Pool Owners: Possible Chlorine Shortage

ExFlyBoy5

ExFlyBoy5

Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Saw an article this AM about how there could be a chlorine shortage soon due to a myriad of reasons. I didn't want to spend the $$$ initially on a salt water chlorine generator, but I am glad I did.

The chlorine shortage is widespread and it will likely worsen — driving chlorine prices even higher — as homeowners start to prep swimming pools for the season. CNBC spoke to pool industry insiders in multiple states — including Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Texas — about the tight supplies, which are expected to blindside pool owners, who are largely unaware of the problem...“I call it ‘Poolmageddon.’ It’s a chlorine crisis,” the Florida-based writer said. “A lot of people are not going to be able to find the chlorine tablets they need this season.”
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https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/30/a-m...t-to-spoil-swimming-pool-fun-this-summer.html
 
X2 on salt system is great, what we have also. Very low maintenance and costs to run. Just a little higher initial cost.
 
Freedom56 said:
We have a salt water pool and generate our own chlorine.
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Which is what we have, nonetheless...I do keep liquid chlorine on hand in case I need to SLAM the pool. Also, some need the chlorine for when the temps as too low for the generator to work.
 
Thanks for the reminder. I have a huge bucket of 3" pool tablets that I no longer use and keep forgetting to post for sale online. Been in the shed for a few years, I hope they don't expire or go bad.
 
I rushed out to Costco to get a pail of chlorine tabs, as I was running low. I don't want my pool to turn into an algae pond.

They were out, but I checked with the manager to learn that a shipment was coming in the next day.

When I came back the next day to get it, 1/2 of the pallet was already sold. I am now set for the summer.
 
ExFlyBoy5 said:
Saw an article this AM about how there could be a chlorine shortage soon due to a myriad of reasons. I didn't want to spend the $$$ initially on a salt water chlorine generator, but I am glad I did.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! I remember seeing the TV clips of the Bio-whatever fire.

I went to the local chain pool store just before 9 AM Saturday morning. Tried the door, they were open before the clock struck 9! And people were arriving fast. All heading for Chlorine tab buckets. Last night after hours their website showed that store having 50lb. buckets at a sale price, in-stock. But it turned out they had one left, and it was sold already via internet for pickup. We printed a 15% off sales coupon before I went, and that knocked the price down on the 35lb bucket I bought. But people around me there were grabbing 2 (the limit) of the 35lb. buckets and paying full price and not saying a word. So for them that was almost $250 tax included!

We have enough to last us into winter now. We keep a bubble cover on from late Oct. to sometime in May usually, and use very little Chlorine when covered.
 
Well, better brace for a price increase from our pool service.
 
Uh oh...chlorine tablets are the new toilet paper!🤣 Prepare for hoarding!
 
Not sure if this will impact liquid chlorine, but unfortunately, my understanding is that liquid chlorine degrades over time. Therefore, I don't think massive hoarding of it is advisable. Not to mention, it would be a bit of a pain to store.

I have a salt water generator, but I still use liquid chlorine to raise the chlorine level when I close the pool. Hopefully this will sort itself out by the end of the summer.
 
I had 24 gallons of fresh 12.5% liquid chlorine delivered last week. I'm trying to raise my CYA a bit since I lost a lot of water due to a crack in my skimmer, so I'll be using 3" tabs for the first couple of months to bring this level. Ordered a 50 lb bucket of tabs from Doheney's yesterday to supplement what I have. Once the CYA level reaches 40 or 50, I'll switch over to my Stenner pump for liquid chlorine injection. I should have enough to get through the season.
 
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I was at Home Depot and looked at the price of a box of two one gallon jugs of chlorine at it was $8.99 versus $10.99 last year. I don't see any big price hikes. We have a salt water pool and chlorine generator but we do a super chlorine shock to our pool before we leave on a trip.
 
kjpliny said:
I had 24 gallons of fresh 12.5% liquid chlorine delivered last week. I'm trying to raise my CYA a bit since I lost a lot of water due to a crack in my skimmer, so I'll be using 3" tabs for the first couple of months to bring this level. Ordered a 50 lb bucket of tabs from Doheney's yesterday to supplement what I have. Once the CYA level reaches 40 or 50, I'll switch over to my Stenner pump for liquid chlorine injection. I should have enough to get through the season.
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I just buy CYA from vendors on Ebay and maintain a level of about 50.
 
Thanks for posting. I had not heard about this.

I use a combination of 3" tabs and 12.5% liquid. My 50# bucket of tabs is about 2/3 full. I use one tab every 7-10 days. So I should be OK for quite a while. I just checked Amazon and the Swim Best 50# bucket is selling for $450. My last purchase was $100 late last year.

I get liquid in bulk returnable bottles from the local pool store. I use it for shock and to keep the chlorine a little higher during summer. I just called the local store and they said it's still same price, with plenty available. It's 12.5% and sells for $25 per 4-gallon case. I usually keep 2 cases on hand and I'm almost out. So I might get 4 cases this time.
 
Again, more bs from mainstream. There's not a shortage, just a calculated generated one. These companies know they can release a simple article talking about one company that makes chlorine had an issue and people will run for their lives to buy up as much as they can.

