Chlorine Types: Which is the Best?

Liquid Chlorine or Bleach is the tried and true standard chemical of choice for most pool service professionals. It is easy to use and relatively inexpensive and it has the least side effects of any of the chlorine you can choose from. It is usually sold in 12.5% active chlorine per gallon with Bleach coming in at about half that strength at 6.5%. It will raise the pH slightly, but it does not contain any Stabilizer or Conditioner making it ideal for all pool types. This means that when you add a gallon of liquid chlorine and your Conditioner level (CYA) is 50 ppm it will stay at 50 ppm even if you add 20 gallons of liquid chlorine.
Cal Hypo is very popular and there are a number of reasons why it is widely used in the industry. It is easy to carry and comes in different strengths 60-75% active chlorine. One of the major side effects is that it contains calcium, so over time it will raise your pool’s calcium hardness. Not an issue if you live in an area with soft water but I caution the use in areas with hard water. It also has a high pH of around 12 so it will raise the pH in a pool if you use a significant amount each week. It can also make the pool cloudy if you pour a bag directly in. A very powerful form of shock.
Dichlor is a very popular form of chlorine and the granular form makes it very easy to measure and use in a pool. It is pH neutral which means it will not raise or lower the pool pH in any significant way. It does contain Conditioner, about 45%-50% by weight. So, if you add 10 lbs. of Dichlor to a pool you are also adding about 5 lbs. of Conditioner. Over time this will increase the pool’s CYA levels. A little Dichlor goes a long way making this an ideal chemical to carry on your truck if you service pools. Just don’t over use it because of the high amount of Conditioner in the product. It is usually about 62% active chlorine by weight.
Tri-Chlor or Trichloroisocyanuric Acid comes in three forms. The familiar 3” tablets that slowly dissolve in your pool, a very fine powder shock and a granular form. About 50% of the Tri-Chlor by weight is Conditioner. So, a 50 lbs. bucket of tablets is about 25 lbs. of Conditioner. If you overuse tablets your pool’s CYA level can go up rapidly. Trichlor tablets are usually 95% to 99% active chlorine. Tri-Chlor tablets have a very low pH of 2-3 so they will lower the pH in your pool. The tablets contain acid in the for of Cyanuric Acid so if one falls into the pool it is likely to stain the surface by burning it.
The powder form of Tri-Chlor shock is a good mix of both power and less Conditioner per pound. It is fast acting but has a strong chemical smell so use caution when using it. It is less pure than the tablet form and is usually 65%-70% active chlorine. I use it on my route and find it to be effective in shocking a pool.
Tri-Chlor granular is very powerful stuff. It is basically the Tri-Chlor Tablet grounded up in granular form and is 99% active chlorine. Use with extreme caution as the Conditioner in the granular can stain the plaster. The CYA in the tablet is basically an acid and if you let it pile up on the pool surface it will stain the plaster as if you dropped a 3” Tablet into the pool. Never add this to the skimmer and if you do use it for Black or Mustard algae make sure it is evenly dispersed on the pool surface. Not for use in Vinyl, Fiberglass or color plaster pools.
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[@slimjim77M]

Bought a house with a pool a year ago. Just now finding out about the pitfalls of high CYA. As soon as it got real hot, algae pulled a hostile takeover. Dumped the tablets and have switched to liquid chlorine. Thanks for all the info you provide on your channel.

[@SPL]

I love the way you phrased that! "Algae pulled a hostile takeover!" Glad I could help! 👍

[@rhdtv2002]

Kill the phosphates in the pool. That is the only thing that keeps algae alive

[@tamarakennedy4976]

You sure know your business I love love love the no extra chit chat!!! That part of me is male dominant ...I'm a chick but I can't stand lengthy narrated beat around the bush chit chat...get to the point or I click to another tutorial. Thank you for making your point. Wish this KZbin tutorial on everything was just YOU teaching all subjects. Where were have u been all of my how do I do this or that life?!

[@loopnessmonster4552]

I switched to liquid cholorine and works so much better!

[@dylan833-k2i]

Everytime I have a question I search your videos and boom an answer is there

[@ellahan6710]

Hi,Mr David. This is ella from China. We are manufactory for swimming pool chemicals for 20years. Welcome to shar with you.

