To: Homestead mailing list digest <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [Homestead] Multi-Use Pool
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:38:42 -0700
It dawned on me one day that our new 32' x 16' x 4' pond could actually
become a multi-use swimming pool, if only potassium, and not sodium
hypochlorite, could be used for chlorine. It's mostly the sodium that
creates the problem. The idea goes like this. The pond is filled for
free during the winter months from the creek flow. I keep a pool cover
on it for several months. Some time in June I vacuum it and start
adding potassium hypochlorite. Now for the hotter months, we have a
nice pool. In September the weather's not so nice for swimming anymore,
but the water demand is at its greatest, and this is the time when the
well is most likely to run dry. After a few days of sitting the
hypochlorite ions are deactivated by sunlight, and the very weak
solution of potassium chloride (and hopefully not much else in the line
of fertilizer) is available for watering plants. Best of all, the
potassium hypochlorite can be made right at home by electrolyzing a
(dirt cheap) potassium chloride solution. In fact, it's just a
by-product of hydrogen making. To make hypochlorite, you merely modify
the apparatus so that the solution is stirred at the other (positive?)
electrode, the one that doesn't make hydrogen.
Bill
S. Oregon coast
[Homestead] Multi-Use Pool,
Bill Jones, 10/17/2006