Bleach same as Chlorine

[CarlD]

I know the pH of bleach is something like 11, but I rarely see my pH move when I use it (which is all the time). However, if I use pucks, it drops quite dramatically.

[Watermom]

Bleach does not raise my ph either.

[lagtime]

Bleach does raise pH in my pool, enough so that I add acid weekly.

For the previous 9 years (of high CYA using stabilized chlorine) I've never needed to add anything to maintain pH in the 7.2 range.

Adding some acid isn't a big deal considering how much better the pool looks on the BBB routine, but I'm interested in what could be the reason for some of us seeing a steady upward creep in pH while others don't.

[halds]

If bleach does not raise your pH, then you must be adding acid from something. Usually trichlor pucks is the answer. Or frequent rains. Or you are losing alkalinity (bicarb) due to a waterfall or aeration.

Hal

[Poolsean]

Carl, Watermom...interesting responses. Can we follow this out to see what may be causing your particular pools to not need alot of acid with the use of bleach? It is fact that bleach is high in pH and typically require the addition of acid when you add bleach.
Do you both have automatic water fill lines? Vinyl liners or gunite pools? Indoor or outdoor pools?
Where do you keep your chemical parameters?

[waterbear]

There have also been some posts of people with SWGs that have constant pH. If my memory serves me correctly they all had vinyl pools. I know Carl has a vinyl pool, don't know about Watermom. I wonder if there is something leaching from the vinyl that is lowering the pH. My fiberglass pool with a SWG needs constand additions of acid to keep the pH down (as is expected)

[CarlD]

I think this is a fascinating discussion, but since it's getting technical, I'm going to move it to the China Shop.

I generally add about a gallon of regular bleach every two days--to 19,200 gallons. We've had a lot of rain lately (unless you are a hermit you know that NJ and NY have been HAMMERED with rain) and that tends to be acid.

OK: so before we get to the esoteric let's look at some obvious factors:
1) Amount of bleach to pool volume. I add 1 gallon to 19,200 every other day...dilution alone explains a lot of it.
2)Powders dissolve rather than dilute--is that a factor?
3) Total Alkalinity---let's remember this is SUPPOSED to keep your pH from moving. Usually, mine is in the safe-for-vinyl/unsafe-for-concrete range 140-160. This year I'm only running 80-90 (too lazy to add baking soda) and the pH has moved more than it does, but not so much that I'm concerned. I don't care if pH moves between 7.3 and 7.6 and down again as long as it's in that range.
4) Acid rain. Doesn't take much to lower pH.

That's all I can think of this morning....

[topnotch]

Does the source of the water matter in this discussion...i have a nice clean stream on my property and I cant see a reason why I shouldn't pump my 20K gallons out of it since I am going to zap it with chlorine. I ask this about the source because you two have different results...

[Poolsean]

It's harder for algae to grow with moving water (stream in your case).
You'd be better having the water tested first. High levels of phosphates (from animal droppings, decaying vegitation, fertilizer) or phosphates (fertilizer again) will get you in trouble from the get go.

[waterbear]

It's harder for algae to grow with moving water (stream in your case).
You'd be better having the water tested first. High levels of phosphates (from animal droppings, decaying vegitation, fertilizer) or phosphates (fertilizer again) will get you in trouble from the get go.

Not to mention the nitrates from fertilizer!
(I knew what you meant so I took the liberty of correcting it. I've made many a typo like that myself!)