[@joseynoyb9467]

Oh my research showed me that dichlor does indeed contain cyanuric acid AKA pool conditioner stabilizer

[@SPL]

Yes.

[@IEraiderfan]

David, I thank you this is an excellent video with a wealth of information thank you.👍👍👍

[@tonyadams7444]

Excellent info, only wished I subscribed sooner. So I’m about to drain my 10k gallon pool because my CYA is through the roof and just like you say in this video, I have yellow and green algae I can’t get rid of. I live in Las Vegas and gets hot, so I keep floater filled with tabs without realizing how much cya I was adding and pretty much choking my pool water. Would you recommend I switch to only liquid chlorine ? I still have two large buckets of tabs I bought when shortage occurred. Use or sell them? Thank you for channel.

[@SPL]

You can use a combination of liquid and tablets. Just use the tablets sparingly maybe 1 tablet every 2 weeks and liquid chlorine as the primary chlorine for your pool. The shelf life of the tablets is 3-4 years so I would keep them. Thanks for the great feedback!

[@cardo1111]

As always a very helpful vid backed by expertise 👍🏽

[@JuanSanchez-tk4vr]

My friend has had pool routes for 14 years and he calls me a Bleacher and says Liquid Chlorine damages and pitts the pool surfaces. Do you believe this claim? He also says that liquid chlorine raises PH and makes you use tons of acid. And liquid chlorine makes it harder to balance your water, according to him.

[@SPL]

Not true.

[@jamesryanharbour1602]

Have a home owner with an above ground pool about 27’, he came across purple staining and grittiness along the floors and walls. Knowing what we know now. His regiment was Dichlor Algacide Every week or so. Maintenance doses on each. Well, i think with no rain in Florida, plus drop in temperature, copper being added, high CYA being added, no acid being added, it was the perfect mixture for it to build

[@SPL]

Sounds like Purple Dust from the high CYA and high copper. Partial draining will fix that, and the purple dust will fade. Of course, stop the copper addition.

[@frogmanar15]

Great video. Love the e book. I was wondering if you got any information or videos on how to change a pool light, did I miss it? Thank you 🙏

[@SPL]

No pool light videos. INYOpools has a great video showing you everything. Thanks for the great feedback! 👍

[@billmadden7280]

Lots of good information on the different types of chlorine 👍

[@SPL]

Thanks Bill! 👍

[@kenyaf7402]

Using liquid chlorine on 30,000 gallon above ground pool.... Added 2 gallons in over a 3 day period.. chlorine test strips still show low chlorine and ph, yet other levels are fine.

[@SPL]

Try bringing it up to a shock level by doubling that. See if it holds.

[@the72u7h4]

I was using shock 73% but recently just started using 10%....or due to recent chlorine shortage most stores are limiting to 2 gallons of chlorine at 10%, but I found 7.5 bleach for 2.65$ with no limit, so been going that route. 16000 gal pool, I use 2 gals for shocking it and it hits around 13-15ppm in the evening. That and pool RX and the normal balancing keeps me going easy.

[@SPL]

Great to hear you found a work around. Yeah, the shortage is gonna be a big problem as it is only June...

[@the72u7h4]

@@SPL I know. I got some 73% cal hypo 12 pack for .....$48. I bought it for 19.22 in March. Only keeping for 'emergencies' as my calcium is starting to approach the higher side so cruising the stores for chlorine.

[@goodwins7779]

Great information thank you.

[@bigbill6545]

I live in Arizona so hot here. Can i use tabs and liquid Chlorine in my pool. Love your channel.

[@SPL]

Yes, Use a combination of both. 👍

[@arthurvin2937]

David, in the past videos about salt pools (3 part video) you suggested 30-50ppm CYA, and explained it by constant chlorine dosing which eliminates need for higher CYA. When did you changed your mind, because now you saying pretty much opposite? In fact, Pentair also recommends 30-50 CYA for their iChlor generator. So where does that 80ppm comes from?

