Using common bleach only

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pakalrtb

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Sep 25, 2010
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Roatan - Bay Islands
Great Forum, I've been a pool owner for 2 years, and only now I feel like I am really learning about pools. I carefully read ALL the sections of the pool school and I diligently put an order of a TF-100 XL test kit so I can finally test my water the right way. The only problem is that I live in the middle of the ocean and I cannot expect to have my kit , not before a good 20 days. In the meanwhile I'd like to try to get rid of a huge algae problem found when I returned from a 2 week long vacation ( yeah my gardener did not really do what I instructed him ..... :hammer: ).
Because I currently have NO way of accurately check FC CC CYA or any other value (all I have now is some strips) , can I just brute force shock my pool with regular bleach ? I do not mind overspending for a few more gallons of bleach. I have a 10,000 glns plaster pool. I can approximately say that my FC is 8, I really do not know my CC, and have no reading on the CYA. PH is OK ( according to the strip), and so is the alkalinity. I've been using ( although I cannot be sure because my pool store delivers its product unbranded ) triclor tablets, thus CYA may be sky high. I am planning to pour 4 gallons of bleach 6% , and add an extra gallon each 2 hours for the first 24 hour. Then a gallon each 4 hour for the next following 24 hour.
Please tell me that I am totally insane , and stop me from doing it :-D :-D .
I really do not want to wait 20 days for my kit to arrive and I hate to see my pool in that green state.

Pakal

EDIT : I live in the caribbean , lots of sun .......... not good for clorine :eek:
 
Chlorine is a consumable, so you can't really overdose a pool (within reason!). I would suggest that you maybe refrain from swimming in it while you are shocking though, just to be safe!

You are obviously guessing at this point on where you are for FC levels, but it seems that you are on as close of a path as you can take without your test kit. I say go for it!
 
Bleach decays with time and temperature. Your location may be hard to get fresh bleach. Consider testing bleach for true strength. I forget what volumes to use, maybe someone can help with that.
 
chem geek said:
1/4 teaspoon of 6% bleach in 2 gallons should be 10.0 ppm FC. One needs to make sure the bucket or container is very clean. If the FC+CC=Total Chlorine (TC) is 10 ppm, then that's perhaps a better measurement to use for checking.
Click to expand...

Thanks.....Adding that to my Pool Book for future reference.
 
Hmm, I did the 1/4 tsp test in 2 gallons of water to find out that the reading ( although it's a strip ) of FC is 3 ppm for the bleach that I am using. Since there is NO % quantity written on the label of the bleach gallon and it's a US product , should I suppose that it's a nominal 5% bleach ?
It's hard to conclude anything when you do not have a good test kit. But the water of my pool is still green after 24 hours of continuous filtering and cloudy to the point that I cannot see the bottom. I've brushed the entire pool surface so I could scrub off any hidden algae; but I was expecting a little clearer view today :cry: .
The strip reading shows a FC value of 10 or more , same for the TC. PH is 7.5 , ALK is 40
That's a picture of my sad pool, on a sad rainy day in my beautiful island :cry:, that I took a minute ago.

I would drain the whole thing in a heartbeat if I did not have to pay 3 cents a gallon :shock: for the water.
 

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pakalrtb said:
Hmm, I did the 1/4 tsp test in 2 gallons of water to find out that the reading ( although it's a strip ) of FC is 3 ppm for the bleach that I am using. Since there is NO % quantity written on the label of the bleach gallon and it's a US product , should I suppose that it's a nominal 5% bleach ?
Click to expand...
Assuming the test strip reading is correct (and that's a big assumption to make), your bleach would seem to be 6%*(3/10) = 1.8% so around 2% in strength which is quite low. That's probably why it's not marked -- such bleach is often only 3% or less. In other words, it's pretty darn weak bleach. You not only have to use a lot more, but you'll likely have a higher pH rise over time by using it since it probably has more "excess lye" in it relative to the amount of chlorine compared to regular 6% bleach (especially Clorox Regular in the U.S. or Clorox Ultra in Canada).

That's a beautiful pool in a gorgeous setting!
 
Does Clorox in the US have the % in the label ? I do not think so. Anyhow, thank for your replies, very very helpful, I am learning more every day. Can I ask more ? As you may see from the pic, the pool is sorrounded by a wooden deck, but everything else is grass. My kids regularly jump into the pool running from the grass, thus lots and lots of grass is regularly "added" to the pool. Could that also be the reason of the green color overtime? Can the color be adjusted with just a regular shock ?
P_
 

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Yes Clorox (and many others) have the % of sodium hypochlorite right on the label. The Walmart Great Value brand that I buy has the % listed on the label. I've even seen some 3% bleaches with the % listed on the label.
 
Hmmm, strange, very strange. I can swear that the clorox I saw in the supermarket did not have any ingredients on the label. Either it was a fake clorox (i doubt), or clorox has different labels for export market (and I still doubt, because most of the products we buy here come straight from usa wholesalers, like costco). Too bad I am leaving tomorrow for the usa and won't be able to check about the clorox in another store.
Going to the usa to get my test kit.
 
Yahoooooo, my test kit has arrived !!!! As expected my CYA was sky high at 180. Considering that, where I live, I have no other way to lower my CYA but replacing water , I went the hard way and completely drained the pool. Back to square ONE but this time I have all the tools to keep my pool sparkling blue foreveeeeeeeeeeer.
Thanks TFP , my new journey just began ................ from now on BBB.
P_
 
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