Types of chlorine. Why trichlor and dichlor?

[cj133]

Ok so I know very little on this subject.
All I've used is bleach / liquid chlorine and cal-hypo and I've never touched a tablet but I'm curious, and a friend keeps asking me. I of course add granulated CYA when I need to, but that's actually pretty rare.

Why are all pucks / tablets stabilized? I did a quick search and that's all I found in that form.
Why doesn't anyone compress cal-hypo into pucks and sell those for people who want to use tablets? Or do they?

I understand with some water conditions etc cal-hypo can become a problem from calcium, but it seems like under many conditions it's a far better option than adding CYA with every dose of chlorine.


Since you can't actually use tablets as your normal chlorine routine (Or can you?) what is the reason they exist in the first place? Why not simply sell CYA as one product, and liquid chlorine and cal hypo and that's what you have to work with? Why are tablets even an option to begin with since they seem to just add confusion and with no real reason?

I'm assuming there's a whole lot I'm missing, and I look forward to learning.

 

[JRzMom]

Ok so I know very little on this subject.
All I've used is bleach / liquid chlorine and cal-hypo and I've never touched a tablet but I'm curious, and a friend keeps asking me. I of course add granulated CYA when I need to, but that's actually pretty rare.

Why are all pucks / tablets stabilized? I did a quick search and that's all I found in that form.
Why doesn't anyone compress cal-hypo into pucks and sell those for people who want to use tablets? Or do they?

I understand with some water conditions etc cal-hypo can become a problem from calcium, but it seems like under many conditions it's a far better option than adding CYA with every dose of chlorine.


Since you can't actually use tablets as your normal chlorine routine (Or can you?) what is the reason they exist in the first place? Why not simply sell CYA as one product, and liquid chlorine and cal hypo and that's what you have to work with? Why are tablets even an option to begin with since they seem to just add confusion and with no real reason?

I'm assuming there's a whole lot I'm missing, and I look forward to learning.

I'm following this thread. I'm looking for pucks without stabilizer myself. I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks and do not trust my husband to add chlorine, let alone test for it. If I can't find any, I'll have to enlist my son to come over every other day. I do not want to have to go through another SLAM upon my return!

 

[JamesW]

https://intheswim.com/p/endurance-3-inch-calcium-hypochlorite-tabs-25-lbs./540030.html

 

[JamesW]

CCH Endurance 3 Inch Calcium Hypochlorite Tabs, 25 lbs. are for use only with CCH Endurance Swimming Pool Feeders.

CYA-free, extended release and easy to use.

For use only with CCH Endurance Swimming Pool Feeders

3 inch calcium hypochlorite tablets

Cyanuric acid-free

Extended use

Easy to use

Active Ingredient: Calcium Hypochlorite 70.2%

25 lbs. Bucket

 

[PoolStored]

what is the reason they exist in the first place?

Profits. LOTS of profits.

 

[Donldson]

Decent compressed cal-hypo tablets are reasonably new. It's a lot easier to compress trichlor in to a tablet that dissolves at a reasonable rate than it is cal-hypo and until recently the cal-hypo tabs required binders that left a mess. IMPORTANT: Cal-hypo is very reactive and cannot be placed in a feeder that has EVER had trichlor tablets in it. It can very literally explode.

On the topic of why not use cal-hypo tablets? Calcium can become just as much a problem as CYA. It might take longer for it to happen, but remember that fill water usually has some calcium in it so it takes larger water exchanges to correct. CYA only requires additional chlorine to offset, calcium requires careful pH monitoring to maintain high levels without much issue. And finally, cal-hypo tablets run about 50% more expensive than trichlor tablets.

Finally, tablets are sold on convenience and just worked their way in to the mindset as being THE way to operate a pool. You just fill a feeder and let it do its thing, store a big bucket of tablets in the shed and you're good. No dosing, no daily testing, just check your chlorine sometimes and bring a sample in to the store once a week or two. It's a good story to sell.

