- There are a lot of different types of chlorine
you can add to your pool:
tablets, granules, and even household bleach
and some kinds of chlorine work better than others
depending on how you add it to the water.
So here's everything you need to know
about choosing the best chlorine for your pool.
Let's dive in.
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Real quick.
If you want more help taking care of your pool,
be sure to grab our free pool care cheat sheet
at SwimUniversity.com/CheatSheet.
It's totally free and will help keep your pool
clean and clear all season long.
First, what are the different types of chlorine?
The first difference you need to know about
is stabilized chlorine versus unstabilized chlorine.
Stabilized chlorine contains cyanuric acid,
also known as CYA or stabilizer.
It protects your chlorine from being destroyed
by the sun's UV rays.
Unstabilized chlorine on the other hand,
doesn't contain cyanuric acid.
That means it dissipates more quickly
and you'll have to add chlorine more often
as it breaks down in the sun.
Liquid chlorine, bleach, and some chlorine shock,
like cal hypo shock,
are unstabilized chlorine,
but most of the chlorine that's sold
to keep your water constantly sanitized
is stabilized chlorine
and the most common stabilized chlorine
is either trichlor tablets or di-chlor granules.
No matter what type of chlorine you use,
the goal is to keep your chlorine levels
between one and three parts per million,
with three parts per million being ideal.
And you'll also wanna make sure your pH is in range
before adding chlorine.
The pH helps your chlorine work more effectively.
Your pH should be between 7.4 and 7.6.
(splashing tone) So which one is better?
Chlorine granules or chlorine tablets?
Chlorine granules are made from di-chlor chlorine
and dissolve quickly in water,
helping them fight algae and contaminants fast.
They have a lower chlorine percentage of around 60%.
Granules are added directly to the pool water,
giving you complete control of the dosage.
But you do have to measure and add it yourself,
which makes it more dangerous and cumbersome to handle.
You'll also need to pre dissolve any granules
by adding a measured amount of the granules
to a bucket of pool water.
Then, pour the chlorine around the perimeter of your pool.
Finally, granules won't work in automatic feeders
since they dissolve too quickly.
Trichlor tablets on the other hand,
are placed in things like chlorine floaters,
pool skimmers, and automatic chlorinators.
They contain up to 90% chlorine,
but keep in mind that trichlor will affect your pool's pH.
These tablets usually come in one inch or three inch pucks.
One inch tablets are a smart option for smaller pools
and three inch tablets are ideal for larger pools.
A three inch tablet can sanitize
up to 5,000 gallons of water.
Tablets are one of the most popular chlorine options,
simply because they're so convenient
versus adding granule chlorine or even liquid chlorine
to your pool by hand.
They're slower-dissolving
and provides sustained chlorination.
But if you want a quick boost of chlorine and cyanuric acid
or you want more control over your chlorine amounts,
granules will dissolve more quickly.
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So what's the best way to add chlorine tablets to your pool?
Well, there are three common ways to add chlorine tablets.
Floating dispensers inside the skimmer basket
and in an automatic chlorinator.
Keep in mind that other things
like your pool water temperature and water pressure
can impact the amount of time it takes
for a tablet to dissolve.
And a larger three inch tablet will break down more slowly
than a one inch tablet.
floating dispensers will gradually
dissolve your chlorine tablets,
but at an inconsistent rate.
It all depends on how they move through the water.
They can also get stuck in one spot in your pool,
like behind ladders,
causing them to unevenly distribute chlorine.
Placing tablets in your pool skimmer
will give you a steadier rate of dissolving.
The continuous water flow through the filter
will evenly break down the tablet
and send sanitized water back into your pool.
But your pump and filter has to run every day,
otherwise the chlorine will just dissolve
and collect in and near the skimmer basket.
And this can cause stains and erosion.
The most reliable option for chlorine tablets
is an automatic chlorine dispenser,
also known as a chemical feeder or chlorinator.
These are installed after your pool filter,
sending chlorinated water into your pool
without going through your filtration system.
Simply adds several tablets into the chlorinator
and set the rate you want the tablets to dissolve.
Chlorinators are the best set-it-and-forget-it method.
They're not extremely expensive
and they can be retrofitted to most pools.
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Now what about liquid chlorine or bleach?
Liquid chlorine and bleach
have the same active chemical as other pool chlorine.
Liquid chlorine is cheaper than tablets and granules,
but it's unstabilized.
So you'll need to add cyanuric acid
to help protect it from the sun.
And it has an extremely high pH and is highly corrosive.
Household bleach is also really affordable
and very easy to find,
but it has the smallest concentration of chlorine
and it's also unstabilized.
That means you'll need to add a lot of it to your pool
and frequently, or you'll need to add a stabilizer.
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Finally, is there a way to use less chlorine in my pool?
Using a mineral system can help sanitize your water
without needing a ton of chlorine.
These systems use minerals like silver and copper
to kill bacteria.
And if your chlorine levels drop too low,
a mineral system ensures
that there's always something fighting contaminants.
You'll also need less chlorine with a mineral system,
only 0.5 to one part per million.
And if you have an indoor pool,
you don't want to use stabilized chlorine
since the chlorine won't be broken down by the sun.
consider using a chlorine alternative like bromine instead.
And that's it.
If you need more help with pool maintenance,
grab our free pool care cheat sheet
at SwimUniversity.com/CheatSheet.
And if you found this video helpful,
leave a comment, hit the like button,
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throughout the season.
That's it.
Thanks again and happy swimming.