I have a new to me inground pool about 30k gallons. Old owners seems to just have used tabs. Was wondering if it was simoler to have an inline clorinator between pool heater and pool. Or if just to stick with liquid chlorine manually?
Chlorinator Inground 30k + gallon pool ?
- Thread starter Eldomi809
- Start date
sktn77a
Gold Supporter
Whatever makes maintaining proper chlorine levels but at the same time without flow/pressure drop.
MITBeta
Gold Supporter
- May 28, 2020
- 1,238
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
You want a Salt Water Chlorine Generator:
www.troublefreepool.com
Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Salt Water Generators are designed to produce small amounts of chlorine continuously. This is perfect for day to day use and reduces work for the homeowner.
www.troublefreepool.com
This is kind of misleading but essentially true, if plumbed in after the heater then the chlorinated water goes into the 30,000 gallons to be mixed and drastically reduced. The issue with pucks is they drive ph down, making the water acidic, that acidic water can damage heater cores and vinyl. IMO any puck pool should test ph weekly and add the appropriate amount of soda ash to get the ph up over 7.4.
In my experience, you have to be careful with the soda ash. I was adding a lot because the liquid bleach (mostly) and pucks (sometimes) were driving down the Ph, and, after a few months, it seemed to mess up the water. I forget the symptoms, but I had my liner replaced which meant the water was replaced and switched to muriatic acid and haven't had problems since (so I've forgotten what those problems were - getting old stinks). The main issue with muriatic acid is the stuff is very nasty so you need to be careful where you store it and when you use it.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,600
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Eventually, even a "chemical resistant" check valve will fail. When the system shuts down water can flow backwards into the heater. The very low pH of the "soup" from the dissolved tabs will damage the heater. Even an off-line one can have this issue.
So i plan on testing frequently and i dont want anything to break. Cant really afford 1k+ SWG (unless if theres cheaper one i didnt see out there). My liner is being replaced in 2 weeks so budget is tight. Sticking to liquid chlorine or muriatic acid , while testing every few days /week max would be ok? Pool is full sun from 7a until about 4p.
- May 11, 2021
- 973
- Pool Size
- 7000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-30
Yes, there are cheaper SWGs out there. Some folks around here have been trying those with some success, but still a gamble. Unfortunately there is not enough data to tell either way.
LC is not difficult to deal and you can always go with a SWG down the road. The issue some folks (myself included) have with LC is availability on local stores and hulling large amounts of it.
I've read that here, but why does my pH go up when I'm only chlorinating with liquid chlorine? I think I also read it had something to do with higher alkalinity levels, but even when my alkalinity is 80-ish, I still need to add acid fairly regularly. Probably shouldn't hi-jack this thread, but curious none the less.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,600
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Not sure what you're asking. Yes, I know the tablets and acidic and tend to increase your CYA to difficult to manage levels so I only use them while on vacation or late in the year when there's less chorine demand. My experience is that when just using bleach (with a TA of 80-ish), I need to add some muriatic acid maybe every 2 weeks to keep the Ph from getting too high. I assumed this was the chlorine as I learned that chlorine is a base in HS chemistry.
MITBeta
Gold Supporter
- May 28, 2020
- 1,238
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Pool pH tends to rise naturally as the CO2 in the air and water equilibrate. You hold the pH rise down with the acid in the tablets. When you don't use tablets, you have to add some other kind of acid to hold pH down. The problem is that liquid chlorine doesn't contain acid, not that it's basic.
From Aqua Magazine, a nationally recognized trade journal, and as more support to the pH issue:
"Liquid chlorine does not raise pH. When added to water, liquid chlorine (which has a pH of 13) makes HOCl (hypochlorous acid – the killing form of chlorine) and NaOH (sodium hydroxide), which raises pH. But when the HOCl is degraded by UV, and when used in killing and oxidation, it creates HCl (hydrochloric acid). The amount of HCl is almost identical to the amount of NaOH. So the net effect on pH is zero (or almost zero)."
"Liquid chlorine does not raise pH. When added to water, liquid chlorine (which has a pH of 13) makes HOCl (hypochlorous acid – the killing form of chlorine) and NaOH (sodium hydroxide), which raises pH. But when the HOCl is degraded by UV, and when used in killing and oxidation, it creates HCl (hydrochloric acid). The amount of HCl is almost identical to the amount of NaOH. So the net effect on pH is zero (or almost zero)."