[@SPL]

30-50 ppm is still ideal, and the 80ppm level is not in direct contradiction to that. In a salt pool, the max level should be no more than 80 ppm. The 50-80 ppm comes from some new information on the rate the SWG actually produce chlorine. If you refer to the iChlor manual it gives specific pounds of chlorine produced over a 24 hour period. But most homeowners only run their pool 8-12 hours per day. The higher CYA level helps protect the chlorine in the pool and can, in fact, extend the life of the cell since more chlorine is protected by the higher CYA level. I still keep my Salt Water Pool at the old school 50 ppm. I keep my personal pool at 50 ppm. I don't think either thinking is wrong but Trouble Free Pool and other online sources are going with the 70-80 ppm level.

[@arthurvin2937]

@@SPL ok, my pump is running 24/7 at 2000rpm so I'll keep it at 50, iChlor at 30%. Somebody from TFP said that higher than average CYA can help dealing with pH climb problem, but I don't see any direct chemical connection between pH and CYA other than less cell runtime because of more CYA makes chlorine to last longer. Climbing pH is a big issue with SWG, it almost cancels any benefits of SWG. My pH tends to climb to 8.1 in 3 days, It requires 2 gallons of acid each week to bring it back to 7.6. Or I can keep it at 8.0-8.1 and chlorine at 7ppm to lock in at least somewhat decent ORP index. What do you think would be better option?

[@SPL]

Would suggest adding Borates to your pool. This will help stabilize your pH.

[@mchaelhron279]

Thanks for the tips . Always a good video. Happy swimming!

[@pitviper346]

Hey David, this might be a “duh” question, but would the 1 inch tablets have less of an effect on Cya than the 3”? I want to use liquid chlorine with a little backup from tablets (We’re going into 3 months of triple digit temperatures ) and my pool is only 2,650 gal. Leaving a 3” tablet in the chlorine dispenser might be too strong for my pool. I’m thinking a couple 1” tablets might be better...?

[@SPL]

Yes, 1" would be better in your case.

[@ThatCarGuyEddie]

God I wish you were in my area... I’ve tried 4 people and they all suck!!!!!!

[@HASAPoolInc]

Very informative video!

[@SPL]

HASA makes some good stuff! 👍

[@samconway5288]

When I bought my fiberglass pool back in 2002, they never said anything to me about not to use Trichlor tabs. so I should use liquid chlorine only for my fiberglass pool?

[@SPL]

Yes, liquid is best. Or cal-hypo

[@bbshoney]

So I decided to switch to 12.5 liquid chlorine after using trichlor and CYA levels jumping above 100. Now my CYA is 60 and I use the occasional tablet in a floater but I am finding that I am going through 4 bottles of chlorine every two weeks. Is this normal for a 10,000 gallon pool in the California heat? I also use a solar blanket.

[@SPL]

Yes, that sounds normal.

[@sapien01010]

Thanks for the information! What’s the best chlorine to shock a salt water pool, and how often should I shock it?

[@SPL]

Liquid chlorine and you should not haver to do it very often at all.

[@goat1941]

I never shock my salt pool. Just make sure your chlorine level never goes to zero.

[@PoGoProdigy]

Thanks in advance for all the info…If using trichloro-S tabs, will using arm & hammer clear balance tabs help the cyanuric levels enough to not cause a rise in cyanuric acid levels??

[@SPL]

Not significantly. They still contain a lot of CYA.

[@krewchip]

Hi David, quick question. I am in Phoenix and in the summer, I would always have chlorine tablets in the pool and also added on average 2 gallons of chlorine every week. With tablets so expensive nowadays, I am considering not using tablets anymore and just adding more chlorine every week. Do you see any issues with that? Anything I might not be considering?

[@SPL]

That would work if you are able to add it every 2-3 days. No issues there.

[@rxjefe]

I’m in Phoenix as well, i use 2-3 gallons about every 4 days, never had issues

[@1947froggy]

Can I mix sodium hypochloride liquid and calcium hypochloride powder? In the pool not with each other?

[@SPL]

Yes. The pool is a big enough body of water

[@wearelookingfordistributor7942]

i love Ef-Chlor product

[@corymoore8327]

how would we know how much liquid chlorine to use ? (I.e- 1pound shock raises 10,000 gallons 3ppm)

[@SPL]

Use the poolcalculator.com site. Very good. Just input your numbers.

