One way of ensuring you have the upper hand over any pool contaminants that get into your pool water is keeping the pool sanitizer level in check. That ensures not even algae survive in the swimming pool and prevents more other issues that could arise if the sanitizer levels were low. One way of ensuring your pool is sanitized correctly is to add chlorine tablets, a popular source of chlorine used by many pool owners.
Almost every pool owner out there is familiar with chlorine tablets or has heard it from somewhere. If you’ve, then today is your day. This post covers everything behind these magic tablets. What they are, why they are the best, how to choose the best, and the best way to add them to your pool. So, be sure to read it to the end.
Why Are Chlorine Tablets Good for Pool
Most pool owners rely on pool chlorine as their primary pool sanitizer, and it makes sense since it’s highly reliable. However, the source of your chlorine also plays a part in the sanitizer’s overall effectiveness. Most people run for chlorine tablets. Do you know why?
Well! Chlorine tablets are the most convenient type of chlorine you can use. They are easy to use and store, inexpensive, and highly effective when used correctly.
Their convenience is one of their main selling points since there’s no measuring involved at all! Their storage ease allows you the freedom of adding chlorine at your convenience.
Another thing, chlorine tablets give off a more controlled amount of chlorine than granular or liquid forms.
For ease of use, all you need is to know how many tablets you need and drop them in your pool skimmer or floating chlorine dispenser, where they will dissolve within 24 hours without affecting chemical levels at all!
How to Choose the Right Chlorine Tablets for Your Pool
Choosing the Right Chlorine Tablets for Your Pool is a must to achieve the desired effectiveness. Here are things you need to consider when selecting chlorine tablets for your swimming pool.
1. Tablet Sizes
In general, most chlorine tablets are available in sizes of either one inch or three inches.
The larger tablet typically dissolves faster and provides more active chemicals, which is good for larger pools with heavy bather load needing a more potent disinfectant to combat bacteria and algae growths quickly.
On the other hand, smaller tables dissolve slowly and produce less active chemicals ideal for spas or hot tubs. That is because they do not have as strong an effect on the surrounding areas around your pool water surface when compared against large swimming pool options.
However, it also means you will likely spend more money purchasing them than if you went with standard diameter options simply because there is so much less product inside each tablet.
The smaller size is preferred for above-ground pools, spas, or hot tubs because the larger tablets are harder to handle when making your chemical measurements. The larger chlorine pills can be used in both small and large swimming pool applications, though.
2. Number of tablets per application
The amount of chlorine tablets needed per application varies. Typically, for a standard chlorine dose, you need one 3-inch for a 5000-gallon pool. So, round the pool volume to the nearest unit of 5000 gallons for a better estimation of the tablets you need.
That means, if your pool’s capacity is 20,000 gallons, you’ll need four 3-inch chlorine tablets. And if yours holds 16,000 gallons of water, the same dosage will do. It’s as simple as that!
3. Chlorine Tablet Types
Chlorine tablets are available in two major types:
- Calcium Hypochlorite Chlorinating Tablets: These are the most popular type of chlorine pills on the market because they are easy to use, have a longer shelf life and dissolve quickly. They also do not leave sediment behind like some other forms of chlorine tablet options.
- Trichloroisocyanuric Acid: It’s also known as Dichlor, another form of the pool chlorine table that you can use. However, it dissolves slower than calcium hypochlorite tablet alternatives. Therefore, you may need more of them for your pool size, which will make this option more expensive overall, despite its long shelf life.
4. Types of tablet shapes available
Chlorine tablets are available in two primary shapes:
- Traditionally shaped discs: These chlorine pills dissolve slowly and create soft, blue water that is good for light-bather-load pools because of the low levels of active chlorine it produces to disinfect your pool. It can also be used on pre-formed spas or hot tubs with larger volumes of water where you want less harsh effects from higher concentrations of active chemicals. It would be best if you had fewer traditional tablet options than any other type to last longer.
- Small pellets/diamonds/square-shaped tablets: This form dissolves quickly and makes more active chemicals, providing more decisive sanitizing action. Still, its effectiveness diminishes after only 24 hours due to the high levels of active chemicals present. It is best suited for larger pools with high bather loads where you need more chlorine to kill the bacteria and algae in your pool water.
What is the Best Way to Add Chlorine Tablets to Your Pool?
As far as pool sanitizer goes, chlorine is the best. Most pool owners use it to keep their swimming safe and swimmable. However, how you add the chlorine does affect its effectiveness. You cannot throw the chlorine tablets directly into your swimming pool.
If you do, they will settle and dissolve at your pool bottom. That means the chlorine will be concentrated in the wrong places, and it might bleach those spots if you’re using a pool liner. So, what is the right way to add chlorine tablets to a swimming pool?
