What are "Clorine Enhancers"

[Rangeball]

like this one-

http://intheswim.com/Pool-Chemicals/Pool-Shock-Super-Chlorinators/Green-To-Clean-/

Says they greatly increase the killing powere of chlorine. I'm sure more chlorine does as well, but just curious what the heck this stuff is and how it's supposed to work :)

[crackerjack]

like this one-

http://intheswim.com/Pool-Chemicals/Pool-Shock-Super-Chlorinators/Green-To-Clean-/

Says they greatly increase the killing powere of chlorine. I'm sure more chlorine does as well, but just curious what the heck this stuff is and how it's supposed to work :)

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3940&highlight=Green+clean

[DavidD]

like this one-

http://intheswim.com/Pool-Chemicals/Pool-Shock-Super-Chlorinators/Green-To-Clean-/

Says they greatly increase the killing powere of chlorine. I'm sure more chlorine does as well, but just curious what the heck this stuff is and how it's supposed to work :)

I believe it is a amonia based product. I noticed it says it is made by Coral Seas, which also makes/markets Yellow Out. Other than removing money from your wallet, I'm not real sure how it works.

Dave

Edit: Oops, Crackerjack beat me to it

[KurtV]

David and Crackerjack are right, I think. In fact, Yellow Out and Green to Clean may be the same thing, just with different packaging. While researching this I came across this FAQ at http://www.yellowout.com/qa/qa.htm:

Q.What is the active ingredient in YELLOW OUT?
A.YELLOW OUT is not an algaecide; it is strictly a pool cleaner. When added to the pool without chlorine, nothing happens. Therefore, it is not required to list ingredients on the container.



Now that's funny.

[DavidD]

....Therefore, it is not required to list ingredients on the container.

There is a great reason not to buy this crap if I've ever seen one :rolleyes: .

Dave

[aylad]

The only chlorine enhancer you need is more chlorine!! :)

Janet

[waterbear]

The ammonia based chlorine enhancers work by forming monochloramine, which is slightly more effective (supposedly) at killing algae than straight chlorine. Without the addition of chlorine they do nothing. In a similar way, sodium bromide based products won't do anything until you add chlorine, which is then immediately converted into hypobromous acid and bromamines to kill the algae. Do they work....in a word, yes. Choramines and bromamines are nitrogen containing compounds and the algae will eat them as food and die. Do they work better than just chlorine....maybe. Do they create their own set of problems that can be as hard to deal with as the initial algae problem once the algae is gone...usually! Do you really need them....most likely not.

I will add that the sodium bromide products have, in my exerience, some limited usefulness in dealing with very stubborn outbreaks of mustard and black algae but getting your chlorine to hold afterwards can be almost as big as a problem as killing the algae was!

[Rangeball]

The only chlorine enhancer you need is more chlorine!! :)

Janet

That was my immediate conclusion. For $16, I could by 16 3/4 gal jugs of ultra :)


Thanks for the info all. My curiousity is satisfied :)

[Madty]

I used a product called Yellow Treat- same stuff- because my 20 ppm CL did not touch my mustard algae. This stuff worked. It took about 3 days- ate a bunch of cl up, but my water is perfect!