[@TheBeforewebegin]

This was a decent video except than liquid chlorine(Sodium hydro) is not neutral in PH. It's actually high in PH like Cal Hypo

[@SPL]

The new research shows that the pH will bounce up but drop back down pretty quickly. Listen to Terry Arko explain it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rafVpqePl9ueeMU

[@chonelgoldolindo2009]

Great videos👌🏼👌🏼 Where did you learn to do all the repairs? You took the AST or just research?

[@SPL]

Self taught -LOL. Trial and error back in my day. No KZbin videos or real training available. Now Pentair, Jandy and Hayward host training all of the nation.

[@chonelgoldolindo2009]

Swimming Pool Tips, Reviews & How To - SPL haha Thank god for the internet 😂 Thanks for your reply and for your videos, I’ve learned A LOT from you, You are the best keep it up man 🙏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@eddiemoreno2349]

Hey David. The calcium hardness tends to be on the high side on my 15,000 gallons pool. Probably you recommend liquid chlorine to avoid the calcium to increase. Any brand in particular?

[@SPL]

Liquid is your best bet. HASA from your local pool store is the best.

[@Steve-ej4tp]

Hi David. Just converted our pool from salt to ozone. Also converted from plaster to pebble. Rather than use the tablets by using the installed feeder, I’m thinking about just using liquid chlorine. Is there any issue with not using the installed feeder? Also, how much liquid chlorine should I put in an ozone pool weekly?

[@SPL]

No issue at all. Use this app: www.poolcalculator.com/

[@Steve-ej4tp]

@@SPL Thanks David!

[@justinegarcia8771]

Can I use liquid chlorine in a fiberglass pool? Thank you

[@SPL]

Yes, perfectly safe.

[@alexgunawan98]

If use TCCA powder for seawater how many PPM I need to put ?

[@seatime674]

Hello I'm in Vegas I have a 2 year old pebble Tech pool and was told never to use the bags of powdered shock is there a reason or can I use it once in a while..thx...

[@SPL]

It's possible they could settle on the Pebbletec and stain the surface but probably unlikely to happen.

[@seatime674]

@@SPL okay thank you so throwing a couple of bags of powered shock in once in awhile shouldn't hurt anything correct?

[@stafawu]

Hi , I'm interested about finding out pros and cons of mineral dispensing systems (Frog?) and AOP to reduce chemical dependency. I'm currently using Calcium Hypochlorite to chlorinate because previously using Tri-Clor tabs and stabilizer got high at 83. Now I have to manage the ph and alkalinity much closer by adding sodium bicarbonate and liquid muriatic acid.

[@SPL]

Those work well in most cases and will cut your chlorine use in half. But you can't use Cal-Hypo with them. Only Tri-chlor and liquid chlorine.

[@jameshart6306]

Added 2 gallons on Chlorox 6% to my pool last night. pH jumped from 7.4 to 8.6. I read elsewhere that the pH of bleach is around 12 while Ca-Hypo is about 11?

[@SPL]

The new thought is that liquid chlorine will raise it briefly but the effect wears off and it becomes more pH neutral.

[@captaingnarful]

What are the drawbacks of having high cya?

[@SPL]

Chlorine will be less effective and it will take more chlorine to maintain the pool. Among others.

[@captaingnarful]

Thank you. I just started running a small route.

[@the72u7h4]

@@captaingnarful Biggest is the sheer amount of chlorine you'll have to use. One time my cya was 90-100 and I put 9 shock bags into a 16000 gal pool. It did nothing, the chlorine wasn't working. I drained half the pool to get to 45-50 and once I did that, a couple gals of chlorine would raise to about 13-15ppm chlorine if I had around 1-2 ppm chlorine. 30-50 = keeps chlorine somewhat stabilized, but every few days you have to dump more chlorine in as it burns off from sun.

[@josecastro-tn8ug]

Dude, i have a route of 25 pools, with the high prices of tablets and shock, wich one is better to use it....???

[@SPL]

No easy answer. Price increases are probably overdue. You just can't absorb the high costs. I just sold a customer a 40 lbs bucket of Caal Hypo tablets for $280.00. No way I could afford to absorb the cost of those. So if you can't sell them a bucket as part of your service model you will need to raise your prices.

