New Intex owner from Texas

[Rockwall]

Alrighty, I'll add another 2 pounds after work then on top of the two I already put in there.

[Watermom]

Ask your wife is she would feel better if you used pool store liquid chlorine instead. Odds are that she will say yes. Then, tell her that pool store liquid chlorine is usually 10 or 12.5% sodium hypochlorite and bleach is 6% sodium hypochlorite. If 10 or 12.5% strength is ok for your pool, then surely 6% will be! (It's just the word "bleach" that scares people.)

[Rockwall]

Hi!

Got busy but I'm back. Glad to see the pool plan for the Intex owners!! I checked my CYA again today and it was 60. I had bought a 5 b jug of the HTH chlorinating granules, and used it up. I don't want to use the calcium based stuff again, so I will probably get the recommended PoolBrand dichlor shock bags at Sams.

My question is, will the dichlor continue to add stabilizer to my water, and bring it up to 80 (from 60), or, should I get some of the same CYA from Walmart ad bring it up to 80, along with the dichlor? I just don't wan't to overdo it on the stabilzer?

I'll start adding bleach until I hear which way I shoul dbe going with this. Thanks!

[Watermom]

Dichlor does have CYA (stabilizer) in it. It adds 10ppm of CYA for every 9ppm of chlorine it adds. So, it will raise your CYA quickly! You won't want to use it for long and then you can switch to bleach.

(It also is very acidic and will drive your pH down, so keep an eye on it so it doesn't go below 7.0.)

[Rockwall]

Hhhmm. Is there a non-liquid pure chlorine format that I can use instead of bleach? The granules seemed easier to store and apply than liquid jugs of bleach, and I'm not sure the bleach is cheaper. My pH has been a steady 7.5, and I had been adding about 1/2 cup of granules every other evening to keep the OTO dark yellow. The SWCG runs for 4 hours at night.

And if I go a pure chlorine route, how much more CYA should I add? I had been doing a pound at a time via the sock method, until I had added the full 4 lbs ... I don't remember how much that raised me to, I can't find my notes. We have had rain this summer, unusual for Texas, so I know I lost some CYA from pool overflow.

[PoolDoc]

In the sense of "pure pool chlorine" -- there is no such thing. Even pure chlorine gas is (I'm simplifying things here) is functionally 1/2 pool chlorine and 1/2 muriatic acid.

The 'purest' pool chlorine, in the sense of fewest side effects, IS bleach.

[Watermom]

If your pool store sells liquid chlorine (10 or 12.5% sodium hypochlorite) that is the same thing as bleach but at a higher concentration. (Bleach is 6% sodium hypochlorite.) It may be more convenient for you as it would cut down on the number of bleach bottles.

[Rockwall]

In the sense of "pure pool chlorine" -- there is no such thing. Even pure chlorine gas is (I'm simplifying things here) is functionally 1/2 pool chlorine and 1/2 muriatic acid.

The 'purest' pool chlorine, in the sense of fewest side effects, IS bleach.

:-) Allright then, my bad for not being clear. I meant 'pure' as in what vendor carries a granule based chlorine pool product that has the least amount of other chemical products in it (calcium, stabilizers, etc). In my case, I have to store the liquid bleach in the garage, and I either have to carry it through the house (most direct route) or take it outside and around the house (more convoluted route). I was not as concerned having to carry granules through the house as if I were to spill them, I could vacuum/sweep them up. Liquid bleach would be a disaster. I can't store the bleach near the pool.