Last yearrs chlorine

[tnalaskan]

I read somewhere that chlorine loses its potency over time. Should I use last years chlorine tabs or buy new ones? They have been stored in the garage over the winter. May seem like a silly question but we only had our pool (27ft above ground) 6 weeks before we had to close it for the winter so we are still newbies.

[PoolDoc]

Tabs lose some potency, but not a lot. Regardless, you want to use them up, not through them away. Those chlorine tabs will NOT react well with garbage!

And . . . be careful when you open the container. Do it outside, and turn your head away, when you take the lid off. The 'potency' the tabs 'lose' is often not lost, it's just trapped inside the bucket, in the form of some really noxious gases.

This will sound weird, but it's a good idea to take a broom or hoe and whap the side of the bucket, BEFORE you move it for the first time. One of the materials that can form is nitrogen trichloride, which is a lot like nitroglycerin -- except not as stable! Usually, there's not much, and usually, it doesn't explode. But I've had a lid blow off in my face, and give me a snootful of stuff I didn't want to breath.