[@jenraider72]

So I just used cal hypo 70 or 73% shock to reach breakpoint as my total chlorine was high and my free was low. I have a bucket of Lreslie's ChlorBrite granules which is stabilized Di-Chlor on hand from last year. I am so confused by the chemical reaction warnings as to whether I can use any of the dichlor for regular maintenance since I used cal hypo shock? I know never to add together or get near each other but can they both be used in same water, say a day or two after cal hypo shock, can i add dichlor granules? I need to buy 3 in tablets too but all I see in stores are stabilized and usually are Tri chlor tablets. If using cal hypo shock what types of 3 in tablets can I use in a floater that is safe? Which are not compatible? Should I use a different type of shock altogether as well? My Ph has been on high side again now which I think is from the cal hypo. I'm in NJ; above ground vinyl lined pool' about 10,350 gallons with 1 HP pump and 18 inch sand filter. Thank in advance and apologies if my questions are too unclear...

[@SPL]

See if you can find the Poolife Cal Hypo tablets in your area. They contain no CYA

[@Chap1nest]

Do you know how long will the power powder plus 73 shock from Leslies pool will last in the bucket. I want to buy 2 25lbs buckets but I am a do it your self pool at home guy. I just want to know if it will last a year o two inside the bucket.

[@SPL]

Probably well over 2 years.

[@Remember0811]

@@SPL I use tabs in floating cholrine dispenser and have battled cya twice in two years, so bad we twice had to drained the pool. Now its all good and I add some of the power powder plus from Leslie's once a week as was instructed to do so by our pool guy. Does the power powder plus add cya? Thanks.

[@punxnotdead3873]

Hi I use liquid for my dosing, I also use clear view tabs 1 or 2 in floater since temps get to 110- 120 all summer in phoenix . I notice small white flakes around bottom, from the tabs, is this normal? I just do not want pieces staining new pebble sheen surface.

[@SPL]

Probably poor quality tabs that didn't have a good amount of paste. Try closing the sides of the floater completely to see if that helps. The tablets will still dissolve.

[@punxnotdead3873]

@@SPL thanks

[@ralphhern]

Are you saying that 1 pound of shock is equal to 1 gallon of liquid chlorine. Does that mean if i need one pound of shock i could substitute for 1 gallon of liquid chlorine?

[@SPL]

Yes. 12.5% liquid chlorine is actually stronger than 1 bag of shock.

[@arhamahabab7356]

can u help i cant find any tablets for my pool

[@fernandoHernandez-tl3bo]

Can u recomend best phosphate remover. My pool has between 3300 to 400 ppb

[@SPL]

Orenda PR10000

[@fernandoHernandez-tl3bo]

Thank u. Ill buy rite now

[@antoineleedolliole7549]

Hey brother I been using di chlor and liquid back and forth and it has resulted in a counter balance where the liquid cause pH to rise over the range desired, but adding different chlorine drops the ph reducing my need for muriatic acid. If I add too much dichlor ( to me, meaning if my p goes under 7.4), I have to add sodium bicarbonate when it occasionally pulls down alkalinity, too. I just thought the ph was around 13 for liquid and was somewhere between 3-4 for dichlor. I developed a "feel" for how many scoops vs gallons to add but would like a formula to work with.

[@SPL]

Smart method!

[@Bunkysworkshop]

So if I just use liquid chlorine for my 30,000 gallon pool how many gallons Approximately should I use per week?

[@SPL]

Quite a lot in the Summer. Use the poolcalculator.com app. It is really good for calculating the dosage.

[@vogelvogeltje]

Where do I get TCCA?

[@SICKDUDE38]

whats the best chlorine to use in quartzon pools as i am having a problem with calcium build up

[@SPL]

Liquid chlorine is the most neutral so I would go with that.

[@junior_4687]

I’m trying to switch from tabs in a floater to liquid chlorine just worried the liquid won’t last long enough until I get to the pool again, do you use both maybe not as many tabs and more liquid and about how much liquid chlorine do you normally put into pool on average I know all pools are different and so are temps but just need a ball park range to get an idea thank you !

[@SPL]

You would need a combination of both still. less tabs of course and more liquid.

