Are floaters really better than feeders?

I just read thru some of the pro floater posts and am curious by this debate. Especially since I am shopping for a new feeder. I had allways stayed away from the using bleach method because I thought my hayward feeder was an accurate way to regulate chlorine, and thought using bleach was just a way to save a few pennies. My usual system to chlorinate has been to use just enough tabs in the chlorinator to keep the level close. I will then use lithium based granules to raise the level if needed and to shock when needed. Anyway, if i want to stay with my method will a floater be better than a feeder?
Thanks

18x36 vinyl 34000 gal
about 10 years old
1 year old pentair fns plus de filter
the heat pump will be going in next week
I will be rebuilding the pipes around the filter
and getting a new multiport to boot
Long Island, NY

Biggest problem with floaters and feeders is that you are using stabilized chlorine and your stabilizer level is constantly climbing. Once it reaches a certain point your stabilizer is just too high and the chlorine cannot work properly. Most of the people on here use unstablized chlorine (bleach or cal hypo) and add stabilzier to the water to the proper level. If you want to continue using a feeder I would strongly suggest getting rid of the Hayward and getting a Rainbow. The Hayward CL200 is notorious for just not working very well. It's ajustment of chlorine feed usually just doesn't work. It's either opened or closed! It also restricts the water flow through it.

You must make your pool store very happy by using lithium. It is the MOST EXPENSIVE form of unstablizied chlorine and it is only about 35% availabe chlorine. It's primary advantage is that is is very fast dissolving and doesn't add calcium. Sodium Hypochlorite (Liquid Chlorine and Bleach) is a lot cheaper to use and mixes instantly since it is a liquid. The pH of both of them is very close (both around 11) so in either case you might need to add acid to keep the pH down if you give up the trichlor, which is very acidic.

Biggest downside of floaters is that they are IN the pool. IMHO, only an issue if you have small children. In that case I would just take the floater out when they go in the pool so they don't play with it.

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Originally Posted by waterbear

You must make your pool store very happy by using lithium. It is the MOST EXPENSIVE form of unstablizied chlorine and it is only about 35% availabe chlorine. It's primary advantage is that is is very fast dissolving

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The fast dissolving is why I went to the lithium. In my first season I used the stuff from the pool store to shock the pool. I did it improperly and bleached out the liner a bit. As far as cost, I don't use much. I think 25 lbs lasts at least 1 season, maybe 2.
In any case I will look for the rainbow and will consider both the floaters and using bleach. My main objection to bleach has been my fear of harming the liner more. Thanks for the help.

Chlorine is chlorine is chlorine. You mentioned using pool store stuff that bleached your liner. I assume it was Cal Hypo which is very slow dissolving. It needs to be predissolved and then you need to brush after to make sure it is dissolved and not sitting on the liner. If you are careful in it's use there are no problems. Liquid chlorine or bleach is ususally just dribbled around the pool or poured into the return stream and it mixes instantly since it is already a liquid. Bleach is even safer than liquid chlorine because bleach is either 5.25% OR 6% sodium hypochlorite while the liquid chlorine is usually 10% or 12.5%. Actually, a floater with trichlor can damage a liner but not from the chlorine. It has a pH around 2. If you use a floater be sure that it does not get stuck next to the liner.

If you decide to switch to using bleach with the trichlor NEVER pour the bleach in the skimmer. Trichlor doesn't play well with other forms of chlorine in concentrated forms. Once it is in the water it is fine.