 

[JRzMom]

Decent compressed cal-hypo tablets are reasonably new. It's a lot easier to compress trichlor in to a tablet that dissolves at a reasonable rate than it is cal-hypo and until recently the cal-hypo tabs required binders that left a mess. IMPORTANT: Cal-hypo is very reactive and cannot be placed in a feeder that has EVER had trichlor tablets in it. It can very literally explode.

On the topic of why not use cal-hypo tablets? Calcium can become just as much a problem as CYA. It might take longer for it to happen, but remember that fill water usually has some calcium in it so it takes larger water exchanges to correct. CYA only requires additional chlorine to offset, calcium requires careful pH monitoring to maintain high levels without much issue. And finally, cal-hypo tablets run about 50% more expensive than trichlor tablets.

Finally, tablets are sold on convenience and just worked their way in to the mindset as being THE way to operate a pool. You just fill a feeder and let it do its thing, store a big bucket of tablets in the shed and you're good. No dosing, no daily testing, just check your chlorine sometimes and bring a sample in to the store once a week or two. It's a good story to sell.

Yikes! I guess I'll have my son test my pool when I'm away. Exploding feeder?

 

[cj133]

Decent compressed cal-hypo tablets are reasonably new. It's a lot easier to compress trichlor in to a tablet that dissolves at a reasonable rate than it is cal-hypo and until recently the cal-hypo tabs required binders that left a mess. IMPORTANT: Cal-hypo is very reactive and cannot be placed in a feeder that has EVER had trichlor tablets in it. It can very literally explode.

On the topic of why not use cal-hypo tablets? Calcium can become just as much a problem as CYA. It might take longer for it to happen, but remember that fill water usually has some calcium in it so it takes larger water exchanges to correct. CYA only requires additional chlorine to offset, calcium requires careful pH monitoring to maintain high levels without much issue. And finally, cal-hypo tablets run about 50% more expensive than trichlor tablets.

Finally, tablets are sold on convenience and just worked their way in to the mindset as being THE way to operate a pool. You just fill a feeder and let it do its thing, store a big bucket of tablets in the shed and you're good. No dosing, no daily testing, just check your chlorine sometimes and bring a sample in to the store once a week or two. It's a good story to sell.

Interesting. I see what you mean about cost, those tablets are a small fortune.

I would really like to know how much calcium ends up in the pool the way my dad always used cal-hypo which, is probably frowned upon but it worked.
He sprinkled it into the skimmer slowly and then when he'd backwash the sand filter once a month the water from the filter was extremely white, which I assume was a bulk of the calcium. If that's the case, I wonder how much ended up in his pool water. He never had a problem with the sand filter, the pump or any equipment even over a period of 20 years doing that. And for a lot of that he was adding cal-hypo every day before bed because he didn't use stabilizer so the pool spent most of the day with no chlorine in it and then was shocked at night. I guess he learned to do this in 1978 and just continued. I think he said he started using stabilizer in the 90s because of the cost of chlorine.

I find it hard to believe a sand filter would be effective at removing calcium, yet I saw it with my own eyes. I just don't know what percentage stayed behind but he never had anything stick to the vinyl liner.

I guess I could do some experimenting on my own if I really wanted to know.

 

[Donldson]

then when he'd backwash the sand filter once a month the water from the filter was extremely white, which I assume was a bulk of the calcium.

No, that was dead algae. Your backwash should be white unless you are in an area which gets a lot of dust and dirt blown in. If the chlorine got in to the pool, so did the calcium.

 

[reggiehammond]

Yikes! I guess I'll have my son test my pool when I'm away.

Trichlor tabs are 100% ok provided you understand they're adding CYA. Granular Cal-Hypo is also ok to use, provided you know it's adding calcium.

Many, many TFP members will use a tab floater while away for extended periods to help manage pH, and keep FC in the pool.
The problem with those products (tabs and granular product) is how the "pool industry" preaches to use them. Blindly and with a good dose of willful ignorance.

@cj133 asked why are chlorine products "stabilized" and it's simply because it's a gas that needs to be bound to something that can be "dry."

 

[cj133]

Trichlor tabs are 100% ok provided you understand they're adding CYA. Granular Cal-Hypo is also ok to use, provided you know it's adding calcium.