[@junior_4687]

Swimming Pool Tips, Reviews & How To - SPL Is that how you do it normally I just don’t see liquid chlorine lasting to long here in Texas where heat index has been about 110 degrees lol

[@CroatianNinja]

You know I never could understand the difference between a bag of shock and a gallon of chlorine is it just that shock isn't a granular form why is it so effective at cleaning up a green pool hoping you can answer that when you get a chance thank you

[@SPL]

I think both are equally effective. Shock just appears stronger due to the powder form. I use a combination of both just because of convenience on a green pool.

[@jimobrien84]

Shock is a marketing term. Some are non-chlorine algaecides and others are calcium hypochlorite, with or without cynauric acid. Dry chlorine media such as this will raise your calcium hardness over the season unless you’re cycling fresh water to dilute it. Liquid chlorine is just unstabilized sodium hypochlorite; it will quickly raise your chlorine residual but burn off quickly in the sun. Either form in sufficient concentration (30 ppm) will clear algae

[@austine2680]

The one thing that's good about shock (or anything in the granular form) is that when you have algae, you can sprinkle it directly on the problem area for maximum potency during the dissolve time.

[@gambno99]

Thanks! Another great video. Quick question? How much liquid chlorine should I be adding each day during the summer? I live in SoCal and I usually have to add a half gallon each day. Seems like a lot. I'm a novice and still learning. Thanks

[@SPL]

It may not be unusual. It all depends on the pool size and the season. Typically if you have a Salt Water Generator it would add the equivalent of 1/2 gallon each day to a pool 20K -25k gallons.

[@gambno99]

@@SPL Thank you so much. Yeah, I have a 20K pool and I add half a gallon during the summer.

[@IbrahimAli-xe9iz]

Which trichlor decreases the PH lvl? I got confused little bit. My Ph lvl is little bit high and wanna decrease the Ph lvl while I am shocking my pool.

[@SPL]

Tri-chlor granular but be careful as it could also burn the surface.

[@IbrahimAli-xe9iz]

@@SPL thx

[@philindeblanc]

Hi David, My water tester says I need Alkaline, and PH higher...But the sodium carbonate and the Cyanuric acid do NOT dissolve even in a bucket of hot water I am using a mixing bit with. How do I get this in there to bring these test readings up?

[@Crazyd2050]

Using cyanuric acid has nothing to raising ph or alkalinity. Use sodium b to raise alkalinity. Use soda ash or baking soda to raise ph. Only adjust conditioner when needed.

[@Crazyd2050]

Stay away from the granular cyn. They make it in powder form and liquid form. As you know it takes forever to dissolve. You can put it in your skimmer basket and let it slowly dissolve.

[@SPL]

You can pour he Cyunaric Acid directly into the skimmer. Remove the pump basket so the granulars pass into the filter easily. Then run pool 24 hours. Then put pump basket back in. You can also pour the pH up directly into the skimmer.

[@SPL]

Yes, he might be confused.

[@jimobrien84]

I’d use sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, rather than carbonate which is soda ash. It raises alkalinity better and it’s cheaper and dissolves easily . It will also raise your pH, although not as much as sodium carbonate will. Cynauric acid if anything will lower your pH although it’s intended use is to stabilize chlorine.

[@raulvillegas8001]

How do you keep a heated pool chlorined?

[@SPL]

It just requires extra chlorine and more frequent checking.

[@MrHarmonizr]

I've always noticed PH raises when I use liquid chlorine....

[@SPL]

Yes, but according to Bob Lowry who is a genius in chemistry it rises initially but drops back down the next day: "LIQUID CHLORINE DOES NOT RAISE pH: A misunderstanding about liquid chlorine, bleach and cal hypo is that they all raise the pool water pH. In actuality, the net effect on pH is zero. It is true that the pH goes up initially with the addition of these hypochlorites. This occurs as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or calcium hydroxide (CaOH) are created along with hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the killing form of chlorine. However, as HOCl degrades through exposure to UV, bacteria or algae, it converts into hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is the non-killing form of chlorine and has the effect of reducing pH." The amount of pH-reducing hydrochloric acid created is almost equal to the pH-boosting NaOH or CaOH. So they just keep canceling each other out: The pH may go up today, but then it goes back down tomorrow.

[@larrysheltmire5358]

Yes, very true. Sodium Hypochlorite is the most alkaline sanitizer. It has a high PH of about 11-12 in a 1% solution. Significant acid demand to keep PH at the recommended level. I use sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine) in my pool as well. I not sure why David said ( will not rise your PH)? It will! But not a problem if you deal with it.

