NEVER just throw them into your pool water. This will cause them to dissolve on the floor and it can damage and create a permanent bleach stain to your liner or concrete.
Remember, NEVER disperse chlorine granules or tablets directly into the water. This is dangerous to swimmers' health and will absolutely result in concentrations of chlorine that will damage your pool.
Chlorine tablets are slow dissolving and therefore need to be placed in either a floating dispenser, in-line chlorine feeder or a skimmer basket.
Add one tablet for every 5,000 gallons of water and always round up. For example, if your pool has 21,000 gallons of water, add five tablets per week. If it has 8,000 gallons, use two tablets.
Chlorine tabs (placed in a chlorinator, floater, or skimmer basket) maintain a chlorine residual in the water. You do need to use both tabs and shock. Without tabs, the chlorine shock will dissipate quickly out of the water; without shock, the chlorine level will not get high enough to fully sanitize the water.
BUT, if you have to shock your pool during the day in broad daylight, you can still swim after adding shock. It's recommended that you wait one hour after adding shock with the filter running, and then test the water to confirm the pH and chlorine are in the proper range before letting anyone enter the pool.
For the greatest protection against algae, bacteria, and cloudy water, Intex pools should maintain a chlorine level of 2.0-4.0 ppm at all times. If you opted for the Intex Salt Chlorinator, you can make your own chlorine by adding the correct amount of Pool Salt to the water.
You may need to adjust the bottom collar to allow more or less chlorine into the water. After two to four days, tether the dispenser to another area of the pool or allow it to float around without one. Replace the chlorine tablet once it dissolves.
In most cases, you're best off with 3-inch chlorine tablets, as one single tablet can treat up to 5,000 gallons of water. On the other hand, 1-inch tablets contain far less chlorine (about half as much as 3-inch tablets), so they're better suited for smaller indoor pools and spas.
Sometimes a saltwater pool's chlorinator isn't creating enough chlorine, and the water can become cloudy or develop algae. When this happens, a bit of chlorine can save the day, said Hunker. You can add extra chlorine to the pool through calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, or chlorine tablets.
INITIAL STARTING DOSAGES :
Maintain chlorine at a minimum of 1.5 ppm and up to 3 ppm. The more swimmers you have and the warmer the water is, can double your pool's chlorine consumption. Add whatever amount of chlorine it takes to maintain a 1.5 ppm chlorine..
Because the pool water flows immediately over the chlorine tablets in the pool skimmer basket while the pool filter is running. The water with dissolved chlorine will then accelerate into the pool water with the help of the return jets.
Chlorine Floaters: For each 5000 gallons of pool water, add one 3″ chlorine tablet. Open the baffle or vent at the bottom, fully open.
Tablets will last approximately 5-7 days depending upon temperature and amount of water flow.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
The best time of day to shock pool is when the sun is down. So, experts recommend shocking your pool in the evening or at night, to make sure it does its job. Shocking during the day can be ineffective as UV rays from direct sunlight significantly reduce free chlorine levels.
After you shock the pool — As soon as your chlorine levels reach 5 ppm or lower, it's officially safe to swim. Depending on the type of shock used, as well as the amount used, it can take anywhere from 24 hours or even up to a couple of days.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours. It is always best to test first!
Fill a 5-gallon bucket 3/4 full of pool water, and insert the chlorine tabs into the bucket. Stir the water inside the bucket with a long-handled spoon until the chlorine tablets dissolve. Pour the chlorinated water into the Intex pool, and turn on the pool pump to circulate the chlorinated water throughout the pool.
At first you'll add chlorine in what's called “shock” levels – an extra heavy dose to start your pool off. A shock dose coupled with extra circulation will ensure that all the water gets treated properly in the beginning.