# Pool chemicals for water purification



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I bought some pool chemicals today to use for anothr project. As I looked at them trying to decide what to buy, I had the thought that if this stuff does that for a pool, and i have drank pool water before(not on purpose). Why couldn't I use this stuff for my preps. It more concentrated, cheaper, a dry chemical instead of liquid. It just made sence to me that it would be better than Clorox.
A 1lb. bag of dry chemical, _HTH "Pool Shock"_ was $4.99 and treated 12,000 gallons of water


I have never dealt with pool chemicals before. Anyone here able to shine light on the subject for me.:shrug:


----------



## Sweetsurrender (Jan 14, 2009)

Pool chemicals such as chlorine and bromine are oxydizers and will rust your cans and tools if they are left in the same room. I learned this the hard way. 


I had an opened, but tightly shut 5 gallon pail of bromine tablets in my garage the first winter after I bought this house which has a pool. Now, I have a whole lot of canned good, tools and paint cans that are rusted in my garage. Do not store together.

I wouldn't know to use it to treat stored water with it but in a SHTF scenario I intend on shocking my pool once a week, skimming it and stirring it to keep it somewhat clean and balanced. I would use it to wash myself and such but I wouldn't drink it unless I purified or boiled it before hand.


----------



## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html


SUPER sock it
Vinyl & Plaster pool shock 5lb bottle at Walmarts for about 12 dollars you can treat 640 gallons of water


*calcium hypochlorite* not the sodium, make sure it has no other additives,.


You can use granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately Â¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a stock chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. To disinfect water, add the chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately Â½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the disinfected water by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another.to disinfect water.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately Â¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a stock chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. To disinfect water, add the chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately Â½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the disinfected water by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another.


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

What about using "pool shock" for Laundry bleach?


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

7thswan said:


> What about using "pool shock" for Laundry bleach?


IF YOU DELUTE IT ENOUGH, the bleach you buy in the store is 2% the pool shock is 90 somthing percent a table spoon per gallon might be a reasonable dilution.

i used to work for a pool company we were cleaning up the shop and the owners dog kenel atached , durring the slow season , told the new guy to mop the floors with a sanitize as the dogs had messed on them , he puts in about a cup of shock in 3-4 gallons of water , lets say it was march we had to open every overhead door and run fans and hose down the floor to clear out the shop , and yes all the tools in the place rusted anyway as the were around it enough , even the aluninum would get a grit to it. 

be carefull when working with stuff that strong , you can gas yourself very easily 

we would sprinkle shock in plaster bottom pools after drain and clean , if you hadn't rinced every bit of acid from the pool it was easy to get a gas cloud , somtimes if it was a still day just spreading it around you would get a snort full of chlorine , hold breath and run for fresh air yes we did have protective masks and we wore them when it was very bad or we needed to work and the day was absolutly still. but walking around like darth vader scares customers besides being very uncomfortable masks had to be full face to cover the eyes , wich are easily burned by chlorine and acid. and if you were wearing them you also needed the suit or the stuff would irritate your skin bad. 

the best first aid for chlorine and acid exposure is freshair and water water water , if you think some got splashed on you , you would turn the hose on yourelf that instant better wet than burnt 

you can get the clorine in liquid , it would work better for your water purification , as it is not bound to calcium.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Pool shock also contains a flocculant, which groups small particles together and eventually allows them to settle out. I'd be more concerned about that than the chlorine.


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> IF YOU DELUTE IT ENOUGH, the bleach you buy in the store is 2% the pool shock is 90 somthing percent a table spoon per gallon might be a reasonable dilution.


I would dilute it even more for laundry. Maybe 1/2 of a teaspoon to start. Like he said. "it's strong". I have used too much bleach before on whites. My tighty whities were bright but, I ended up pulling the elastic right off of them. :bash:


----------



## forfreedom (Dec 3, 2008)

To desinfect water, why not just boil it? 

So, if I wanted to store bags of shock for the future needs, let's say, 
how and where should I store it? Apperently garage and shed are off limits...:stars:

I do remember from my computer tech days, we had a client, a pool supply store, his computers would rust out every month or so.


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Thank you for the Info.


----------



## cindy71 (Jul 7, 2008)

Can you buy 100% powdered bleach without any additives at pool store?


----------



## Sweetsurrender (Jan 14, 2009)

forfreedom said:


> To desinfect water, why not just boil it?
> 
> So, if I wanted to store bags of shock for the future needs, let's say,
> how and where should I store it? Apperently garage and shed are off limits...:stars:
> ...


I now store all my pool chemicals in 5 gallon buckets outside after learning the hard way.


----------



## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

I just shocked my pool, & have the empty bag in front of me. The active ingredients are:

Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione....63.05%
Copper (Metallic)*...................... 0.26%
Other ingreients.........................36.69%

Available Chlorine... 39%

* Derived from Copper Citrate

ETA: I have an old pie safe painted nicely that I use for pool towels and chemicals on the back porch.


----------



## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

We went to a salt water generator for our pool and cut expenses 75%...but I still buy HTH as it has MANY interesting uses besides pools.


----------



## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

Stephen in SOKY said:


> I just shocked my pool, & have the empty bag in front of me. The active ingredients are:
> 
> Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione....63.05%
> Copper (Metallic)*...................... 0.26%
> ...


 maybe you should have read my post and what the EPA stated.


----------



## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Didn't mean to upset anyone, just had the bag handy & thought folks might be interested in the active ingredients list. I'll ty to control my urge to share information in the future.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Sounds like someone needs a dip in the pool.  The point is valid that not all "shocks" are the same. I've not yet run across one with copper, (which can turn hair green) so that formula was interesting to me.


----------