[@Poolwhisperer911]

Swimming Pool Tips, Reviews & How To - SPL While it may go down but isn’t that because the chlorine loses a lot of its powers once it hits organisms. Then the shock cycle starts again re raising the ph. It matters when the lab comes out to test the water that day. If ph is too high they demand u to lower it . As a result we always rotate between all types of chlorine which anyways should be done to avoid raising the cya level too high.

[@beegeesg5685]

@@SPL In your video about liquid chlorine from 2012, you said you should pour in acid to bring down the pH after adding liquid chlorine. Is that no longer your advice?

[@matthewwallace5080]

Can you use Cal-Hypo shock with Tri-Chlor tablets for daily chlorine levels. Struggling trying to figure out my balance as my CYA got to last year as I used a Tri-Chlor shock.

[@SPL]

Yes, that is a good combination.

[@four20smp]

It’s to bad we can’t use chlorine gas anymore.. 99.99% chlorine with no cyanuric acid. A pound of chlorine gas is still .48 cents.

[@krehbein]

That sounds dangerous. Pool store I go to got its start delivering chlorine gas something like 50 years ago.

[@four20smp]

Kevr all chemicals are dangerous.

[@krehbein]

kyle bolender True, to varying degrees. How was the gas stored and used around pools back then?

[@four20smp]

Kevr chlorine gas is stored in a cylinder tank. Like how co2 or acetylene is stored. You had a manifold with a hose , you use to throw that in the pool and turn on the gas for about 10-15 seconds. Algae didn’t stand a chance. It was simple but more high risk than let’s say chlorine bleach. But chlorine bleach is only 16%, takes so much more and it adds 1lbs of salt for every gallon! Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s right. Yes any dope off the street can pour bleach in the pool, I guarantee they didn’t have the algae problems back then as they do now.

[@1stmoviefan]

It all sounds unhealthy

[@Fish-cj4ub]

Why do you think that?

[@gregoryfaulkner5345]