1. Using a Container
The best size is about twice the volume of your swimming pool. Once you have it filled with water, pour chlorine tablets until they are entirely dissolved in the water. Then seal or cover this container to avoid evaporation.
Leave it for several hours before adding its content directly to your swimming pool. That’ll ensure that all chlorine has been appropriately mixed up inside the solution so no spots would be bleached by a concentration of chemicals later on when poured into your pool.
However, this method is not only tiring but also time-consuming. Moreover, it is almost impossible to perfectly dissolve chlorine tablets in such a container without creating too much foam and bubbles that would make your pool water cloudy.
2. Floating Chlorine Dispenser
This is another good way to add chlorine tablets directly into your swimming pool. It is a perfect way to keep chlorine tablets in circulation to do their best work without getting diluted or wasted by pool water. It’s easy to use. All you need is to place the tablets in the top chamber of this floating chlorine dispenser right before adding them to water.
In addition, you’ll want to make sure it’s not in direct sunlight when in use. If the dispenser is left out with a heat source nearby, such as a sunny deck or poolside umbrella stand, the chlorine tablets will dissolve faster than your swimming pool water is using them up.
That can cause an increase in maintenance and chemicals needed to keep things balanced correctly for swimmers’ safety. It’s easy enough to avoid with just a little attention paid to where this chlorine tablet floating dispenser sits on top of the surface of your pool while it works its magic!
3. Pool Skimmer
Pool skimmers are an excellent way to add chlorine tablets directly into the water where they’re needed most. Skimmers work like filters, but instead of trapping dirt and debris in their mesh screens as you would find on something like a pool filter, these draw water through them from the surface of your swimming pool.
This is great for drawing up those floating bits that might be stirring about near the top of your pool’s surface, such as leaves or bugs. Even though it’s not filtering anything out (such as algae), this still helps keep things looking clean around the edges! Just make sure there isn’t any other debris sitting inside your skimmer basket before adding new chlorine tablets since this can cause chemical imbalances if left undrained.
The skimmer can also be a great way to add chlorine tablets directly into your pool’s deep areas as well, such as the deep end or wading area. Just make sure you have enough space between those floating bits and water level, so they don’t all get drawn up too! That’s especially important if it’s been raining since this could cause excess debris in your pool water.
To use a skimmer for adding chlorine tablets, open the top and pour them right inside and some regular filter powder or other additives. Then seal back up before returning it to its spot on the surface of your swimming pool, where most people like to keep them anyway (or at least close by).
You’ll want to keep an eye on the water level, though. Too much or too little can cause problems with keeping things balanced for your pool’s current needs.
Since you’ll want to avoid using this skimmer during any heavy rainfalls or storms, it may be a good idea to invest in another floating chlorine dispenser that won’t get ruined if caught up in some unexpected weather! This way, you will always have at least one ready when needed most instead of scrambling around trying to find something else nearby after each burst of rainfall.
As long as there are no other chemical imbalances throughout your swimming pool water already, something that can happen if adding tablet chunks into the deep end only, everything should settle out just fine. That can even make it easier than ever to maintain your pool!
To summarize, using a skimmer to add chlorine tablets to your pool is an easy way to ensure they stay where you need them most. Just remember that this will not remove anything from the water unless it’s stirred up and sitting on top of your swimming pool surface first.
You’ll want to keep an eye on things like chemical balances if doing so without another form of filtration system nearby as well since there could be some issues with keeping everything balanced correctly otherwise.
4. Automatic Chlorinator
An automatic pool Chlorinator is a device that automatically controls and adds chlorine to pools. It can be added directly into the pool pump or water circulation system. Automatic chlorinators provide adjustable protection for your swimming pool and automatic addition of sanitizer, eliminating the need for daily testing and dosing while reducing labor costs.
It uses small chlorine tablets that are added to a cartridge that can be easily replaced. A timer automatically turns the chlorinator on and off at programmed intervals, so you don’t have to worry about manually adding chlorine using tablets or liquid bleach solution. The chlorine level is measured by a chlorinator cell or probe that responds to changes in pH or conductivity of the water.
This automatic pool Chlorinator is easy for anyone to set up and use, even if they have never used an automatic pool treatment system before! Automatic Pool Chlorinators must be installed by professionals who know how to properly connect them into your existing water circulation systems.
The size of the unit depends on the volume of your pool – meaning larger pools require bigger units with more chlorine storage capacity. Small table units may work well for smaller inflatable above-ground pools (less than 20 feet), while full-sized inground pools may require a larger unit.
Related Questions
Can you swim with chlorine tablets in a pool?
Yes. However, you will have to keep up with the tablets’ strong chlorine smell as they dissolve. Also, you want to wait at least an hour after adding the chlorine tablet or one turn-over to ensure the chlorine isn’t concentrated in one area. It’d also be best to test the chlorine levels to be 100% sure the water is safe for swimming. Make sure the free chlorine is between 1-3ppm.
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