Clorox holding tank turned milky - bad Clorox?

[Hcw3]

This might sound a little odd, but if someone could advise, I'd appreciate it.

We have a chlorine injection system with a holding tank for the Clorox solution.

Normally when I mix the Clorox solution up in the tank (using softened tap water), the Clorox solution ends up just a little yellow, but still perfectly transparent.

This time, after mixing up the solution, it ended up foggy or milky in the tank, & not yellow. That's never happened before.

I've done nothing different. Concentrated Clorox, same ratio.

Tank was thoroughly cleaned recently.

I've sniffed the bottle, and it seems it should smell stronger, but my nose might not be reliable.

What does the milky vs transparent solution indicate?

I'm considering dumping it and starting with a fresh bottle of Clorox.

TIA

 

[Reach4]

I have been topping up my chlorine solution tank with hard water. A white precipitate has accumulated. Maybe you have that, and it got stirred up. Maybe try cleaning out the precipitate. This is not to say that the milkiness that you see is the stirred up precipitate. I don't remember my solution looking milky.

I have put in a soft water tap near my tank, and I will use soft water in the future.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Hcw3]

No, the tank was cleaned recently. (I've seen the precipitate problem in there before. The injector pump manufacturer highly recommends not using hard water. It'll make a mess of your pump and tubes)

I'm going to drain the chlorine tank and start with a fresh bottle from a different store, just in case there's been a bad batch of Clorox or something.

Thanks for the reply Reach.

 

[ditttohead]

Never seen that before. Let us know what happens. I have regularly seen the precipitated junk on the bottom get stirred up and cause this, but not with a freshly cleaned tank. The precipitate usually takes a little while.

 

[Hcw3]

Well, I was hoping someone would say "It's normal", for such and such a situation... B-)

I dumped that tankful, and went with a new bottle of Clorox. It's still a bit milky though. Maybe not quite as much as the first tank, but still a bit foggy.

That says to me that it wasn't a bad batch of Clorox (different store)...

It might be that the 'softened water' that I'm using to mix with isn't as soft as it should be, or as soft as I usually use. I'll have to get the test strips out and see what the PH and free chlorine levels are.

I've considered using distilled, as the pump mfr recommends, but haven't gotten around to it.

Thanks.

 

[ditttohead]

No need to use distilled, it is not that critical in your application. You are not running "Water for Injection WFI or USP 27 certified water", just regular residential.

 

[Hcw3]

I guess I thought that there would be less precipitate happening in the tank, tubes, and pump if I use distilled.
When I made the mistake of using non-softened water in the Clorox solution, I had major stuff settling out and forming a crust in the tank and tubes.
Now, with softened water, there's much less, but still some.
I thought going with distilled ought to prevent it completely, no?

 

[ditttohead]

In systems where I have used distilled as the dilute it still occurred, just not as much. I would recommend leaving the inlet tube a few inches above the bottom so you can gor for a long time between tank cleanings.