stenner where he advised me to buy it.

 

[Steve_in_C]

Where is everyone buying their stenner pumps from these days? Prices look all over the map.

Here is a tank and pump combo for $538. They have gone up quite a bit.

Stenner Pumps Tank System | Single Head Adjustable Output Peristaltic Pump | 30 Gallon White Tank | 50GPD 120V | S3N45MJL5A1STAA

Pool Supply Unlimited has some of the best prices when shopping for Stenner Pumps Tank System | Single Head Adjustable Output Peristaltic Pump | 30 Gallon White Tank | 50GPD 120V | S3N45MJL5A1STAA

www.poolsupplyunlimited.com

However, make sure you aren't able to use a SWG. That is an easier option.

And, you might check on a source of bleach in your area.

 

[JAb1]

Here is a tank and pump combo for $538. They have gone up quite a bit.

Stenner Pumps Tank System | Single Head Fixed Output Peristaltic Pump | 30 Gallon White Tank | 35GPD 220V | S3N45MFL4B1SUAA

Pool Supply Unlimited has some of the best prices when shopping for Stenner Pumps Tank System | Single Head Fixed Output Peristaltic Pump | 30 Gallon White Tank | 35GPD 220V | S3N45MFL4B1SUAA

www.poolsupplyunlimited.com

However, make sure you aren't able to use a SWG. That is an easier option.

And, you might check on a source of bleach in your area.

is that the consensus now, going SWG? I like my chlorine pool and dont know if i want to go salt. I hear great things about it but i also hear of massive corrosion on metal around the patio. And living in South LA where everything stays wet, IDK if i want to add salt into that mix.

Right now I buy 10% chlorine from pinch a penny for a decent price. but if i get one of these i will either bring up to them on buying bulk or finding a bulk supplier for a 30 gall tank.

 

[RonsPlc]

I went with the Stenner, and as I am seeing the price of the SWCGs going up, I am convinced that I made the right choice. But I buy my bleach 55 gallons at a time.

 

[Steve_in_C]

55 gallon drums of bleach are usually 12+% chlorine which is unstable. You may need to dilute it. I use county water (pH adjusted) to dilute mine 1:1 by volume. That gives me 6-7.5% bleach. At total of 110 gallons for $129.

 

[RonsPlc]

This makes my 6th year doing this, I think I have a handle on it.
My 55 gallon drum is buried beside the pool... keeps it cool, and out of direct sunlight.
My bleach at the opening of each season is the same drum from last season, and is still plenty strong for a month or 2 until I run out and have to purchase a new one.

 

[JAb1]

Well im in a big city, so i should be able to source bulk chlorine, but what types of business sell it? Has anyone looking in to the cost difference of mixing their own via powder?

 

[HermanTX]

Well im in a big city, so i should be able to source bulk chlorine, but what types of business sell it? Has anyone looking in to the cost difference of mixing their own via powder?

In Houston there is a big distributor called NAPCO that sells to the public. There are several others in Houston as well but will not sell to public - only to pool stores or pool service companies. You will just need to search in your area - are you in New Orleans, Baton Rouge?

 

[Steve_in_C]

Well im in a big city, so i should be able to source bulk chlorine, but what types of business sell it? Has anyone looking in to the cost difference of mixing their own via powder?

You can't mix sodium hypochlorite from powder. There is a stability problem. The solid forms of chlorinating compounds have something else in them, usually a cyanuric acid derivative. Look at this Wikipedia article:

Sodium hypochlorite - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"The anhydrous compound is unstable and may decompose explosively."

You can get Lithium hypochlorite in solid form. It just costs too much to use.

Look for pressure washer supply houses. They often sell bulk bleach. But be sure to get the no soap versions. Most of the bulk chlorine is 12% or higher and isn't stable for very long. I dilute mine to give it a longer shelf life. Mine degraded about 0.5% since last Fall.

 

[Steve_in_C]

is that the consensus now, going SWG? I like my chlorine pool and dont know if i want to go salt. I hear great things about it but i also hear of massive corrosion on metal around the patio. And living in South LA where everything stays wet, IDK if i want to add salt into that mix.

Right now I buy 10% chlorine from pinch a penny for a decent price. but if i get one of these i will either bring up to them on buying bulk or finding a bulk supplier for a 30 gall tank.

The above link is WRONG. It's for the 220V version.

Here is the corrected link.

Stenner Pumps Tank System | Single Head Adjustable Output Peristaltic Pump | 30 Gallon White Tank | 50GPD 120V | S3N45MJL5A1STAA

Pool Supply Unlimited has some of the best prices when shopping for Stenner Pumps Tank System | Single Head Adjustable Output Peristaltic Pump | 30 Gallon White Tank | 50GPD 120V | S3N45MJL5A1STAA

www.poolsupplyunlimited.com

 

[Steve_in_C]

is that the consensus now, going SWG? I like my chlorine pool and dont know if i want to go salt. I hear great things about it but i also hear of massive corrosion on metal around the patio. And living in South LA where everything stays wet, IDK if i want to add salt into that mix.

