Using Ajax as stabilizer?

[everthustodeadbeats]

I noticed that my regular cleaning product Ajax with Bleach contains trichloroisocyanuric acid as one of the ingredients, and I was like, Hey, that's the same stuff that's in my stabilized chlorine and they sell it at the dollar store for 28oz! Can I just poor it in my pool? Will the other ingredients mess up my pool chemistry? I'm thinking about getting rid of my floating chlorine tablets and just using powder shock (sodium hypochlorite) this season, so I will need a separate source of cyanuric acid.

Curious what the chem wizards here at TFP think.

Full ingredients of Ajax with Bleach:

1. Calcium carbonate
2. Sodium carbonate
3. Sodium dodecylbenzensulfonate
4. Trichloroisocyanuric acid
5. Fragrance
6. Pigment Blue 15

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If you want foamy water with higher pH and a funny smell … sure, go for it.

The amount of free chlorine in Ajax scrubbing powder is tiny compared to a standard pool trichlor tab. All the other ingredients are essentially soap and pH increaser. It will make a mess of your pool.

There is no such thing as powdered sodium hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in liquid bleach and liquid chlorine for pools. It can not be made into a solid form. All other forms of solid chlorine are either calcium hypochlorite (raises CH) or chlorinated cyanurates (raises CYA).

Thanks for checking first.

 

[everthustodeadbeats]

I'm sorry, you're right, I meant calcium hypochlorite for shock!

Anyway, thanks for the info!

 

[Lake Placid]

I'm sorry, you're right, I meant calcium hypochlorite for shock!

Anyway, thanks for the info!

Cal hypo brings increased calcium hardness as a side effect. You’ll need monitor it closely and over time manage your hardness through draining/dilution.

 

[sgoosman]

I noticed that my regular cleaning product Ajax with Bleach contains trichloroisocyanuric acid as one of the ingredients, and I was like, Hey, that's the same stuff that's in my stabilized chlorine and they sell it at the dollar store for 28oz! Can I just poor it in my pool? Will the other ingredients mess up my pool chemistry? I'm thinking about getting rid of my floating chlorine tablets and just using powder shock (sodium hypochlorite) this season, so I will need a separate source of cyanuric acid.

Curious what the chem wizards here at TFP think.

Full ingredients of Ajax with Bleach:

1. Calcium carbonate
2. Sodium carbonate
3. Sodium dodecylbenzensulfonate
4. Trichloroisocyanuric acid
5. Fragrance
6. Pigment Blue 15

I'd guess it's unlikely to be effective or cost effective.

Colgate publishes their SDS which gives and idea of the ingredients in the product. They have not updated the SDS in 4 years and suspect they are trying to obfiscate the active ingredeints in the product but calcium and sodium carbonate make up 95&+ of whats in the container. Pigments and frangrances are likely less than 0.2% and the "soap" or surfactant is between 1-5%. This means the bleach component is likely less than 1% and as most 3.8%.

Formula in SDS:


In that 28oz (1.75 lbs), you have 0.0175 lbs to 0.0665 lbs Triclor. This would indicate at best your paying $15/lbs of active desired ingredient, which could easily be $57+ depending on actual concetration. Looking at 99% trichlor at leslies pools, a 50 lbs bucket is $280 or $5.6/lbs. Not to mention all the calcium, sodium, soap and frangrance you'd add. I'd stick with the pure chemical as it's more cost effective and side effects are far less.