declare an average liquid chlorine cost of $2.70 per gallon, and $152 for a 50-pound bucket of trichlor tabs. For trichlor, this works out to $3.36 per pound of available chlorine.
For Dichlor, respondents indicated they pay between $4.72 and $5.58 per pound of active chlorine, depending on whether or not it is anhydrous. They pay a median price of $2.42 per pound of available chlorine for calcium hypochlorite.
For testing purposes, most professionals reported to using test strips, employed by 88 percent. However, DPD is also a popular testing method with 63 percent of respondents using this method. Only 13 percent of the respondents from this region reported to using OTO, while 25 percent said they used the ORP testing method.
According to our survey, 75 percent of the technicians from the Northeast region of the country have at least one salt water chlorine generated pool, in use on an average of 25 percent of the pools they service.
All of the service technicians reported that at least one of their pools is equipped with an automatic pool cleaner, at 36 percent of the pools they service. Of those that use automatic cleaner, 22 percent are pressure side cleaners. As usual, this region also asserts the highest national use of robotic swimming pool cleaners at 75 percent. Only 3 percent reported that their pools are equipped with a suction side cleaner.
Forty-two percent of respondents indicated that about 10 percent of their pools utilize UV; 25 percent of respondents said 3 percent of their pools incorporate ozone; and only 8 percent of respondents indicated that their pools have AOP systems on 3 percent of their pools.
Midwest
For our survey, the Midwest region of the country includes the following states: Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; North Dakota; Ohio; South Dakota; Wisconsin; and Wyoming. The Midwest represents 4 percent of the responses we received. For an area so large, the relatively low survey participation provides the least statistical accuracy.
Service technicians responding to the survey reported a higher use of test strips than for all other testing methods: test strips are used by 80 percent. About 20 percent of respondents use all other test methods.
Respondents from this region indicated an equal preference for trichlor and liquid chlorine as their disinfection method: 100 percent use both. They seem to pay a lower average price for trichlor, at an average of $135 for 50 pounds, or about $2.98 per pound of available chlorine.
About 40 percent of respondents reported using calcium hypochlorite. This area pays an average price of about $3.38 per pound of available chlorine for calcium hypochlorite. The cost of liquid chlorine was reported to be $2.88 per gallon.
Data was insufficient to provide pricing on dichlor.
All professionals in this region declare they have pools equipped with automatic cleaners: 100 percent reported that at least one of their pools has a cleaner with an average of 35 percent of all pools employing a cleaner. Slightly more service professionals reported the use of suction side cleaners over pressure side cleaners, used in 16 percent and 11 percent of pools respectively, while 73 percent reported to using robotic cleaners.
Chlorine generators are common for service professionals in this region. While 100 percent of those responding have a generator on at least one of their pools, an average of 25 percent of all their pools are so equipped.
Eighty percent of respondents indicated that about 2 percent of their pools utilize UV; 40 percent of respondents said 1 percent of their pools incorporate ozone. Interestingly, numerous service technicians said they were not at all familiar with AOP.
Information contained in this survey is presented for informational and historical purposes only and is not meant to encourage readers to set prices in restraint of trade or in violation of any laws.
Regional Automatic Cleaner Usage