Many, many TFP members will use a tab floater while away for extended periods to help manage pH, and keep FC in the pool.
The problem with those products (tabs and granular product) is how the "pool industry" preaches to use them. Blindly and with a good dose of willful ignorance.

@cj133 asked why are chlorine products "stabilized" and it's simply because it's a gas that needs to be bound to something that can be "dry."

Are there any compressed gas options and if so are they even remotely practical for home use?

 

[reggiehammond]

Are there any compressed gas options and if so are they even remotely practical for home use?

No, that's why they don't exist.

Your choices are basically:
Salt water chlorine generator (best choice, least expensive)
Liquid chlorine (very good choice, but more expensive and requires lugging jugs)
Cal Hypo (expensive and adds unmanageable levels of calcium)
TriChlor (expensive and adds unmanageable levels of CYA)

 

[cj133]

No, that's why they don't exist.

Your choices are basically:
Salt water chlorine generator (best choice, least expensive)
Liquid chlorine (very good choice, but more expensive and requires lugging jugs)
Cal Hypo (expensive and adds unmanageable levels of calcium)
TriChlor (expensive and adds unmanageable levels of CYA)

Every time I look into a salt water generator I can't justify the cost.
Currently I spend around $20 a month for liquid chlorine / bleach.

A salt water generator goes for about $1500, I believe. So it would take 15 years just to break even and I'm sure that generator isn't going to last that long.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but it seems far from the least expensive?

 

[Newdude]

Currently I spend around $20 a month for liquid chlorine / bleach.

For 12k gallons that seems awfully low. Using 12.5% that would be about 8.5 gallons at $6 each for $50 ish if averaging 3ppm FC loss per day.

They make smaller SWGs for Above grounds which would be more budget friendly but they typically aren't as robust and/or have a shorter lifespan so it's a double edged sword.

If you could find one close to what you're spending in bleach, the convienence is SO worth it.

 

[cj133]

For 12k gallons that seems awfully low. Using 12.5% that would be about 8.5 gallons at $6 each for $50 ish if averaging 3ppm FC loss per day.

They make smaller SWGs for Above grounds which would be more budget friendly but they typically aren't as robust and/or have a shorter lifespan so it's a double edged sword.

If you could find one close to what you're spending in bleach, the convienence is SO worth it.

I think I've got 8500 gallons. It's only a 15x24 oval.
Right now during a heat wave I'm still only using about a gallon a week of 10%.

 

[Newdude]

It's only a 15x24 oval.

Riiiiight. I did a 15x24 rectangle and didn't factor your 54 inch wall height. 8500 is probably much closer.

A Circupool SJ20 system is $779 and half the price of the ones you've been looking at. It would be an initial hit and then replacement cells are $329 and would break even much faster.

 

[cj133]

I should put a foot note.
That does depend on who swims in it and how often.
I can kill a gallon in 1 weekend under the right conditions.

 

[reggiehammond]

Every time I look into a salt water generator I can't justify the cost.
Currently I spend around $20 a month for liquid chlorine / bleach.

A salt water generator goes for about $1500, I believe. So it would take 15 years just to break even and I'm sure that generator isn't going to last that long.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but it seems far from the least expensive?

If you can really use 1 gal per week for your shorter season, then liquid chlorine is a nice, simple solution. A SWCG would still be cheaper in the long run, but given your limited needs, likely not worth it.

My pool would use 1-1.25 gals per day in our much-longer swim season here in Texas.

 

[cj133]

I need to update this.
The information I posted, I thought was correct but I feel it's skewed and may be misleading.
1 gallon a week has been normal for me for a long time during the summer, but things are changing I guess.

We've had a pretty bad heatwave which has my pool above normal which is causing increased usage.
But, another thing that is changing is our kids are getting older, and using the pool a lot more. This is also causing increased usage. Right now, I'd say I'm pushing 1.5 to 2 gallons for this past week.

Normally I'm lucky if my pool even hits 85F and right now I'm thinking it's closer to 90.


I can't imagine a pool in Texas. Do you have to cool pools there to keep them comfortable?