How Do I Add Chlorine To My Above Ground Pool

Owning a pool means spending a lot of time keeping the water clear of unwanted intruders. Whether you're learning how to keep ducks out of your pool, skimming away leaves and bugs, or researching how to kill algae in your pool, keeping things out of your h2o can seem like the nearly of import job you take as a puddle owner.

But every bit it turns out, it'south something you add together to the h2o that makes the biggest difference. Sanitizer is ane of the cornerstones of basic pool chemistry, and calculation chlorine tablets is an easy way to introduce this essential chemical to your pool.

What'southward So Great Almost Chlorine Tablets?

You may be wondering why nosotros're focusing specifically on tablets rather than only chlorine in general. It'due south simple. Chlorine tablets are easier to use, and they dispense chlorine at a steadier rate than tossing a few scoops of chlorine granules into the pool.

Simply before we go further into the benefits and utilise of chlorine tablets, let'southward take a look at chlorine in general.

Why We Add together Chlorine to Swimming Pools

Because it's inexpensive, powerful, and effective, chlorine is one of the about popular pool sanitizers on the market. Adding chlorine to your pool water volition kill viruses and bacteria, keeping you, your friends, and your family safer when swimming.

Our Top Pick

3-Inch Stabilized Chlorine Tablets

Stock up and save coin on chlorine tablets for the flavor by getting the standard 3-inch stabilized chlorine pucks.

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How Much Chlorine Should You Add to Your Swimming Puddle?

Ideally, the chlorine concentration of your swimming puddle should be at least i part per million (ppm), and non become in a higher place 3 ppm.

Staying within that range is the rubber and smart fashion to residue protection against contaminants with the risks of having too much chlorine in the water, which can cause eye, olfactory organ, lung, and throat irritation.

To ensure your pool h2o has the right amount of sanitizer, regular pool water testing is essential. You can use test strips or test kits to determine the exact levels of chlorine and other chemicals, and then fine-tune them as necessary.

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How to Choose the Right Chlorine Tablets for Your Pool

Chlorine tablets come in one-inch and three-inch sizes. We recommend the three-inch tablets because they're easier to handle and, depending on their popularity in your area, might even be less expensive than the i-inch version.

We also recommend the three-inch chlorine tablets considering they provide sanitation for 5,000 gallons of water per tablet, meaning yous can utilise fewer of them, which tin can besides save you money.

To know how many tablets to use, you lot'll demand to know your pool's volume. If you don't already know how much water your puddle holds, use this pool calculator to quickly and easily figure it out.

Pool Book Calculator Click on your pool shape to calculate the book of water.

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rectangle pool Round

To use the right number of tablets, always round your puddle volume upwards to the nearest unit of 5,000 gallons. For case, your pool has a capacity of 20,000 gallons, you lot would add together iv chlorine tablets. Just if your pool holds but 16,000 gallons, you'd still use four, three-inch chlorine tablets. It'southward that easy.

Four Ways to Add Chlorine Tablets to Your Pool

If you're used to using chlorine granules that you add directly to the water, yous may exist thinking y'all can merely throw a handful of tablets in and hope for the best.

Whoa, at that place! Before you start trying to skip those chlorine tablets on the surface of your pool, consider a few improve options.

floater-vs-skimmer-vs-chlorinator

Floating Chlorine Dispenser

These plastic pool gadgets travel around your puddle, dispersing sanitizer as the chlorine tablets inside dissolve. They're convenient and depression-maintenance, but if you have a pool liner, floaters may non be the right choice.

Floating dispensers can sometimes go caught in 1 location and dispense too much chlorine in a concentrated surface area, discoloring and even damaging your pool liner. They're also passive, dispensing chlorine unevenly without flowing water passing over them equally part of your pool'due south water circulation.

Combined with the unwanted anxiety about possibly damaging your pool liner, the potential for disaster is just too high compared to the perceived convenience.

Pool Skimmer

A better method is calculation chlorine tablets directly to your pond pool skimmer. When your filter is running, water will move quickly over the tablets in the skimmer basket, dissolving them much more effectively than the floater does. The chlorinated water is so pushed into your pool through the return jets, assuasive chlorine to spread evenly throughout the pool.

1 potential drawback to calculation chlorine tablets to your skimmer handbasket is that the tablets volition continue to dissolve even when the filter isn't running. This can create some highly chlorinated, highly corrosive h2o that can impairment your equipment if left unattended.

Y'all tin go around this problem past removing the partially-dissolved tablets when your puddle filter isn't running, or by installing a variable-speed puddle pump to cycle water continuously without running up an outrageous electric beak.

Our Top Choice

Hayward MaxFlo Variable-Speed Pool Pump

This puddle pump tin save you up to 80% on free energy costs and is incredibly quiet thank you to the permanent magnet, totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC) motor. Uncomplicated drop-in upgrade that can operate in standalone fashion or connect to any automation system.

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Automatic Pool Chlorinator

This is our chlorine tablet dispersion method of choice. If yous desire greater command over your pool's chlorination levels and don't similar messing with chlorine tablets more than necessary, a pool chlorinator is your best bet.

You tin can load it upwardly with tablets, set it for a chlorine level of 1 ppm to 3 ppm, and verify the level with exam strips until y'all go a feel for the setting that works all-time based on your pool utilize, weather, and water quality.

This method combines the greatest efficiency and convenience for adding chlorine tablets to your pool. Just think to make sure your chlorinator is the last matter the puddle water passes through earlier re-inbound the puddle to make sure your water is make clean, clear, and properly chlorinated.

Our Elevation Pick

Hayward Automatic Pool Chlorinator (Inline)

This automatic chlorinator is perfect for the puddle owner who hates fussing with chlorine tablets. With its punch control valve, you tin can easily conform the chlorine level depending on your puddle'due south size.

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Chlorine Granules

The pulverized version of chlorine tablets can be sprinkled directly into your pool water. You can apply this method if yous similar. Nevertheless, be enlightened that it's more localized than whatever of the other iii methods, which makes it less effective.

It's besides more fourth dimension consuming—in that location's a lot of measuring to be washed—and can, equally with a chemical floater, bleach your liner or damage equipment if the chlorine builds up in one expanse. For these reasons, we much prefer the automatic chlorinator or the second-best skimmer method.

Chlorine Tablets Salve Headaches

OK, not actually. Nosotros just mean that adding chlorine tablets to your pool doesn't have to be a headache that has you lot reaching for another kind of tablet. All you need to do is make up one's mind how much time, endeavour, and investment you'd like to brand.

Then sanitize your pool with the method that's easiest, most convenient, and most effective for you, and you'll be able to utilise your pool with total peace of mind.

Happy Pond!

Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim University® and has been in the puddle and spa industry since 1995. Since then, his mission is to brand pool and hot tub intendance piece of cake for everyone. And each year, he continues to aid more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting.

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