Liquid vs. Granular Chlorine


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Old 08-09-17, 06:33 AM
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Liquid vs. Granular Chlorine

I would like to know what the pros and cons are for liquid vs. granular chlorine used in a gunite pool. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
 
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Old 08-09-17, 08:57 PM
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I've only ever used granular in my 20'x40' 45 year old Sylvan pool. When my pool was built..... Anthony Pools used gunite and Sylvan Pools used a similar product but not called gunite. Now Anthony and Sylvan are one company.

I don't even use granular anymore..... except for shocking. I use chlorine tablets. I put them right in the return baskets.
 
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Old 08-10-17, 05:19 AM
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There are several different types of chlorine. Since you didn't say what chlorines you are comparing it's hard to say.

There are two basic groups of chlorine. One is unstabilized, basic chlorine much like household bleach. Some people use it to shock their pools but it can throw off your pH if you use enough of it.
The others are stabilized and usually in granular or tablet form and they contain an added chemical with the chlorine to stabilize (prevent it from breaking down as quickly) in the sun and at higher temperatures. The stabilized versions begin with the dichlor or trichlor and are good for hot tubs and outdoor pools because they are longer lived and have a more balanced pH.
 
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Old 08-13-17, 09:36 AM
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Liquid, stabilizer, etc.

The liquid chlorine will mix most easily and won't settle to the pool floor like a granular type can, causing potential localized bleaching/staining. But the liquid bleach is more hazardous to store, and you don't want it to spark or splash you when pouring, so granular has a following I think for safety reasons.

The chlorine that is "stabilized" does include a chemical typically cyanuric acid, that forms a weak bond with chlorine and prevents the breakdown of chlorine in sunlight (uv) which will otherwise burn off free chlorine in a matter of hours. If your pool is covered, or you check and maintain your own chemistry frequently, you are best off without the stabilizer, indeed the problems with stabilizer are when there is too much, which actually reduces the sanitation effect of the chlorine. If you need the convenience of less chemistry adjustment and your pool is open all the time, the stabilized chlorine idea will serve you better. But...

Keep in mind that if there is too much, you can not reduce or remove it other than draining the water and refilling. Given the cyanuric acid is not used up over time, continued use of a stabilized chlorine will over charge the stabilizer level over time, leading to problems with the chlorine doing the job. So if you want to go the stabilized route, use regular chlorine, but do a one time add of the stabilizer separately. That way you have the right amount that is safe and effective, and do not end up with an unintended build up over time.

I would say a lot of the chlorine sold in the stores in stabilized, so check the container carefully to make sure you get what you intend. The plain chlorine is also of course cheaper.
 
 

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