Thinking about a peristaltic feeder for liquid chlorine, worth it

Started by Alan Pierce · · 3 replies
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#1
I've hand poured liquid chlorine into the skimmer for about six seasons now and honestly don't mind it, but my shoulder isn't what it used to be hauling jugs and I'm eyeing one of those small peristaltic pumps that sips straight from the jug on a timer so I'm not lifting anything. Anybody running one long term with plain liquid chlorine, not trichlor or cal hypo. Mainly wondering about tubing holding up to the bleach and whether the dosing actually stays consistent enough that you're not still testing just as often. Not looking to automate pH or anything fancy, just the daily FC top off. Feels like it could be solving a real problem or it could be one more thing on the pad to maintain. Curious what you all think before I spend the money.

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#2
don't have experience with the peristaltic pumps myself so take this with a grain of salt, but the "one more thing on the pad to maintain" worry seems backwards to me, isnt that kind of true of anything that saves you labor. manual pouring has its own maintenance too, you just dont think of it that way cause its you doing the work instead of a part wearing out

still pouring jugs into my skimmer by hand and my shoulder's fine with it six seasons in apparently isnt rare, so maybe the math only pencils out once the lifting actually hurts. if the tubing degrading from the bleach is the real question though, i'd just ask whoever sells the pump what tubing spec they rate for it rather than guessing, seems like something they'd actually know and you'd hate to find out the hard way with chlorine eating through something under your pad
#3
Asking the pump seller what tubing spec they rate for it is going to get you a sales answer every time, not a real one. The tubing that actually holds up to liquid chlorine long term is a specific chemical rating, not just whatever came stock on the unit, and the people selling you the pump want the sale not to talk you out of it. Ask in a pool chem forum or look up the tubing spec yourself, don't take the seller's word on their own product holding up.

On the actual question, still testing just as often is the real tradeoff nobody mentions. A peristaltic feeder keeps FC more level day to day than one big pour and a slow decline, which matters more here with the heat cooking chlorine off fast, but you're not testing less because of it, you're testing to make sure the thing is actually dosing what it says. If your shoulder's the real problem, smaller jugs or a jug caddy might solve it cheaper than a pump that still needs you babysitting it.
#4
Dont have a peristaltic feeder so cant speak to the tubing question, but Karen's right that it wont cut your testing down any, salt system or not I still check mine every couple days just to know whats actually happening. With the AquaRite I dont deal with chlorine jugs at all anymore so the shoulder problem kind of solved itself for me, might be worth pricing that out against a pump setup before you commit.