Cara's Pool School — chlorine

Chlorine (or bromine) is used in pools and spas as a means of sanitizing the water and ensure that it can be considered safe for swimmer or bather use. It can be measured as either Total Chlorine (all of the chorine in the water) and Free Chlorine (what is actively free and available to fight off bacteria, contaminants, and other health concerns). Typically, Free Chlorine is the common regular test performed; but Total Chlorine readings -- when greater than the tested Free Chlorine -- can directly indicate that nitrogen and other contaminants are in play and preventing the chlorine from...

At the very least, paying attention to the available chlorine should be key when comparing or shopping for chlorine tablets abroad. It's best to also keep in mind that your local and trusted pool professional has done a lot of the legwork on the other, less visible benefits of one brand versus another -- such as compression, dissolution rate, potential impurities or ingredients that could cause unexpected staining or discoloration, etc.

Although salt-water pools are designed to produce most of the chlorine needed for proper pool maintenance, they only produce chlorine when the pump and filter are in operation and are designed with "normal" swimmer/bather loads in mind. If you're swimming frequently, have a pool party, or if a storm rolls through, then it's usually a good idea to manually add an oxidizer or shock treatment to ensure that the chlorine being produced doesn't get over-loaded. Supplemental chlorine can be added (usually tabs) to ensure sanitation levels are maintained in heated applications (which causes higher chlorine consumption), or in the event...

First, perform a complete water test to ensure that proper water balance parameters are in line and that salt and stabilizer levels are adequate. If so, most chlorine production issues tend to stem from the salt cell of the unit needing to be cleaned or replaced.

Most typical floaters are designed to be filled to capacity, as the amount of chlorine making its way into the water is gauged by adjustable vents or slots on the floater's outer casing. Free Chlorine should generally maintained between 1.5 and 3.0 ppm. Since the amount of chlorine needed is directly associated with demand based on weather conditions, bather load, and current chlorine levels, it's almost impossible to offer specifics for dosing needs. If you're unsure about your condition or application, it's probably best to consult with your local and trusted pool professional for a full water analysis and recommendation.