I do not have a scale. Can you tell me pounds/cup or cups/pound there are for the common dry granular pool chemicals: stabilizer, pH increaser, pH decreaser, shock ? (I realize different chemicals will have different densities and porosities.). I just thought someone may have weighed a cup of these chemicals and could share their results. Thanks.
Hi Fred,
Some chemicals, like shock in one pound bags, will tell you how many ppm of chlorine will be added to 10,000 gallons of water. So you just need to know how much water you pool holds.
Some large pails of chlorine/shock,15-20lbs and up, will include a measuring cup and will tell you how many ounces will add X ppm of chlorine per 10,000 gallons of water.
Things like ph increaser, ph decreaser, calcium chloride, stabilizer, alkalinity up and alkalinity down only tell you how many ounces/pounds will add or decrease X ppm of the product to the water.
You really need to invest in an inexpensive digital scale.
And FYI, there’s no need to ever buy ph increaser/decreaser or total alkalinity up/down. Baking soda, 20 Mule Team Borax and Muriatic acid will do those jobs at a fraction of the cost.
j
Thanks. Yes, I already knew what you said in your reply. I was hoping some kind soul with a scale and measuring cup had already produced a table or graph that provides the calibration or conversion from pounds to volumetric cups for the common dry granular chemicals most people use in their pools. Also I think the manufacturer of the various pool chemicals should also provide this conversion on their packaging. Why don’t they?
Not that I have ever found. I would think that there would be too many variables. But some manufacturers give us clues. If the directions for use say “add X amount by volume”, you can use a measuring cup. And if they say ”add X amount by weight”, you need a scale.
But given the amount of money pool owners spend on chemicals, accessories, water, power etc; a digital scale is one of the least expensive things I’ve ever purchased. Plus I get the added benefit of using it for many other things.
Because, in my opinion, a pool chemical manufacturers’ main interest is selling more chemicals, not making sure that we use them correctly. They rely on the employees at the pool store to give specific instructions on how to use them. And they are wrong most of the time.
The bottom line is the pool owner has the final responsibility to add the chemicals correctly.
j