I'm Getting Read The Riot Act About Using Bleach By Hubby

[peggles0224]

He says many people tell him that the bleach will eventually burn/ruin the liner. He believes there is something in chlorine tablets, etc. that helps protect the liner that bleach doesn't (or something in bleach that is not in the tablets that ruin liner). What can I say to win this one?

[PatL34]

Tell him to read the Forum or else....

Pat

[CarlD]

I cannot answer that. If he's rational but has bad info, correct him.

Ultra bleach is 6% Sodium Hypochlorite. Frequently, pool store "Liquid Chlorine" is also 6% Sodium Hypochlorite--EXACTLY the same stuff. "Liquid Shock" is usually 12.5% or 10% Sodium Hypochlorite. Show him that and explain that the "inert ingredients" in both is merely salt-water. Same stuff, different package.

There is NOTHING that "protects" the liner in tablets. In fact, they are MORE dangerous to the liner because they are EXTREMELY acidic, unlike bleach which is a base.

What they have is stabilizer (CYA--Cyanuric Acid) which stabilizes chlorine--slows its breakdown. You can add stabilizer seperately--not a bad thing.

Of course if your husband is the type for whom "My mind's made up, don't confuse me with FACTS!" you are done for. Then your problem isn't the pool......

[Dr. Spike]

Bleach is not any different than the liquid chlorine that the pool stores sell. There is nothing that is added to the pucks that make the chlorine in them 'liner safe'.

If it were true, everyone that uses bleach or liquid chlorine would be replacing their liners all of the time because of it.

Not sure how to argue it with him. If he believes that he is right no matter what, then it will just be a battle that probably isn't worth having.

[JohnInSoCal]

if he is that upset about it just buy liquid chlorine from the pool store. If you have a local mom & pop pool store near by it can be cheaper and more convenient than bleach in the grocery store. My local pool store has 12% bleach and gets fresh shipments often and you can get them 4 gallons to a case. It means less bottles/trips and it's cheaper to boot. I guess it depends on your pool store though.

It might be a good idea to go to the pool store and get 1 gallon of 12% bleach and then get 1 gallon of clorox unscented from the grocery store and show him the ingredient labels on both. If he is still not sold then I guess you are stuck.

good luck.

[NWMNMom]

My question is: Who does the pool maintc at your house? If its you, then he doesn't need to know what you use. If its him, do what John above recommends by showing him labels or buy the chlorine at the pool store.

If it was my DH, I would simply tell him to put a sock in it and get over it. I do the pool maintc, I bought the pool, all he needs to do is swim and enjoy - but thats just me and thats just him (he never even blinked when I told him I had just dumped 120# of solar salt into our pool)

[peggles0224]

Thanks for all the great info here, especially about the inert ingredients. I am going to sit down the computer-illiterate bugger this afternoon and tell him to read out loud (won't know if he's really paying attention if he is just reading off a screen). Yes, I'm the one that does the maintenance (testing), although he puts the stabilizer in under my direction. I already told him that if I ruin the liner I'll buy another. He said I'm not good on my word when it comes to money spending because of frugality (I won't want to spend that kind of money) if the liner does get ruined. He also feels I'm sticking to my guns because this is my inherited personality (he gets my goat by calling me by my sister's name because we all know she is the worst in never admitting she's wrong ) If all else fails here, I will drown him by weighting him down with about 15 gallons of bleach that have tiny pin holes in the plastic containers. If anyone calls looking for him, I'll tell them that he's out chlorinating the pool.

[ChuckD]

Thanks for all the great info here, especially about the inert ingredients. I am going to sit down the computer-illiterate bugger this afternoon and tell him to read out loud (won't know if he's really paying attention if he is just reading off a screen). Yes, I'm the one that does the maintenance (testing), although he puts the stabilizer in under my direction. I already told him that if I ruin the liner I'll buy another. He said I'm not good on my word when it comes to money spending because of frugality (I won't want to spend that kind of money) if the liner does get ruined. He also feels I'm sticking to my guns because this is my inherited personality (he gets my goat by calling me by my sister's name because we all know she is the worst in never admitting she's wrong ) If all else fails here, I will drown him by weighting him down with about 15 gallons of bleach that have tiny pin holes in the plastic containers. If anyone calls looking for him, I'll tell them that he's out chlorinating the pool.

We definitely need a new forum here on 'Family Pool Management', or maybe 'Pool Family Management'.

C.

[CarlD]

The marriage counseling web-site is 3 forums over!

Tell him you have 17,000 people who agree with you and think he's wrong.

My mother-in-law thinks I'm pig-headed because I won't do what she says just 'cuz she says it. She right, of course!

My wife thinks I'm pig-headed only if I don't give in to hard evidence. Since I ALWAYS give in to facts , she's, of course, wrong--uh-oh, gotta run now.......

[ScottS]

We definitely need a new forum here on 'Family Pool Management', or maybe 'Pool Family Management'.

C.

Very true. I've come across plenty of posts lately where the issue is NOT the pool