forum threadhocuspocusblade posted Yesterday 11:09 PM
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forum threadhocuspocusblade posted Yesterday 11:09 PM
Slow Dissolving Stabilized Chlorine Tablets for Swimming Pools Above Ground or Inground 50 lbs Bucket of 3 inch Chlorinating~$115.64 After Coupon Code@ AliExpress~Free Shipping
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I've bought this brand off AliExpress before, but through a different seller.
They do conform to EPA regulations which is something to look out for when buying from China.
These sell for a tad under $165 @ Amazon, basically $50 more expensive.
I've bought this brand off AliExpress before, but through a different seller.
They do conform to EPA regulations which is something to look out for when buying from China.
Aside from cost, everything else that's going on in your pool will most likely determine which way you sanitize your water. Chlorine tablets, aka TriChlor, is a combination of stabilizer and chlorine. The stabilizer (cyanuric acid, or CYA) helps the chlorine be more effective and last longer, but it doesn't break down easy. If the water isn't being replaced (and evaporation doesn't count) it can build up to levels that make any chlorine addition ineffective. It's also acidic, so you're probably balancing with soda ash more regularly. Everyone puts pucks in their skimmers, but I'd rather throw them in a basket/feeder that I can replace every couple seasons, not permanent plumbing, because of the acidity. You need 15oz (~$2.91 at $155/50lbs) of TriChlor to raise a 20,000 gallon pool's free chlorine by ~5. It's cheap and easy, so lots of pool guys love to toss a tab and leave. But overuse can lead to a problem that only replacing water will fix.
Another dry way to sanitize is with CalHypo (Calcium Hypochlorite) usually in granular form by the bucket or in 1lb bags. Instead of adding CYA as a byproduct, it adds calcium which too can lead to build-up, and has the inverse effect on pH. You can monitor and test for calcium hardness, which you should be doing anyway with municipal water, and manage the pH with muriatic acid. You need that calcium for plaster lined pools, but it's irrelevant (when low) in vinyl. It comes in varying strengths, so you have to be on your toes if you're buying 56%, 65% or 73%. I've seen HTH peddle a 52% CalHypo in a bag that's only 13.3oz (that's about 40% less effective than 16oz of 73%). 21oz of 65% has about the same effect and costs about $5.47.
Compare those to liquid chlorine—bleach, or Sodium Hypochlorite. You can always use the stuff at the grocery store (as long as it comes unscented or without soaps in it) but it's diluted down to 6%-8%. The stuff you get at the big box store (labeled "Shock") will be 10% or "trade" bleach and there's pool-store bleach at 12.5%. It's fast, effective, and has the most minimal side effects than just raising your free chlorine. The problem is it's heavy, it degrades fairly quickly, and without some level of stabilizer, won't last long in the water. One gallon of the 10% bleach at my local Home Depot is $7.50 and about the same sanitizing power as the above two quantities, so it's the more pricy option. But the only other thing it adds to the water are negligible amounts of salt. Just watch your other levels (like a CYA test) and it's the most "trouble free" way to go.
Salt water chlorine generators are a whole 'nother thing, and now you're comparing cost of watts instead of pounds of chemicals. Pricy to retrofit to an existing system too, so usually that's a design choice (but one I'd consider if building!)
Apologies if this went way too deep. There's great resouces at TroubleFreePool.com, the wiki and the forum have tons of info. Two things in particular, though are:
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