Chlorine is known as an antiseptic for swimming pools. Adding chlorine to the water can kill germs or bacteria that lurks and causes diseases to swimmers. When the chlorine dissolves, it will form a weak acid called hypochlorous acid. This acid is known to be a primary disinfection agent.
Furthermore, it is also commonly used as a chemical agent which can also be used for drinking water. It is why you can rest assured that the swimming pool water is safe for use.
Types of Chlorine
Many chlorine-based compounds are used to sanitize your pools, such as chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, lithium hypochlorite, and chlorinated isocyanurates. These are the substances you can add to your swimming pool water, releasing hypochlorous acid into your swimming pool water.
But the most common form of chlorine used in swimming pools is the chlorine tablet. If you plan to sanitize your pool, you should check out these tips first to properly use a chlorine tablet.
How to Chlorinate a Pool
Managing chlorine levels is an essential feature of owning a pool. Chlorine tablets are the best option in maintaining a normal chlorine level. The reason behind this is that they are easy to use and quickly increase your swimming pool’s chlorine level.
Here are some quick tips for you to follow when adding a chlorine tablet to your swimming pool.
Use a Chlorine Tablet Dispenser
When adding chlorine tablets to your swimming pool, the first tip is to use a chlorine dispenser. You can choose to use either a floating chlorine dispenser or a sunken chlorine dispenser. Both work the same way but have their fair share of pros and cons.
A sunken dispenser is best to use when you live in sunny areas where the sun is always directed to your pool. It will help slow down the degradation of chlorine as it is placed under the water and away from direct sunlight.
However, this type of dispenser is not advisable for swimming pools with dark color liners. Sunken chlorine dispenser can cause stain at the bottom.
On the other hand, using a floating dispenser would benefit those swimming pools that have dark liners. But expect that your chlorine will quickly degrade under the heat of the sun.
Add Chlorine Tablets to Pool Skimmer
Another easy method is using a chlorine tablet is to add it directly into the pool skimmer. In this method, you will never have to purchase additional equipment, saving you money. Chlorine tablets will also act faster if added to the swimming pool skimmer.
For instance, when the pool filtration system is running, the water circulating from the pool into the skimmer, and then the filter will move fast, which can dissolve the chlorine more quickly. The water circulation will also ensure that the chlorine will be distributed evenly throughout your swimming pool.
The disadvantage of this method is that even if the filtration is off, the chlorine tablet will continue to dissolve in the skimmer. As a result it can increase the chlorine level of your pool further. As a result, it will cause corrosion on your pool equipment.
If you opt for this option, you can add chlorine tablets to pool skimmer in small amounts and only add some more when the chlorine test says so.
Investing on an Automatic Chlorinator
The best tip that you can get in this article is to purchase an automatic chlorinator. The name says it all. Using this state-of-the-art equipment will help you have more control over your chlorine tablet dispersal.
It is the best option for you if you do not want to handle chlorine independently or have a busy schedule and cannot maintain your swimming pool. If you have an automatic chlorinator, you will only have to fill it up with chlorine tablets and set it to 1 ppm to 3 ppm chlorine level.
You should test it out first with a chlorine strip to know its accuracy when setting the equipment. It will also help you adjust the settings according to what works best for your swimming pool based on the weather, water quality, and pool usage.
The automatic chlorinator provides the best efficacy and convenience in swimming pool sanitation and maintenance.
Do Not Shock Pool Using Chlorine Tablets
The regular 3-inch chlorine tablet is not a good chlorine type to use to shock your pool. Chlorine tablets are only best in maintaining your pool’s sanitation but do not kill any new algae, bacteria, and waste that builds up in your swimming pool.
If you are planning to shock your pool, it is best to use granular chlorine or a pool shock chemical to ensure that you will achieve the best result. Save yourself some time, effort, and money, and never consider shocking a pool with chlorine tablets.
How to Choose the Right Chlorine Tablets for Your Pool
Chlorine tablets come in different sizes, one inch and three inches. But, the recommended size for chlorine tablets is three inches. It is easy to use and inexpensive compared to a one-inch size chlorine tablet.
We suggest this size of chlorine tablet because it is best for swimming pools with 5,000 gallons of water to be sanitized. It means you can only use fewer chlorine tablets and, in the same way, save money. In addition, if you want to figure out how many tablets you need to consume, you must determine first how much water capacity holds in your pool.
For instance, if your pool has a measurement of 20,000 gallons, you will need to add four chlorine tablets. Yet, you still need to use four chlorine tablets of three inches size if your pool can hold 16,000 gallons.
Chlorine tablets are the most suggested disinfectant in treating germs or viruses in your swimming pool and for all the swimmer’s safety.
Get the Best Out of Chlorine Tablets
If you want to make the most out of your chlorine tablets and make your spending worth it, you should follow these tips while relating your situation accordingly. As a reminder, what is most important in adding chlorine tablets to your pool is reading the instructions carefully to obtain accurate measurement and usage.
