Liquid chlorine or bleach will destroy pool liner and equipment

[corymunson]

My pool installer is telling me that I should never use liquid chlorine or bleach in the pool. He said that he has had to replace several above ground pool liners pool, equipment and seals due to liquid chlorine or bleach eating away at vinyl and seal material. He said within 2 years the liner would be destroyed. I told him I was using Trichlor tabs for my main chlorination and Bleach for shock because what is available in the stores around me is mostly oxy-shocks. Then I really baffled him by asking what do I use to chlorinate the pool when the CYA stabilizer gets too high and I have to stop the use of Trichlor tabs. At that point he said he is not a pool chemical expert and did know. But he said he was standing by his statement that liquid chlorine or bleach will destroy my liner and equipment and that I was using it at my peril. He is also pissy because he has to come back and fix the install done last month because the sand looks it has not been packed down right. I have depressions or divots all around coving of the pool. Also Nutgrass is growing under the liner in numerous places and poking up and will soon come through the liner. The herbicide that they supposedly used should have killed everything around the dig site but so around the rim at the bottom edge of the pool I’ve had to re-spray with roundup to kill the grass and weeds trying to come up there. I am about to contact credit card issuer and tell them I’m going dispute the charge for the pool if they don’t fix the problems and have seller come take it away.

[PoolDoc]

He said that he has had to replace several above ground pool liners pool, equipment and seals due to liquid chlorine or bleach eating away at vinyl and seal material. He said within 2 years the liner would be destroyed.
. . . .
At that point he said he is not a pool chemical expert . . . .

I'd have to agree with his 2nd statement, but what he said about the other is nonsense.

Here's why: once chlorine, from ANY source -- gas, bleach, cal hypo, trichor, dichlor, SWCG (salt) -- is dissolved in the water, it takes EXACTLY the same form, regardless of where it came from - hypochlorous acid + hypochlorite ion + various chlorinated cyanurates. For his claim to be true, ANY form of chlorine would have to do the damage he claims.

But, as he said, "he is not a pool chemical expert".

In general, when someone tells you they don't know anything about a topic, you should believe them and NOT believe what they say about that topic! ;)

[JimK]

The only hint of possibility I can see in his statement is if you always pour the bleach right next to the liner with poor circulation.

Other than that, like was said, he doesn't know what he's talking about.

[chem geek]

Also, consider what happens to someone new to a pool who is told to use bleach, but isn't told to add Cyanuric Acid (CYA) to the water. If they use bleach without CYA in the water, then it is very, very strong. It also gets used up very quickly so a lot gets added. And if it is added quickly in one place not over a return flow, then the denser bleach can pool at the bottom of the pool (for a while). If the bleach were poured into the skimmer then it could affect pump seals, again if there is no CYA in the water.

So there is some truth in what he says if bleach is used improperly. If you have CYA in the water, then the active chlorine level is much, much lower. If you pour the bleach slowly over a return flow, then it gets thoroughly mixed. For extra safety, you can lightly brush the side and bottom area where you add the bleach to ensure thorough mixing.

There are thousands upon thousands of vinyl pools using chlorinating liquid or bleach with absolutely none of the problems he was referring to, but these pools are using this type of chlorine properly.

[corymunson]

Yes my installer is an idiot. He told my wife that he wished I would not argue with him. She told him to fix the pool right or she will be at the pool place complaining and probably disputing the charge with our credit card issuer. He shut up at that point. When the pool was drained and liner pulled back it was found they did not use enough sand for the cove. His install crew sold him out when he went to the truck to get a bag of sand. They said he cuts corners on the sand all the time to save on cost. My Seller is probably going get another contractor because they have had a lot complaints about him mostly for the lack of use of sand and him being an Ass to customers that have complaints about the installation. That will probably suck for those that work for him because they may lose their jobs.

Yes I always start pouring the bleach in at the out flow and move around the pool following the flow. I do it with the pump running and the bleach enters the water at least 2 feet from the edge of the pool.

[PoolDoc]

Sorry for the bad luck. Glad you discovered the problem before you got bitten too badly!

[Fuzz1]

Also Nutgrass is growing under the liner in numerous places and poking up and will soon come through the liner. The herbicide that they supposedly used should have killed everything around the dig site but so around the rim at the bottom edge of the pool I’ve had to re-spray with roundup to kill the grass and weeds trying to come up there.

FYI, Roundup won't kill nutsedge. You want "Sedgehammer+" to do the job. It's expensive, but it does kill nutsedge. The best prices for Sedgehammer+ are usually about $7.50 gal if you find a good sale... but more often about $10/gal if you factor in shipping. I've known people to pay $15 gal when not buying online.

But on the bright side... it kills nutsedge and the nuts too.