Adding Bleach w/CYA in skimmer?

[JJParrish]

Is is okay to add bleach while I have a sock w/CYA in the skimmer basket? ( I plan to take the sock w/CYA out & hold overnight in a bucket and restart the process tomorrow.) Thanks in advance for your folks out there. Soon to be swimming, Joyce. p.s. I have only one skimmer because the other is plugged.

[chem geek]

Yes, you may add bleach to the general body of pool water, probably over a return, while you have CYA in your skimmer. CYA and bleach are quite compatible. In fact, Trichlor and Dichlor are simply compounds of the chlorine from bleach plus CYA. I wouldn't pour the bleach into the skimmer, but that's just because it's better not to have concentrated chlorine flowing through your heater, pump and filter.

Richard

[JJParrish]

Thanks CG! As usual, you folks are great! Happy Swimming :)

[Watermom]

I always pour my bleach through the skimmer and it doesn't hurt a thing. And, so does Al (Poconos). Of course, only when the pump is running. It is diluted so fast with such a large volume of water and is dispursed so quickly that it is not a problem.

Now -- I probably wouldn't pour the bleach over a sock full of cya but otherwise, it isn't a problem. We have both done it for years.

[bcb1]

Yep, always use a sock or woman's nylon to add cya. No problem with pouring bleach in the skimmer - but I usually just pour it in the deep end of the pool.

Watch your cya level -- you can always add more stabilizer, but you can never get rid of it if you have too much - unless you drain the water.

[RknRusty]

Pouring bleach directly into the skimmer is pretty hard on the pump seal. If it's old, that may make it start squealing.

[Watermom]

If the pump is running it doesn't stay in the skimmer. It is IMMEDIATELY gone. Yeah, if it sat in the skimmer it could do some damage, but the volume of water that is continuously being pulled through there takes it right out.

[chem geek]

Watermom,

Please see this post (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?p=45492&postcount=4) for some technical discussion about pouring bleach in the skimmer.

Richard

[Poconos]

I'm taking off my moderator hat.
Oh come on. Chem_Geek, all your really doing is scaring people. I know you mean well. This site is mostly intended for the general user and those people don't need to get into the details and many have no way of comprehending what you say. Just make my pool work right, that is what most want to know. Some people that read these posts will get scared. I have had problems with many posts on this site that scare the heck out of people. Specifically posts dealing with mixing chemicals. But, valid concerns that could do bodily harm so I leave them alone. Way back I have been chastised by Ben for posting certain experimental stuff so I haven't done it in years. But now that Ben isn't around to shut me up I'll say whatever I feel like saying.

The pump seals and everything are designed to handle a chlorine environment continuously. There are specific seal and gasket materials that are used for these purposes. I'm not attempting a detailed analysis but there are 1440 minutes in a day so 1 minute of a high concentration won't make any difference in the grand scheme of pump or filter life. I think the risk of dumping bleach or a higher concentration of chlorine in the skimmer is much less than trying to pour it into the pool in front of a return jet or elsewhere considering the splash factor. If one is to get paranoid about the concentrations, then simply pour into the skimmer at a slower rate.

Now the moderator hat is on.
Let's keep this forum structured for the casual user. The thread/post you referenced is in the China Shop where it belongs. Leave it there. I'm just afraid people will follow these links, read a thread/post without realizing it is in the China Shop and simply be afraid to go near their pool.

And by the way...I've been dumping bleach, Cal Hypo, ground up tri-chlor pucks, and even muriatic acid one time, all into the skimmer. And gee...the pump is on its 10th season without doing more than torquing some bolts. When all is considered a pump sitting out in the environment takes much more of a beating than anything you can flow through it.
Al
I feel better.
PS: Chem_Geek, I know you'll shoot up a lot of what I said...Have at it.

[chem geek]

Al,

I put the link in the China Shop intentionally because it only presents information and does not draw conclusions (when I said "No conclusions here -- just putting out some info." I meant it). I didn't say don't put anything in the skimmer. I just calculated what the effect would be anticipated to be chemically. I have no idea if 30 seconds of exposure per day to a certain level of disinfecting chlorine will cause damage. That's why your real-life experience answers that question so thank you for doing that.

Where I am at fault is that I didn't pose the question to get your real-life experience in my post. I'm sorry about that. I figured it was implied since I was just presenting partial information (i.e. no real experience).

I responded to this post instead of PM'ing you to a link in the China Shop, because I PM'd Carl once and he told me he preferred not to be PM'd so I just did it this way instead. Feel free to delete my post with it's link and just keep your explanation (or move your explanation to my thread in the China Shop). I have absolutely no problem with that.

Richard

[RknRusty]

Sorry, I shouldn't have posted info based on my assumptions.:o
I thought it may be a bad idea because my seal fouled at the time I was slow-pouring bleach into the skimmer. I usually add it to the water in my 24' round pool as it goes round and round, just ahead of the skimmer, and try to make the pour last one revolution of the water. I decided to give it a little blast one day and, SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... :eek: Well, you know the sound.

[KurtV]

It is NOT a good idea to add undiluted bleach to the skimmer of a pool equipped with an inline chlorinator. A bad reaction (e.g. explosion) can result even if the chlorinator doesn't contain any pucks but only residue.

Anyone suggesting that forum users add bleach to the skimmer should caveat that advice with this information.

[simsjim]

Excellent point Kurk!

Chorine residue is nasty stuff. I dont even like opening my chlorinator to put in more pucks because of the gas that comes out.

Honestly I never thought of the interaction between the pucks and the liquid, but I always poured bleach around the perimeter anyway.

I'll stay clear of the pump-seal debate......