Why is the price of romex so high? $130+ for 12/2 250'? Hmm...is there a shortage of copper and plastic? Less than a year ago it was $57...ask me how I know. Never let a tragedy go to waste.
 
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Cobra9777 said:
Thanks for posting. I had not heard about this.

I use a combination of 3" tabs and 12.5% liquid. My 50# bucket of tabs is about 2/3 full. I use one tab every 7-10 days. So I should be OK for quite a while. I just checked Amazon and the Swim Best 50# bucket is selling for $450. My last purchase was $100 late last year.

I get liquid in bulk returnable bottles from the local pool store. I use it for shock and to keep the chlorine a little higher during summer. I just called the local store and they said it's still same price, with plenty available. It's 12.5% and sells for $25 per 4-gallon case. I usually keep 2 cases on hand and I'm almost out. So I might get 4 cases this time.
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That is a high price for 12.5%. I got mine at Ocean State Job Lot for $3.49/gal:

https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/liquid-pool-shock-1-gal/product/97194

Unfortunately, these stores are only in the Northeast.
 
kjpliny said:
That is a high price for 12.5%. I got mine at Ocean State Job Lot for $3.49/gal:

https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/liquid-pool-shock-1-gal/product/97194

Unfortunately, these stores are only in the Northeast.
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Yeah, it is a little high. But it's actually 15% when it arrives at the pool store in bulk tanks. They transfer it to returnable 1gal bottles and sell it as 12.5%. But in my experience, it's usually very fresh and closer to 15% than 12.5%. It's pretty convenient also... you buy it on their website and they have a drive-through where they load it in the back of your car and take your empties.

For many years, I used regular Walmart 10% bleach, which sold for $2.89/gal. But a few years ago, they dropped the percentage of sodium hypochlorite to 7.5%, reduced the size to 81oz, and raised the price to $2.94. So that's not an option now.

During swimming season, Walmart sometimes has 10% liquid chlorine for $3.49/gal, which works out to be slightly cheaper than the pool store. I've even found it on sale for $2.50 at the start of the swim season. But the supply is "iffy" and I question the freshness. Same with Home Depot and Lowes. So I usually just buy from the pool store.
 
Can we expect the cost of public water to increase?
 
Cobra9777 said:
Yeah, it is a little high. But it's actually 15% when it arrives at the pool store in bulk tanks. They transfer it to returnable 1gal bottles and sell it as 12.5%. But in my experience, it's usually very fresh and closer to 15% than 12.5%. It's pretty convenient also... you buy it on their website and they have a drive-through where they load it in the back of your car and take your empties.
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I like my local pool store. Sure, it’s a bit more expensive, but it’s nice to have them nearby so I support them. Given their inventory turnover, I know the chlorine is fresh. Plus, when I need something, they’re there. And they test my water for free. Generally, I use very few chemicals (minimalist - TFP) and I test my own water, but it’s still nice to have them around.
 
Our local go to for liquid chlorine is Atwoods. They sell 10% gallons for $2.49 (was $1.99 last year). On Friday, the closest store showed 110 gallons available but 0 available today.

One of the pool forums I am on brought this shortage up about 2 weeks prior to the CNBC article, so the media reporting could only exasperate things. I saw our neighbor unloading a bunch of the 5 gallon tab buckets on Saturday, so maybe that is the new crypto. :)
 
I did not get the impression that Chlorine in general was in shortage, but the buffered tablets is the issue. I remember the news story last year of the Biolab fire, it was a big one and destroyed the place. I-10 was shut down for a while. Our tablets here in TX probably all came from there.

All sorts of pool stores and online pool supply places have their own branded tablet containers. Probably all coming from the same chemical plant(s). As tablets become hard to get, substitution of liquid Chlorine and non-Chlorine shocks of all sorts will occur, driving up demand on products that do not have large sales (by comparison to tabs) and the sudden increase in their use may make them $$ or unobtainable for a while. The demand is seasonal, so I don't think there is incentive for a company to spend big $$ and time to jump into a manufacture/market they are not in now.
 
ponyboy said:
Again, more bs from mainstream. There's not a shortage, just a calculated generated one. These companies know they can release a simple article talking about one company that makes chlorine had an issue and people will run for their lives to buy up as much as they can.

Why is the price of romex so high? $130+ for 12/2 250'? Hmm...is there a shortage of copper and plastic? Less than a year ago it was $57...ask me how I know. Never let a tragedy go to waste.
Click to expand...

No shortage of copper yet, but look at the price.

A year ago, copper was $2.32/lb. It is now $4.47/lb. Not quite 2x, but close.
 
ponyboy said:
Again, more bs from mainstream. There's not a shortage, just a calculated generated one. These companies know they can release a simple article talking about one company that makes chlorine had an issue and people will run for their lives to buy up as much as they can.

Why is the price of romex so high? $130+ for 12/2 250'? Hmm...is there a shortage of copper and plastic? Less than a year ago it was $57...ask me how I know. Never let a tragedy go to waste.
Click to expand...

Yep - was buying my normal supply of tabs for the season over the weekend and asked the pool supply manager about the so-called shortage. He said the same as you...
 
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