Under normal circumstances, you should add a tablet of chlorine every 3-7 days, depending on the results of your water tests.
Typically, you will need to add chlorine tabs or granules to your pool on a constant basis. About every two weeks, you will need to shock your pool with a higher dose of chlorine. This raises the pH levels quickly and is especially important in sunny weather when the chlorine can break down.
The best time to add liquid chlorine to the pool is when the chlorine levels in the water are below normal levels. Depending upon the different factors that affect the water chemistry, this can be biweekly, weekly, or just once every couple of weeks.
Most above ground pools use 2–4 of the 3" chlorine tablets per week in a floating chlorinator. In addition to your tablets, it's important to shock the pool weekly to keep both living and non-living organic contaminants under control.
Granular Chlorine. The procedure for adding granular chlorine is pretty much the same as adding calcium chloride or sodium bicarb to a pool. Measure the dry chemical, pre-dissolve in a bucket, and pour around the perimeter of the pool (never into the skimmer directly). There are a few types of dry, granular chlorine.
Your chlorine's effectiveness is finite. So if there are lots of swimmers or debris and organic contaminants in the water, more chlorine is required to properly sanitize the water. At a certain point, your chlorine gets used up faster than you can add it and your levels remain low.
Chlorine's effectiveness is finite. If there's a high bather load, or there's just a lot of debris and other organic contaminants in the pool, more chlorine is required to properly sanitize the water. In other words, fighting those materials in the water demands more chlorine.
They also help you manage pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Each chemical level can be managed by adding different compounds to your pool. Under normal circumstances, you should add a tablet of chlorine every 3-7 days, depending on the results of your water tests.
Contrary to popular belief, it's too little chlorine that causes the smell, not too much. Too little chlorine permits chloramine compounds to form. It is these compounds that have the strong smell and that cause the irritation. If your pool smells strongly, check the chlorine level as you may need to add more chlorine.
If testing your swimming pool water shows your level of free chlorine is below 1 ppm, you'll need to add chlorine to raise the level between 1 and 3 ppm.
How Much Liquid Chlorine Does My Pool Need? A major factor when determining the amount of chlorine a pool needs is the size of the pool. For example, if your pool holds 10,000 gallons of water, the standard amount of liquid chlorine needed is anywhere between 50 and 100 ounces.
If you want a reliable, low-maintenance way to keep a steady level of chlorine in the pool, slow-dissolving 3" tablets are the way to go. On the other hand, if you're looking for a quick way to increase chlorine levels on demand, liquid chlorine might be a better option.
Liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) is the most unstable pool chemical, losing 50% of its potency within the first six months and 90% after a year; when exposed to extremely hot or cold temperatures, or sunlight, it degrades even faster.
You should aim to keep the chlorine level at between 1 and 3 ppm. We suggest shocking the pool every week to two weeks; with hot weather or increased use, you may need to shock more often. When tabs run out, replace them.
SKIMMER NOTES: No. Chlorine and shock are not the same thing. Shock has a more intense chemical strength than the traditional chlorine sanitizers, and it also differs in how you should apply it to your swimming pool.
Chlorine is added to the swimming pool to get rid of harmful bacteria, parasites and algae. Low chlorine levels will: Allow microbes to grow and thrive in the pool water, making your pool unhealthy and unsanitary to swim in. Make the pool water cloudy.
High levels of contaminants (organic and inorganic)
Because if there are any contaminants in your water, your chlorine is going to attack them. And in the process, your chlorine will get used up, which lowers your chlorine levels.
It's usually caused by a high level of inorganic and organic contaminants in the water. Those contaminants force the chlorine to work extremely hard to oxidize them, leaving little chlorine to protect swimmers. Proper chlorine levels cannot be reestablished without first eliminating the contaminants.
“The hotter the weather gets, the more the pool is used, so more chlorine is required to keep it sanitised and algae free,” explains Chris. “If you have a salt chlorinated pool, we recommend pressing the 'super chlorinate' button to kill algae.”
If you're dipping your toes in the water every couple of days or swimming laps one day a week, you can get away with shocking your pool every other week. Frequent Use: Weekly: If your family is always in the water, however, and is swimming every day, we recommend shocking the pool once a week.
Hot Weather
As the bacteria multiple, your chlorine ramps up to kill it. The result? You lose free chlorine. In the heat of the summer, consider adding twice as much chlorine to your pool so you maintain an adequate level.
There are two ways to prevent this: keeping your pool covered when not in use and adding a chlorine stabilizer to your water. If you keep your pool cover on when you're not swimming, you shield your chlorine from the sun, making it last much longer. This also keeps debris from getting into your pool.
It Should Not Be Done Together
This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM. Only then should you introduce algaecide to get the best results.
Another disadvantage with liquid chlorine is its shelf life, which can only last a few weeks before its potency starts to deteriorate. Storing it in hot places also weakens the solution. But this can be easily remedied by just buying what you need.