Troublefreepool.com Great video, but David always falls just short of endorsing the TFPC / BBB method of pool care in his videos, even though he hints towards many of their principles, methods and techniques quite often. SPL gets closer than anywhere else that I've found towards TFP's actual implementation of pool water chemistry for sanitation, but he doesn't quite get us there, and therefore, he is still allowing for a method of chlorine and cya management that is not founded in valid chemistry and is an inadequacy looking for an algae outbreak or other problems to occur or very inconvenient remedies to be required all because FC is kept too low relative to the CYA level. David's techniques and tricks can't be trusted as the best advice, because he suggests that an average pool owner can maintain a guaranteed sanitary pool while using other forms of chlorine other than sodium hypochlorite (liquid or generator-produced chlorine), and while it may be possible to manage long term with other forms, I've never seen, read, or heard of a regimen using one of these other forms that manages chlorine and cya and other levels like calcium hardness as part of their plan. The other forms all end up in an eventuality for failure as part of their plan; failure meaning conducting major and expensive procedures like required drain and refills; weekly shocking events to make up for insufficient FC levels or too high CYA levels or both; phosphate remover requirements as algae blooms must be expected if one needs to reduce phosphates; and extra chemicals needed to prevent outbreaks, such as polyquat or other algecides that are never necessary if FC is kept at adequate levels, as TFPC recommends. Although it may be physically possible to figure out how much weight of trichlor tablet material that it takes in a floater to release enough ppm of chlorine to keep a specific pool volume above that 7.5% of FC to CYA minimum at all times, as TFPC has proven to be a chemistry necessity; and also, along with a very complex targeted dosing method using trichlor pucks, one would also need a method whereby he or she calculates and then records the cumulative trichlor tablet dissolved weight throughout the season and figure out how much dissolved weight of trichlor tablet material that it takes to raise CYA by 10, and then once that weight limit has been dissolved in one's pool, then compensate for each 10 CYA rise, by recalculating a new FC level based on the new CYA level. TFPC cuts out all this complexity while still ensuring adequate FC levels by recommending liquid chlorine or bleach. Here is how they prescribe its application: Using the TFPC method of pool care, if I target and successfully set my CYA to 40 at the first of the pool season and confirm via testing, my CYA level, I know that, based on 40 ppm, my FC must not drop below 3, because TFPC has proven through chemistry that 7.5% of the CYA level is the minimum adequate level of FC that must be maintained in non saltwater pools. So following TFPC's prescription of chlorine management; now that I have my set CYA level, and it is in the suggested range, I can now test FC every evening (or the most convenient time of the day; same approx time each day) and add enough liquid chlorine or bleach using their pool math calculator to put me up to a daily target level. That target level will ensure my pool stays above 3 ppm FC for the following 24 hours. The next day, I do the same thing, and every day after until, after a while I develop sort of an art; I know my pool well enough that I can sort of skip the testing and confirm what I think I know my pool is doing and start testing about every third day. Every couple of months, I test my CYA to see if it may have degraded; adjust as necessary, my CYA level, FC level or both. This is the TFPC method for maintaining the proper amount of chlorine in pools to guarantee it stays sanitized. It's fast, easy and cheap. No shocking events except for winter closing. If an outbreak does occur, which is very unlikely, then I conduct SLAM (shock-level and maintain); not just shock and forget, as the pool industry haphazard recommends. Since I'm using only sodium hypochlorite (bleach or liquid chlorine), I don't have to worry about raising other levels while I'm managing this proper FC to CYA ratio throughout the season, and unlike cal-hypo, I additionally, don't have to worry about pre mixing the chemical in a bucket. The only real thing I have to worry about is making sure I keep fresh liquid product, that I'm diligent in my care, and making sure I keep my chlorine in a cool, dark place to ensure potency; and occasionally verifying, and raising as necessary, CYA. PH and TA are rarely out of range, because, as noted in this video, sodium hypochlorite is PH neutral, but one must know that, to properly test for PH, it must be done before dosing with liquid chlorine or bleach for the day, because PH tests are invalid when FC is at high levels. The TFPC method of chlorine and cya management uses valid chemistry in its conception and application as outlined above. It all makes sense. We need an adequate amount of FC at all times in a pool relative to the cya level, and that has been shown through the research and publications of Richard Falk, aka chemgeek who proved what Ben Powell observed back in the 1980s (the chlorine/cya chart) must be maintained to guarantee a trouble free pool with respect to preventing and killing outbreaks. TFPC is based on the chemistry truth that a specific amount of hypochlorus acid is needed to be present in a pool at all times to ensure it stays sanitary. The higher the CYA level, the more of that sanitizing force that is bound up in the CYA and in reserve, and the smaller proportion that is actively working. The traditional method of pool care does not use valid chemistry in its chlorine and cya management system that they teach pool owners. It's a chemically flawed method of pool care. The chlorine level recommendations using the traditional methods are based on pools operated more than 100 years ago; before cyanuric acid was discovered to help manage chlorine levels. In other words, only in a pool where no cya is present, would an FC level 1-4 be sufficient, but, as we know, without cya, it would be very hard to keep FC in a pool. So while the industry updated itself 100 years ago to recommend cya, they left the chemistry part out of their methodologies that would account for how that cya lessens the active proportion of FC that's in the pool. So the industry claims that pools should have cya between 30-50 just like TFPC, but then they turn around and tell us that we can let FC drop as low as .5 in some teachings. Well, if your CYA is 40 as it the TFPC example, and you're letting FC drop to .5, then when you cancel out the proportion of FC that's in reserve, there is really no active chlorine in the pool. The industry knows there is a problem, but they have come to suggest all sorts of remedies except for raising chlorine levels. Those remedies include, but are not limited to: weekly routine shocking events, that are not true shock levels, because, as is the case for maintenance FC levels that are inadequate, they also don't account for cya in their recommended shock levels, and in some pools with higher cya levels (over 80), the shock level recommendation is actually not even an adequate maintenance FC level; phosphate removers; copper-based algaecides to clear green pools; regular use of polyquat-based alagecides; drain and refills; excessively running pumps/filters to try and make up for under chlorinated swimming pools.

[@SPL]

I endorse the TFP/BBB Method. I cover it in my print and eBook and on my website. But maybe I only sip the Kool-Aid in some eyes. Great write-up 👊