Anyone who acquires a pool must know that this also comes with some necessary work. Pool owners unfortunately have to spend some of your potential swimming time keeping ducks and insects out of the pool, skimming the leaves or even killing algae.
These are things I’m sure you didn’t consider before deciding to become a pool owner, but are still important to keeping pool water clean, clear and safe for your health.
Mastering pool chemistry is very important for this. A balanced level of sanitizer is the foundation for this. The most commonly used disinfectants are chlorine and bromine. And adding chlorine tablets is the easiest way to keep the chemical budget in balance.
Table of Contents
Why add chlorine to swimming pool
Chlorine, unlike bromine or other alternatives, is an inexpensive and effective disinfectant for pools. Furthermore, chlorine is by far the most widely used and well-known disinfectant on the market.
Chlorine kills all types of foreign matter, such as viruses, bacteria and algae, so you, your family and friends can safely swim in the pool. Chlorine also prevents the pool from turning green.
By the way, the supposed “chlorine smell” is not caused by the fact that you are using chlorine. The smell is due to chloramines, which are a product of chlorine reacting with foreign matter.
In a public pool, this smell is unavoidable because the large pools are simply used a lot. With a private pool, which yes, is probably smaller than an Olympic-size pool, you eliminate the odor with bi-weekly shock chlorination of the pool.
How much chlorine to add
The ideal chlorine concentration in a swimming pool is between 1 and 3 parts per million (ppm). In this range, there is protection against impurities and foreign bodies in the water, but there are no problems caused by a high chlorine concentration (such as irritation of the skin and reddening of the eyes).
However, chlorine is not added blindly. Before dosing, it is important to test the water. Test strips or a test kit are used to perform this test of the swimming pool water. The free chlorine (FC) content is particularly important for the chlorine dosage.
The different types of chlorine tablets
Chlorine tablets come in different sizes. Tablets that are 2 to 7.5 cm in size are common. When you look at the unit cost, the larger tablets tend to be more suitable from a financial perspective. The larger chlorine tablets are also easier to handle.
Information on the correct dosage of chlorine is provided by the manufacturers. The instructions for this can typically be found on the packaging or on the manufacturer’s website.
A guideline you can use is one 7 cm tablet for every 20 cubic meters of pool water. Calculate how many tablets you need and round that number up. This means that for a 70 cubic meter pool, four tablets are appropriate. Not that hard, right?
3 Smart Ways to Add Chlorine Tablets to Pool Water
If you’re switching from chlorine granules to chlorine tablets, you’ll have to get used to it first. Unlike granules, you can’t just throw the tablets into the pool. Rather, rely on one of these options.
Method #1: Dosing float
Plastic dosing floats float around on the surface of the water, and this way, they distribute the disinfectant evenly throughout the pool.
In our opinion, the method with a dosing float is well suited because this option largely requires no maintenance, but there are some limitations.
This option is out of the question for you if your pool is always covered with a pool tarp or if the dosing float can easily get caught on the edge of the pool or other obstacles in the pool.
The chlorine from the dissolving chlorine tablet could then be distributed unevenly. In areas that are particularly intensely exposed to chlorine, there could be discoloration or damage to the pool floor and walls.
Method #2 Skimmer
A better alternative to the dosing float is to add it directly through the skimmer. To do this, simply pack the tablets into the skimmer basket. With the filter pump turned on, the water will flow over the tablets at high speed and quickly dissolve them.
The chlorinated water then flows back directly into the pool via the return nozzles. In this way, even distribution is ensured.
The problem with this method is that the chlorine tablets also dissolve when the filter is not running. The remaining water in the skimmer is then strongly exposed to the chlorine and has a corrosive effect and can damage the equipment in this way.
Therefore, remove partially dissolved chlorine tablets when the pool filter is not on. Alternatively, you can use a timer to time the filter pump.
Here, speed-controlled pool pumps are particularly suitable, where you can adjust the power of the pump. This way, you’ll ensure a continuous flow of water without an outrageously high electric bill at the end of the year.
Method #3 Chlorine Dosing Sluice
The best method for dissolving chlorine tablets in pool water is a chlorine metering gate. The control of a constant chlorine level in the pool water is best given here. Here you hardly have to deal with the chlorine tablets.
To do this, simply set the chlorine level to 1 to 3 ppm and add chlorine tablets. You should check the concentration of chlorine here regularly with test strips until you get a feel for the right amount of chlorine based on your pool usage, weather and water quality.
In conclusion, the variant with a chlorine dosing gate is efficient and convenient.
However, such a dosing gate needs to be integrated into the filtration system, which of course makes for higher costs than it is the case with the other two options.
Other questions
Are Chlorine Tablets Recommended?”
Chlorine tablets offer a great way to conveniently add chlorine to your pool.
In what way are chlorine tablets different from chlorine granules?
In principle, chlorine tablets and chlorine granules are the same product. The only difference is that chlorine tablets have dosing-friendly sizes and there is no need for the work of weighing, as with chlorine granules.
Is the use of chlorine tablets dangerous?
No, the use of chlorine tablets is straightforward and safe, as long as you use the product correctly.
Final words
So, we can see that adding chlorine tablets to pool water is no magic.
Finally, a few tips to help you decide:
For a standard pool without a pool cover, a dosing float is a good choice.
With a filter system that runs all day, at least for a limited time, adding via the skimmer is the right choice.
If you are still in the process of planning your filtration system, a chlorine metering float may make sense.
Of course, your decision will also depend on the time, effort and money you are willing to invest.
However, the main thing is that you can use the chlorine to keep the pool water clean and then bathe without any worries.
With this in mind, we wish you a wonderful and, above all, relaxing pool season!
