Using Chlorine To Assist With Pool Maintenance

The first and foremost reason why chlorine is the most popular pool chemical, is that it is the cheapest compared to other pool sanitizing and disinfecting products out there. Perhaps another reason why so many people like It is that it comes in lots of different forms, which can make it easier to use depending on your physical ability, knowledge, time or just your preference. The liquid form is probably the most popular, and it is also the cheapest. However it does come in other forms, like tablets, sticks, granules or powder. Liquid does seem to be the form with the least hassle involved with application, simply pour it in. Some pool owners claim that liquid chlorine also works the fastest, as it disperses more quickly as a liquid being applied to a liquid. However the tablets can be pretty low maintenance also, as you can simply put them in a floater and send it out to disperse itself as the floater floats around the pool.

Once you get to the pool supply store or department, you will notice that chlorine products come in a variety of different concentrations, usually 10 to 15% concentration. It is important to keep in mind that the higher the concentration is, the lower the amount you will need to use will be. Generally, the power, tablet or granule forms of chlorine have a higher concentration that the liquid form. Chlorine also comes in variety of different kinds, including chlorinated isocyanuircs, calcium hypochlorite and lithium hypchlorite.  Calcium hypochlorite generally has one of the  highest concentrations of chlorine; a staggering 65%.  Each type of chlorine can be applied to your swimming pool in several different ways. The liquid or powder can be diluted before equally pouring the mixture around the pool. When mixing chlorine with water be sure that you put the water in a plastic or glass bucket first and then add and mix the chlorine product to the water. Do not mix chlorine in any type of metal container. Be sure to also wear protective gloves and old clothes as the chlorine can damage your skin and bleach or corrode clothing.

A lot of people seem to prefer the chlorinated isocyanurics because this type of chlorine is more tolerant of direct sunlight and seems to dissolve quicker than the other types. Another reason people prefer it is that unlike the other types, it does not make the water have a harsh feel. The only major drawback of using this type of chlorine is that it can often make the pool have a strong chemical or chlorine smell. 

All of the types of chlorine discussed above contain the chemical called hypochlorous acid, which is what gives it its abilities to disinfect and sanitize. It is also the powerful chemical that actually obliterates organic matter that might be living and growing in the pool. The powerful acids works best in pools that have a balanced pH and routine use of the product helps keep the pH balanced so that it doesn’t get so far out of whack that you have to chock the pool.  

You might be thinking, why would I want to use chlorine products if they are going to make my pool smell like chemicals? While this strong smell does tend to make your swimmers skin and hair small like chlorine, it doesn’t always happen when using chlorine products. This really only happens when you add chlorine to a pool with low pH. The scent is so strong, not only because you probably needed to use more than usually but because there was not enough residual chlorine in the pool.  The lower the level of residual chlorine is the higher the hypochlorous acid level becomes. It can also happen when lots of people are using the pool and the water starts to accumulate significant amounts of sweat and urine because that ammonia mixes with chlorine and emits a chemical scent.