Chlorine tablets are a safe, effective, and affordable way to sanitize your pool. They're designed to gradually dissolve, releasing chlorine into your water as they get smaller and smaller. They're a popular choice amongst pool owners because of how easy they are to use.
Typically, a 3-inch pool chlorine tablet is designed to chlorinate from 7,500 to 10,000 gallons of water per week, meaning it'll take seven days to dissolve.
The most important factor in keeping a pool clean is by adding chlorine to it. Chlorine can be added in many ways, but the most effective and also the most convenient way is to use chlorine tablets.
1-inch chlorine tablets are a good option for small pools, hot tubs, and spas because they release a small amount of chlorine at a quick-dissolving speed, rapidly increasing the chlorine level to the correct concentration. However, these tablets are ineffective in larger pools that exceed 5,000 gallons of water.
Liquid chlorine is a much better choice than tablets for shocking. It is going to go to work right away and get your chlorine levels high in a short time. Saying that, it is an expensive way to do it. Calcium Hypochlorite (cal-hypo) is a much more cost effective way.
Closing thoughts on chlorine tablets
To recap, you typically only need around 2-4 per week, and using them is as simple as adding them to your skimmer. From there, your pool pump does the rest of the work for you. Of course, always remember to buy the right tablets for your pool size and set up.
Liquid Chlorine
The liquid form of chlorine is the cheapest way of adding chlorine to a pool. Simply pour it directly into the water in front of a return jet to disperse it throughout the pool.
People that have pools know how important it is to maintain those pools to keep the water clear and sparkly. Having clean water in a pool is essential.
Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly. 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.
Tablets will last approximately 5-7 days depending upon temperature and amount of water flow.
What DOES affect how long a three-inch chlorine tablet lasts? So how long it takes for a chlorine tablet to dissolve really varies for every pool. As a general rule, we see stabilized chlorine tablets (also called trichlor tablets) last anywhere from two to three days.
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.
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!
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. Short answer: No.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends on the formulation. The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite (and available chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as you'll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.
Chlorinating Liquid is a popular choice among pool owners and can be used as a substitute when chlorinating tablets may be unavailable. Chlorinating liquid is not stabilized, which means it may require a chlorine stabilizer to help the chlorine last longer.
The reason why trichlor tablets are so expensive and why they are sold out at many pool supply stores is because of the national trichlor supply shortage.
Floating pool dispensers can be used in aboveground and inground pools, but make sure your pool manufacturer says it's safe to use one. The chlorine floater must be removed from the water when people are in the pool.
Can you put too much shock in a pool? SKIMMER NOTES: It's unlikely but it could happen. It would take a lot of shock to really make the water unsafe for swimming. The best way to make sure you're safe to swim is to test your pool water and make sure free chlorine levels are between 1-4ppm for healthy swimming.
If the tablets are not dissolving, and you get a strong smell of chlorine when you open the chlorinator, you probably have a bad check valve in the chlorinator. It is not allowing any water to move through the chlorinator, and any water that is there simply sits there and builds up a yellowish chlorine gas.
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.
Chlorine issues often cause cloudy water. Adding a recommended dose of pool shock to your pool can clear it right up. Poor circulation or filtration can contribute to cloudy water. Make sure your pump and filter are working properly.
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.
I think the answer to your question is about 3-6 days. The problem is that the chlorine that you need to keep the bacteria in check is used up more quickly as the temperature rises, the activity increases, and as sweat and other body stuff is put into the pool.