Patent ID: 7767096

Claim:
A method to meter into the water in a swimming pool water soluble chlorine-containing granules of a granular water treatment chemical contained in a closed product container, the granules having a selected size and a specific gravity greater than that of water, the swimming pool including vertically oriented sides and a horizontally oriented bottom, and having a maximum depth of at least four feet, the water in the swimming pool having an upper generally horizontally oriented surface area of at least one hundred and fifty square feet, said method minimizing chorine damage to the sides and bottom of the swimming pool, and facilitating the even distribution of granules over the upper surface of the water in the swimming pool said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a granule dispensing unit comprising (i) a base having a top and a bottom, (ii) a lid detachably mounted on said top of said base and including an inner surface, an outer surface, and a selected quantity of spaced apart, apertures formed through said lid and extending from said inner surface to said outer surface to form granule separating edges on said inner surface, said apertures each sized to dispense the granules at a selected rate, and (iii) a handle, (b) providing a pole removably attachable to said handle; (c) removing said lid from said base; (d) opening the product container; (e) emptying a selected amount of the water soluble chlorine-containing granular chemical from the product container into said base; (f) attaching said lid to said top of said base; (g) attaching said handle to said pole; (h) inverting said dispensing unit above the water in the swimming pool; (i) manipulating said pole to (i) simultaneously move said pole and said dispensing unit laterally over and a selected distance above the water in the swimming pool, oscillate said pole and dispensing unit to move the granular chemical over said inner surface to contact granular chemical with said edges to separate granules and meter granules at said selected rate downwardly through said apertures onto water in the swimming pool, and (ii) distribute substantially evenly over a distribution area comprising a total of at least 100 ft 2 of the upper surface area of the water to achieve, when the temperature of the water is at least seventy-five degrees F., at least 50% dissolution of the granules prior to the granules settling on the bottom of the pool, and in any one foot square area of said distribution area with respect to a different one foot square area of said distribution area a ratio of volume of granules distributed in the range of 0.5:1.0 to 2.0:1.0.