How / Where Do I buy Liquid Chlorine?

[cheshamjim]

Every since I've been using Ben's BBB method of water management, my pool and I are really good friends. And thank God for this forum!

I'm in my second season with the program and I've always gone to my local Sam's and bought the three-jug cases of Chlorox they sell there (four cases at a time). Lugging these things throught the checkout line, to the car, then into the garage is a backbreaker.

Seems like I've read about the availability of carboys of liquid chlorine (at 12%). We live in a community of 100,000 in a midwestern college town and there are only three "Pool Stores" around here, including the one who built my pool and ripped me off on chemicals for five years.

I called around to each one to ask if I could buy liquid chlorine from them. HA!! Of course I can't. The reasons given ranged from "I'd be paying for a bunch of useless inert material (water), or it just not recommended because it doesn't do as good a job as powders, etc. (what did I expect?)

So here I am seeking help from you good people. I would love to buy 12% liquid chlorine in carboys, build or buy a carboy stand, and equip it with some sort of dispensing spigot.

Does anyone have any suggestions or alternatives to buying and lugging cases of Chlorox from Sam's?

Thanks for the help. -Jim

[brent.roberts]

I was in a local Wal Mart a few days ago and they had a stack of pool chlorine jugs with 11.5% concentration. I think the trade mark was Clorox but I was on another mission and easily distracted.

I got fed up with the lugging ( my wife did too ) and we went to a salt system last year. This is neat. Just lug the salt in once and maybe add a bit once a year as the water goes down on backwashes.

Good luck.

[cheshamjim]

I didn't think of the salt water chlorine generators. They're kind of expensive, right? Off I go to Google. - Jim

[fission7x]

Liquid chlorine is simply just chlorine bleach - plain old laundry bleach.
Buy it at Walmart, or buy it at your local grocery store. Just make sure you shop around for the best price!

[Phillbo]

I didn't think of the salt water chlorine generators. They're kind of expensive, right? Off I go to Google. - Jim


this is the one I use and like it so far ....


http://www.balboainstruments.com/page218.html

[cheshamjim]

Thanks for the link Philbo. Wouldn't you know; they have no dealers in my Zip code. I'll call them. -Jim

[Spensar]

Check out a farmer co-ops and industrial cleaning supply companies.

I'm lucky to get 12.5% in a refillable carboy from a cleaning supply company who also supplies a lot of the municipal pools with chlorine. It's easy since you drive right up and they put the filled carboy into your vehicle for you. Hmm, funny that this chlorine will all that "inert water" is good enough for public pools.....

[NWMNMom]

There are many different SWG out there at a wide range of prices. Do a search on this site and you will come up with a lot of different posts on what others have, how much they paid, etc. You can get systems for IG pools starting around $470ish - all the way up to several thousands of dollars. These include on the low end of the price scale the IG Chlorease CLO3, going up to the Aquatrols, Pentairs, Zodiaks, and the Pool Pilots with all the bells and whistles. Many brands and many different types out there with lots of satisfied customers.

[cheshamjim]

Thanks to all who responded to my post. There's some very good leads here and I know I'll be able to get what I need because of you.

Beast regards - Jim

[leejp]

I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that when all costs are factored in that salt water chlorine generators are more economical. Especially when gas is over $3/gallon.

Not counting startup and closing... I figure I go through about 100 jugs of 96oz 6% bleach or about $130/year + transportation. If a chlorine generator cell lasts 4 years I think I'm just about even. Anything beyond that I save $$$.

Plus I'm too lazy even to open a jug of bleach and pour it into the skimmer once per day or two.

[cheshamjim]

Good perspective. My cost from Sam's works out to be about $2.62 / jug, so if I use 100 jugs the chlorinator solution looks better and better. -Jim