94% Trichlor?

[rhosk]

I mistakenly purchased some (what I thought was 99% - didn't read the label close enough) Trichlor tabs that are 94% Trichlor and 6% "other ingredients" (84% chlorine). Kind of concerned about the other 5 or so percent. The brand name escapes me, but I can get it if needed.

Should I just toss these and get the 99%? I use tabs until my CYA is in a good range.

[Watermom]

Some trichlor tabs have copper in them! :eek: You do NOT want copper in your pool. What does the label say? What is the brand, etc. so I can maybe look online and see if I can find them somewhere.

[rhosk]

Thanks, Watermom.

This is the exact stuff - http://www.pooltime.com/mp/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=476ca297f70d1210VgnVCM10000053 d7010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=476ca297f70d1210VgnVCM10000053d7010a RCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Says it "softens water" - maybe salt or something? Just wondering if anyone has used this particular brand and had problems, etc. They're 3" pure white tabs if that makes any difference.

[Watermom]

I tried to search some and couldn't find an ingredient label. I did find a contact page on their website. Maybe send them an email and ask for ALL the ingredients. If you can't find out, I'd be a little skeptical to use them but that is just my opinion. Please let us know what you find out.

[rhosk]

Sent the email. We shall see.

[rhosk]

I was sort of afraid of this:

Thank you for contacting PoolTime.

The rest are pH buffers and sequestering agents.

Regards,

PoolTime Customer Care
Pooltime@chemtura.com
1-800-252-7665

That doesn't tell us much :cool:

[Watermom]

Can you take it back? If you can, I think I would. I don't like the idea of putting unknown substances that they won't specifically tell you about into my pool. How about you?

[rhosk]

Can you take it back? If you can, I think I would. I don't like the idea of putting unknown substances that they won't specifically tell you about into my pool. How about you?

Agreed, thank you. I think I was just looking for this answer from one of you guys.

BTW, I'm the one in this sticky - http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=1180 - that was convinced early on that the BBB method was the only way to go. My pool always looks like that last picture in that thread; thanks to the awesome info in this forum :)

Thanks again!!

[Watermom]

Those pictures are awesome and have been viewed by MANY people. I was the one who stickied them at the top of the forum.

Good luck!

[waterbear]

Actually, the Pool Time products (made by Chemtura) are basically the same as the Bioguard and Aqua Chem products (and very similar to the Proteam trichlor products, which are made for Haviland by Chemtura).

These trichlor tablets contain borax as a buffer, which is not necessarily a bad thing. As far as I know Pool Time is only including copper sulfate in the Duo Tabs in addition to the borax buffer. All HTH dual action trichlor (Arch Chemical) tabs do contain copper.

Chemtura has made the MSDS for all their various lines difficult to get. You have to email them since many of their pool products are not in their online database.

[Watermom]

He did email them and still got no specific info. I guess if they were more forthcoming with their info they would make more sales!

[waterbear]

He did email them and still got no specific info. I guess if they were more forthcoming with their info they would make more sales!

Yes I saw that but I am sharing the insider info I have on the products. Chemtura is NOT my favorite company by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately they are one of the larger manufacturers of chlorinated isocyanurates (trichlor and dichlor) and own what seems to be a majority of major pool chemical brands (Pool Time, Aqua Chem, Omni, Sun, Guardex, Simplicity, Bioguard, and Hydrotech to name a few). They are incorporating borax in many of their trichlor products and have two borax products also (BioGuard Optimizer and Synergy Maximizer, although in the past they have sold Maximizer under the Omni and Guardex brands).

[CarlD]

At least they are buffering it with Borax, which we know, in general, is a two part good thing-1) it doesn't depress pH QUITE as much as straight Tri-chlor 2) we know at some level borates inhibit algae.

We also KNOW that "double-acting" Tri-Chlor with copper is bad for pools, and so do the companies that make and sell it.

Yet, like the tobacco companies they try to convince us to buy that junk. I'd be more inclined to buy "Double Acting Tri-Chlor, 'Now with Borax!'" than with copper.

[rhosk]

Actually, the Pool Time products (made by Chemtura) are basically the same as the Bioguard and Aqua Chem products (and very similar to the Proteam trichlor products, which are made for Haviland by Chemtura).

These trichlor tablets contain borax as a buffer, which is not necessarily a bad thing. As far as I know Pool Time is only including copper sulfate in the Duo Tabs in addition to the borax buffer. All HTH dual action trichlor (Arch Chemical) tabs do contain copper.

Chemtura has made the MSDS for all their various lines difficult to get. You have to email them since many of their pool products are not in their online database.
Good to hear, thanks! I'll go ahead and give them a try and report back later if I notice anything out of my ordinary in the coming weeks (including whether or not it maintains my PH a little better). Adding a bit of borax makes perfect sense!