First time poster - excited to use BBB method but have a question!

[rdbrya1]

Thanks to all of you for the help!! I will most definitely order my test kit from the link in the signature to support this board.

Hopefully this doesn't sound dumb but I just wanted to make sure I understood correctly - that the Sam's Brand tablets that are 99% active ingredient undiluted trichlor...does that mean they do not add any stabilizer?

I have been keeping my FC around 2-3 and have not had any problems but based on the best guess chart it says I should keep it at 5. I am wondering should I increase it or leave it alone.

Unfortunately I cannot return the 50Lbs super skimmer tablets so I will have to decide if its worth losing the money or not and tossing them or trying to use them :-(

[PoolDoc]

1. Trichlor is, molecularly, a stabilizer molecule with 3 attached chlorine atoms. So, 100% trichlor does add stabilizer.

2. You can probably get away with lower chlorine levels in cool weather, but once water temps hit 70 degrees, you need to match your chlorine to your CYA level.

3. I found label info here: http://www.kellysolutions.com/erenew...1_26_02_AM.pdf

Your tabs are 80% trichlor, 10% borax, and 10% aluminum sulfate. The borax is fine -- it will keep the pH from dropping so much. The aluminum sulfate (alum) is OK . . . IF you have a sand filter. If you have a cartridge filter, you will need to clean more often. If you have a DE filter, you may also need to clean more, but I don't think the alum will hurt the filter.

This formulation does NOT contain copper, which is what stains pools.

[CarlD]

1. T
Your tabs are 80% trichlor, 10% borax, and 10% aluminum sulfate. The borax is fine -- it will keep the pH from dropping so much. The aluminum sulfate (alum) is OK . . . IF you have a sand filter. If you have a cartridge filter, you will need to clean more often. If you have a DE filter, you may also need to clean more, but I don't think the alum will hurt the filter.

This formulation does NOT contain copper, which is what stains pools.

I am guessing they are cutting the tri-chlor with cheaper ingredients that are not as destructive as others. Since tri-chlor tends to be very acidic, the borax would offset that, and, as Ben says, borates can inhibit algae. I don't know much about aluminum sulfate, but I am guessing it is a pH raiser as well.

[PoolDoc]

Carl, aluminum sulfate is an old-line floc and filter aid. It used to be fairly standard on commercial pools to feed small amounts of aluminum sulfate upstream of sand filters. It has the fairly unique quality of being able -- under certain conditions -- to tie up or capture metal ions. But I've never been able to find out exactly what those conditions were.

[CarlD]

Ah! I bow to your superior knowledge!
I'd still bet it helps reduce the production cost of those tri-chlor tabs...but, then again, I do have a cynical streak!

[PoolDoc]

I wasn't trying to say alum wasn't cheaper -- I'm almost certain it is, and that you are correct about their motives for adding it. I was just explaining what it does, and why it's a comparatively benign additive.

[chem geek]

A decent online source is poolgeek.com and they sell the following (prices are for 25 pound size) GLB 3" Trichlor tabs at a decent price ($91.14) and these are 99% pure Trichlor. You'll save even more if you can find these tabs in a local pool store since shipping is extra ($9.99 for 25 pounds). Other brands at 99% include Omni ($102.25), Robarb ($86.57 that appears to be the cheapest), ProTeam ($117.08).

[CarlD]

I wasn't trying to say alum wasn't cheaper -- I'm almost certain it is, and that you are correct about their motives for adding it. I was just explaining what it does, and why it's a comparatively benign additive.

I was just exploring the rationale for combining Borax and the alum with Tri-chlor. I also don't know much about it chemically.

[PoolDoc]

PS. Do NOT 'toss' trichor tablets. Doing so would be a serious environmental violation, if you were caught. And given that trichlor might explode or catch fire if mixed with certain types of garbage, there's a good chance that "tossing" a 50# bucket would get caught!

[PoolDoc]

Oops. I must have accidentally closed this thread -- it's open now.