BBB method--from the WalMart guy!

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Originally Posted by ChuckD

No offense cc, but I think that's pure conjecture. It's definitely not been my experience. Using the PoolCalc I can always predict the rise in Cl in my pool when it's added which pretty clearly shows that it's concentration is as advertised. This includes using an unopened 5 gal. bottle that sat in my unheated garage all winter. Measured Free Cl before adding, calculated the amount to bring up x amount and then after one hour of circulating measured again and all's going according to plan.

Do you have evidence Cl will degrade in a sealed container? It's volatile and will evaporate in the open air, but actually degrade?

C.

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Well the evidence I have is I am a chemical engineer and used to work in a manufacturing facility that made the stuff. If there is the slightest amount of trace metals in the bleach (which their almost always is) high temp will cause it to degrade. Low temp in your garage will not impact it.

This effect of metals on the rate of degradation is true and described here where there is a nice table of half-life of chlorine at various concentrations and temperatures near the bottom of the page. Roughly speaking, the product degrades 4 times faster with a doubling of concentration and degrades about twice as fast with a 10F rise in temperature.

Most manufacturers of chlorinating liquid, including Odyssey and Hasa, make a good product as far as I can tell from many different reports on multiple pool forums. I've tested the strength of my chlorinating liquid both via direct dilution and via the effect on the pool of known volume and they are always near the correct strength -- in the range of 12-13% where the claim is 12.5%. Once I got something that might have been 11.5%, but that was the worst I had.

Bleach degrades much more slowly because of its lower concentration, but I wouldn't shy away from chlorinating liquid. Just try it out and see if it behaves as expected.

Richard

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Originally Posted by ChuckD

I recommend everyone do themselves, the environment, and the local economy a favor and use the 5 gallon jugs of 12%. Find it at a local Mom and Pop pool store. The jugs are returnable and when you're working with such high volumes (15 gals. of 12% in the week I opened) concentrating it makes it much easier.


C.

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That would be great if you could buy it that way in Louisiana-- but you can't, so bleach is the next best alternative for us.

Janet