Chlorine/Javel

I have maintained my swimming pool since 2008 using Javel with no algae problems. However, a new liner has just been fitted, and the contractor said to only use the more expensive liquid chlorine, never Javel.

Since refilling the pool last week, the pool is using high quantities of liquid chlorine.

At the end of last season I noticed for the first time that the original liner felt gritty. Was this as a result of Javel use over 10 years? The new liner is high spec to take account of an abri fitted 5 years ago which raising the temperatures, hastened the demise of the original. I do not want to jeopardise the new liner following the above advice and recognise the pool contractor may have a vested interest. Any thoughts please?

I used javel last year but my husband who did the pouring and measuring found it messy. Also it seemed to push our ph levels up constantly.
This year I’ve bought HTH chlorine sticks for the skimmer. They’re not cheap but they seem very effective and I know that I’m getting a steady dose of pure chlorine.
I also use a multi action galet because we need a bit of stabilizer.
I don’t know anything about gritty liners. Hope you get an answer to your problem.

Hi Teresa

Thank for the reply, I know what you mean as have ruined many clothes with Javel splashes!

I have just changed back to automatic dosing but wonder if there is any adverse chemical reason for pool purposes in using Javel as against chlorine designed for the purpose. Linked to this, is the gritty surfacing found on the old vinyl liner may be calicification of sorts, but why after 10 years of Javel use?

Your contractor is talking nonsense!
Gritty liner is due to calcium from your water and nothing else.
Javel is sodium hypochlorite exactly the same formation as pool chlorine. The only difference is the concentration, brico Javel is 9.6% compared to 14-15% pool shop chlorine but that will cost 2-3 times as much.
You should also be using CYA chlorine stabiliser which you can get from pool shops or via multi action galets

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Only issue is they are calcium hypochlorite which will increase your water hardness which can cause scale (gritty liner)
Never mix the two types of chlorine! Ok once they are dissolved in the pool.

Yes it will do that if the alkalinity level is too high. I run my alkalinity around 40ppm and haven’t added any pH minus, pH pump is disconnected.

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Thank you. Well they’ve almost run out so I won’t buy any more then. I wasn’t using them for the full dose just as a supplement.
Just shows every silver lining has a cloud. :grin:
Glad I posted on here as I would not have found out about this.

And there is me thinking chlorine liquid is already formulated with a stabiliser. Apart from the strength , why is there a market fir it at three times the price?

There is Chlorine liquid with stabiliser, Bayrol make it.
The market is an effect of contractors and pool shops spreading false information. It is not widely available in the UK for example due to our regulations which stem from the EU, but which France choose to ignore so we benefit from the saving.