The overuse of these tablets can also disrupt the balance of chemicals in your pool water, which could cause the pH level to go too low. Low pH levels cannot be reversed without the replacement or resurfacing of your pool water.
“Each chlorine tablets contains cyanuric acid. This means that using tablets continually will increase the cyanuric acid in the pool water to unsafe levels. This will reduce the effectiveness and killing power of your chlorine and can make the water unsafe over time.”
The safest and easiest (assuming you are in a hurry to lower the chlorine levels) is to use sodium thiosulfate, but be careful how much you use, or you will need a bunch of chlorine to ``neutralize the neutralizer'' and get the chlorine levels back up where you want them.
The effect of excess chlorine in pools is an alteration in pH levels of pool water, making it more acidic. Signs of high chlorine levels can include itchy sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lung irritation, and skin rashes.
Chlorine poisoning can be very serious and causes symptoms including: Nausea and vomiting. Coughing and wheezing. Burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat.
Short Summary. It is essential to regulate chlorine levels in a pool between 1-3 ppm, as levels exceeding 5 ppm can be hazardous. Swimming in a pool with high chlorine levels should be avoided. The highest safe chlorine level for a pool is 3 ppm.
In most cases, it takes 24-48 hours for chlorine concentration to drop significantly. If the water is too hot or the chlorine levels are too high, it may take longer for the chlorine to evaporate. You can speed up the process using a chemical oxidizing agent or diluting the water with fresh water.
Sodium ascorbate will also neutralize chlorine. It is pH neutral and will not change the pH of the treated water. Sodium ascorbate is preferable for neutralizing high concentrations of chlorine.
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.
Once you know how much water fits in your pool, you'll need to know how much chlorine would be enough for each gallon. The rule of thumb here is to use one 3 inches tablet for every 5000 gallons.
While it may be tempting to toss chlorine tablets into the skimmer for convenience, doing so can have serious repercussions for your pool and equipment. From fluctuating chlorine levels to corrosive water chemistry, and equipment damage, the pitfalls of skimmer placement far outweigh any perceived benefits.
The very general rule for working out how many tablets you'll need is to use one 200g/3-inch tablet for every 20,000 litres/5,000 gallons of water per week. If you're not sure how much water your pool holds, you can use our pool volume calculator to quickly work it out.
If there is too much chlorine added, wait for the chlorine to burn off after a few days or, for a more immediate result, partially drain the pool and refill it with fresh water. Is it possible to shock your pool too much? Yes—excessive shocking of your pool will keep it at an elevated chlorine level.
Chlorine tabs lower pH and Total Alkalinity and increase cyanuric acid levels.
SKIMMER NOTES: As a general rule, most pool chemicals, including pool shock and balancers, should be used within two pool seasons. BUT if you use chlorine and bromine oxidizers and sanitizers, it's best to use them within one season.
1. What Is an Unsafe Level of Chlorine to Swim In? Per the Water Quality & Health Council, an acceptable range of chlorine to swim in is between 1 and 5 ppm. Anything above that can be unsafe and cause unwanted side effects.
Respiratory Distress: Individuals may experience coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or a burning sensation in the throat and chest. Eye and Skin Irritation: Red, itchy, and watery eyes, along with skin redness and irritation, are common signs of chlorine exposure.
Regardless of how frequently or what system you use to add chlorine to the water, the chlorine level should stay between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm) to maintain a healthy pool.
Will baking soda lower the chlorine level in the pool? No, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used to raise alkalinity, not lower chlorine.
What you may not know is that hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer that can be combined with ultraviolet light to disinfect swimming pools. The combination of ultraviolet disinfection with hydrogen peroxide allows pool owners to safely eliminate all chlorine in their pool or spa.