Right now I buy 10% chlorine from pinch a penny for a decent price. but if i get one of these i will either bring up to them on buying bulk

is that the consensus now, going SWG?
No. I like the automated bleach injection. I just get a lot of complaints about hauling bleach. The system is good. It's all about how you handle the bleach. And the availability where you live.

 

[Steve_in_C]

Steve,
What you're saying about SWCG/chlorine is really all the same. A chlorine pool just means you're adding chlorine and not the salt method but in reality there's going to be salt in the water regardless of how you chlorinate. If you have water which is several years old and always use LC you may have a very high salinity level that way too. Your comment about the metal side of your pool may not be different if you used SWCG.

I get 50-60" or more of rain each year. Since my pool is shallow and 48" deep, my pool gets more rainfall each year than it's entire volume. This helps with the salt build up from adding bleach. And would make it a real pain if I had a salt water pool. I'd have a lot of salt water to put somewhere and a lot of new salt to buy. Now I have total salts of about 1000. Over the long run it does not appear to be rising. I have never done a purposeful water change. But I turn water out of the pool all of the time after heavy rains. It's really rare for me to add any water due to evaporation losses.

 

[Steve_in_C]

I've just ordered a Stenner and am getting ready to set up after reading all the info on best practices here and on some of the other threads - it really is fantastic information and very helpful. Thank you all.

Curious on your Walmart bleach source. A few questions - how do you order 50 gallons from Walmart? Do you have it delivered, pick up or buy in store? At $1.77, that's a really good price. My Walmart source is $3.30 per gallon for 10%. But I hear you on the much longer 1/2 life benefit.

Does the Walmart bleach come in 1 gallon jugs that you then must transfer to another tank? Is that a hassle and if so, how do you deal with splash and pour risk, disposal of 50 jugs. Curious on how you work the transfer and disposal.

Needing advice on this decision also - I have access to a pool store about 2 miles away that will deliver a 15 gallon carboy of 12.5% liquid chlorine for $60 ($4 per gallon) - positive here is the delivery aspect where they will take back the prior drum, and place the new one where the old one sits - a nice convenience factor. I'm ok with the higher price given the convenience factor. But the half life issue is not sitting well with me, especially in my June- Aug heavy heat months, which will affect the dosing as potency degrades. With your experience, what do you think about this tradeoff or other issues I haven't thought of.

I just saw this message. Looks like I never answered it. If you have a pool store that will deliver the bleach to you. I'd do it! That takes the work out of it. I dilute my bleach. But many do not. If you get fresh bleach on a regular basis, you may be fine without diluting. BTW, most of the bulk bleach around here is made in Charlotte and delivered weekly. $4/gallon for 12.5% bleach delivered is not bad at all.

If you want to dilute, get another container and use a barrel pump to move the bleach from one container to the other. Then you just add water. I just do this once a year. But I also use a barrel pump to transfer from a carboy to my Stenner tank. Lifting and pouring = spills.

 

[JAb1]

talked with my local pinch a penny, they sell bulk chlorine at 1.99 a gallon, minimum 10 or 15 gallons i cant remember. Im going to go this route, but it is going to have to wait. my pump motor went out on monday. It was 10 years old and our power company is giving $300 rebate for buying VS pumps, plus with a 15% off in store special and Pentair giving 100$ rebate, i ended up buying a new pump. Im going to strip apart the old motor in my spare time and replace the bearings. i believe thats what failed and caused the problem. And i should be able to reinstall this pump if i move and take my new pump with me.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I'm still buying my bleach from the local hardware store. $3.25/ gallon and they keep some 4 gal cases ready for me. 12.5%. Not the best price but definitely not the worst, and I like supporting the business!

A few locals have caught on to it being a source for household and cleaning bleach, so they have enough demand for it he now keeps it in stock year round, so I was able to keep getting it through the winter.

 

[jfdub]

Hi, lots of great info here and helping me feel more confident about doing this myself. I've read through all 10 pages here and hoping you can help with my install. I need to add ~40 oz of bleach every day into my inground pool. I want to run the pump on an outdoor timer with a 30 gallon tank. I see on a lot of installs people cut their PVC and add an injection coupler of some kind but have also seen where people say they simply drill into their PVC and use a threaded insert of some kind. I'd rather not, but am willing to if necessary cut my PVC and install a coupler - which is better/easier/safer to do? Also, what model Stenner would you recommend for my ~40 oz of bleach and I'm assuming ~15 oz of MA every day (I have a constant waterfall which raises PH quite a bit).

I'm thinking of adding the bleach to the chlorinator line my PB added (the pucks are supposed to be placed in a container by the pool that this line feeds with water). Good/bad idea? Also, my pool equipment is ~8 feet below my pool with a ~20 foot run. Does that make any difference?

Thanks for any suggestions - I really need to get this done before I leave for a 2 week trip in about 6 weeks. Thanks!

 

[Iam1964]

I’ve been using the Stenner for about 18 months now and I directly connect the stenner feed line directly into the Chlorinator with no problems.