Understanding Liquid Chlorine - household bleach

[6XSBChamps]

If I'm understanding correctly, liquid chlorine for pools is basically household bleach? I understand the purity and need to be fragrance free etc. When my pool was first completed and the SWCG was not running for the first month I was using bleach for a few weeks and it would burn through it daily. So I'd have to pour a gallon in a day. Would that be because there was no stabilizer at the time? I was not measuring CYA at that time but I am now. I hoping for better results with bleach if I stay on top of CYA reading
Edit: my current CYA is 40 which is low for SWCG but I believe is the recommended level for liquid chlorine. Should I keep let it stay there for the winter and worry about raising to 70 when I go back to running the SWCG?
We are reaching temps now where the SWCG is about to be done for the season and I'll be going liquid chlorine next week.

 

[Jimrahbe]

6,

Yes, no or low CYA drastically increases your FC burn rate.

Once your SWCG turns off due to cold water, you will not have to add much Liquid Chlorine, as cold water and the lower sun angle will use less FC per day.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Newdude]

If I'm understanding correctly, liquid chlorine for pools is basically household bleach? I

Check the label. It’s all Sodium Hyperchlorite and the household bleaches will be less %. And usually with additives.

So I'd have to pour a gallon in a day. Would that be because there was no stabilizer at the time? I was not measuring CYA at that time but I am now

It could have been the lack of CYA, the weaker bleach, or both. The weaker bleaches are fine if that’s all you can find, you just need more of them.

If your CYA is now in target range for SWG, you’ll hold whatever you manually dose very well when the time comes with much less daily demand. By the time the SWG shuts off, daily testing usually becomes weekly testing and then even monthly. Let your tests decide the frequency.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

The winter use of FC will be a lot lower with the sun off the pool directly, and the cold water.

 

[Mdragger88]

1 gallon of household 6% bleach will raise your fc approximately 3.4ppm. Average daily fc loss in most residential pools is 2-4 ppm so you were still within normal limits even with high uv & low cya. Your winter consumption will probably be quite lower.
Be sure to put the correct bleach strength % in PoolMath when dosing. & Follow the manually chlorinated side of the FC/CYA Levels while the swg is off.

 

[6XSBChamps]

1 gallon of household 6% bleach will raise your fc approximately 3.4ppm. Average daily fc loss in most residential pools is 2-4 ppm so you were still within normal limits even with high uv & low cya. Your winter consumption will probably be quite lower.
Be sure to put the correct bleach strength % in PoolMath when dosing. & Follow the manually chlorinated side of the FC/CYA Levels while the swg is off.

Thanks. Where on earth are we finding the data on the bleach such as % and ingredients to make sure there are no additives? I stood in the aisle for 30 mins reading every word on the Clorox bottle and couldn't find anything.

 

[Newdude]

Unfortunately they are all listed as ‘other ingredients’ on the label usually. So you have to look for buzzwords like splashless, scented, somethin-somethin technology, etc. plain old fashioned bleach is getting harder to find.

Lucky for you in TX, the pool aisle in HD/Lowe’s/Walmart is probably stocked most of the year. You can probably time it right and stock up before they shift to your 9 day ‘winter’ season. If not, try the dollar stores. It will be lower %, but the price is right.

 

[Jimrahbe]

6,

If it is not listed on the label, you don't want it.. Look in the lower right of this pic.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks. Where on earth are we finding the data on the bleach such as % and ingredients to make sure there are no additives? I stood in the aisle for 30 mins reading every word on the Clorox bottle and couldn't find anything.

Clorox has cloromax which is a polymer additive & is not recommended.
Its on the label.
The % of sodium hypochlorite is also listed on the label. Generally in the same spot & font on most bottles.

If it’s not listed it’s likely around 3% (some dollar store versions are like this). It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find unadulterated household bleach.
Best to find “chlorinating liquid” or “liquid pool shock” which is just unadulterated bleach for pools - usually 10-12% .

 

[phonedave]

Thanks. Where on earth are we finding the data on the bleach such as % and ingredients to make sure there are no additives? I stood in the aisle for 30 mins reading every word on the Clorox bottle and couldn't find anything.

In addition to the listed strength, keep in mind the strength of bleach degrades over time, at a rate that depends on the storage conditions. (heat and sun degrade it faster)

There are ways to read the date codes on the bottle to determine how old the bleach you are buying is. For now though, just remember that the strength that is on the label is not 100% accurate, and that bleach at places like dollar stores, or covered in dust in the back of some small store somewhere may be weaker than listed.