Pool-grade chlorine and a jug of Clorox are essentially the same thing, chemically. However, they're not made with the same concentrations of chlorine. Pool-grade chlorine, which you can usually buy in tablets, granules, or as a liquid, tends to be available in formulations of between 65% and nearly 100% chlorine.
The main difference between bleach and chlorine is their strength. Chlorine is much stronger than bleach. To get your pools chlorine level to the point it needs to be to keep the pool looking clean and bright; you will need to use more bleach than you will chlorine.
In truth, bleach contains the same base chemical as pool chlorine. That chemical is, of course, chlorine, and the only major difference between the two products is the concentration strength. Pool chlorine typically contains some form of stabilizer, as well, though this is not a crucial factor.
Household bleach, Clorox and liquid chlorine can all be used to sanitize a pool. They are all types of chlorine. Household bleaches such as Clorox usually contain about 5-6% available chlorine, about half that of pool liquid chlorine. Household bleaches often have unwanted fragrances and colors.
Typical pool chlorine is actually a chemical compound made up of 65% calcium hypochlorite with the remaining 35% made up of calcium and other inert ingredients. Household bleach, on the other hand, is usually only 6% chlorine and a different type at that.
Answer: It is true that pool chlorine is stronger than bleach. For bleach and water to be the same strength as pool chlorine and water, you would have to adjust the ratio, increasing the bleach and reducing the water. But no matter which chlorine you use, make sure to test a small area before doing the job.
You can also simply add more chlorine, and pouring household bleach into the pool is one way to do this. Be sure the pH is in the proper range -- between 7.2 and 7.8 -- and add the bleach in the early evening to avoid having most of it degraded by sunlight.
Clorox takes the chlorine it bought and bubbles the gas through a solution of water and sodium hydroxide. All the chlorine is converted to sodium hypochlorite. Clorox-brand household bleach is a 6 percent solution of sodium hypochlorite in water plus the other added cleaning agents, stabilizer and dispersant.
Not all bleach has chlorine in it. In fact, more and more cleaning products are using hydrogen peroxide instead. The label will always indicate if it's a chlorine bleach or a non-chlorine bleach. When in doubt, read the ingredients list: If it is made with sodium hypochlorite, it's a chlorine bleach.
Peroxide bleach doesn't contain chlorine, and is referred to on garment care labels as “non-chlorine bleach”.
Clorox® Regular Bleach2 — a 6.0% sodium hypochlorite solution containing approximately 5.7% available chlorine by weight — is a convenient, economical source of chlorine for water treatment in swimming and wading pools.
High concentrations of chlorine (above 1.5 ppm) will attack the liner and bleach it, thus damaging it. Any level below this range will weaken its ability to kill off bacteria.
After your cyanuric acid level is set, add the bleach. Then proceed with daily testing until you understand how much chlorine your pool uses. At this point, chlorine maintenance can be as simple as adding a little bleach to your pool every day to keep it within the target levels.
What is this? If you need to calculate how much bleach or Clorox you need to shock your pool, you will have to use 1/2 gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the chlorine levels by 5 ppm.
What is Pool Chlorine? Chlorine is a chemical element on the periodic table (part of the halogen group) that is commonly used as a sanitiser in swimming pools due thanks its ability to deactivate and destroy multiple types of bacteria and viruses.
The combination produces chlorine gas, as in the chemical warfare agent. Chlorine gas causes coughing and will irritate mucous membranes. It causes chemical burns and can be deadly if concentrations are high enough or exposure is prolonged. Vinegar is not the only acid that produces chlorine gas when mixed with bleach.
There are alternatives to chlorine including bromine, ionizers, and ozonators, though with each you'll still need to use some chlorine. A fourth alternative is PHMB, which doesn't require the use of any chlorine. All four have drawbacks, including cost.
It is a good idea to wait at least 20 minutes after adding the water balancing chemicals. If you use calcium chloride in your pool, you should wait at least 2 hours to swim.
In theory, if you have a cloudy swimming pool, you can add chlorine to “shock it” and clear things up. Chlorine will get the job done. But, the amounts may vary and you may have to really pound the pool with chlorine to get the water totally clear.
Bleach — You can use bleach but make sure it is splashes bleach, which can contain several other dangerous additives. Hydrogen Peroxide -- As little as a cup per 100 gallons water will help keep germs at bay. Must be 35% peroxide. Non-chlorine shock — Won't do the job alone.
Clorox outdoor bleach has additives, a thickener and "metal protection". Neither are things you are likely to want in the pool. I suggest you stick with the Clorox regular or a generic bleach without added features.
*1 gallon of chlorinating liquid delivers the same amount of chlorine as 2 chlorinating tablets.
Regular, old, chlorine bleach disinfects in part because of its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite. Variations, like "color safe" or "splash-less" are made of different chemicals, which can leave them without the power to truly disinfect.
1/3 cup bleach per 1 gallon of water OR 2 tablespoons bleach per 1 quart water. This will give you a 1000+ ppm disinfecting solution. After cleaning the area with detergent, spray or wipe with surfaces with the disinfectant.
At 7.4% sodium hypochlorite, Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach is more concentrated than most other bleach products.