Trying to beat the pool supply's chemical pricing

[rickabel]

I'm a new user of clorox bleach but still have the sounds of the pool supply clerk telling me the horror stories of using "damaging" chemical substitutes in my pool. Can anyone tell me if there is something to be concerned about if you use say hydroclorite instread of lithium type chloine in a vinyl pool?

[PatL34]

I'm a new user of clorox bleach but still have the sounds of the pool supply clerk telling me the horror stories of using "damaging" chemical substitutes in my pool. Can anyone tell me if there is something to be concerned about if you use say hydroclorite instread of lithium type chloine in a vinyl pool?

Sounds like another pool chemical supplier hard sell. You can use regular unscented bleach from Walmart or grocery supermarket without any problems at all. I would not bother going back to that pool supplier again.

Hope this helps.

Pat

[brent.roberts]

his comments are total BS.

He may truly beleive what he is telling you or know better is simply trying hard not to lose an accont that is worth $500 a year.

Chlorine is chlorine. Lith or Calcium or whatever is simply the medium to keep it stable to get it into the pool. Bleach does the same thing at a fraction of the cost.

Get a cooler of beer, sit in the sun and think of yourself there without the beer or the pool supply guy in his yard drinking it for you.

[waterbear]

The main reason Lithium hypochlorite (It is also the most expensive form of chlorine you can buy so it generates a lot of revenue for the pool store!) is recommended for vinyl pools is that it dissolves instantly when compared to the other non stabilized powdered chlorine , calcium hypoclhorite. If you put cal hypo in powdered form in a pool some of it will most likely sink to the bottom undissolved and can cause liner damage. (which is why it is recommended to pre-dissolve it!) If you are using liquid sodium hypochlorite you do not have this problem. Sodium Hypochlorite is sold in pool stores (Usually in 6%, 10%, and 12.5% concentrations as liquid chlorine or liquid shock. It is sold in grocery stores as liquid chlorine bleach (5.25%) or ultra bleach (6%). These are all exactly the same thing except for the concentration and therefore how much you have to put in to get a given chlorine level. The other ingredients in it are mostly water and a small amount of sodium hydroxide which is what keeps the chlorine in solution.

a far as the other 'damaging chemical substitutes' look at this example:
Alk increaser is labeled as either sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium bicarbonate on the ingredient list. They are 2 different names for exactly the same chemical and what you get in the pool store is usually technical or commercial grade which mean it has impurities in it. You can get USP grade (means pure enough for food and drug use) sodium bicarbonate at the grocery store for less money as "baking soda"!

Hope this lays any fears you have to rest! The advice you will get here on the forum and on the sister website www.poolsolutions.com is probably the best pool advice you can get anywhere!

[rickabel]

Wow! That is some valuable info and answers a lot of questions that I Have had. Thanks sooooo much! Rick

[rickabel]

Thank you for the kind encouragement and advise. It helps to have advise from someone who isn't trying to get their hand in your pocket!!!

[CarlD]

I'm a new user of clorox bleach but still have the sounds of the pool supply clerk telling me the horror stories of using "damaging" chemical substitutes in my pool. Can anyone tell me if there is something to be concerned about if you use say hydroclorite instread of lithium type chloine in a vinyl pool?

Yes. I would be VERY concerned about having a lot more money to spend on my family. Using bleach means the lithium producer's wife is going to have to wear fewer diamonds and your family will live better. What a Catastrophe!

Sodium HypChlorite has the LEAST side effects of any chlorination method. It's also the cheapest, and only a properly tuned SWG is easier (but costs A LOT more).

[waterbear]

Sodium HypChlorite has the LEAST side effects of any chlorination method. It's also the cheapest, and only a properly tuned SWG is easier (but costs A LOT more).

When you consider that a salt cell is probably good for 5-7 years and figure the cost of bleach, gas to get it, etc. vs. the SWG, salt, electricity and acid over the 5-7 year period I don't really think it costs a LOT more.