Keeping your pool sanitised is vital if you want to make your pool a safe space for swimming for yourself and your family. Chlorine is the sanitiser of choice for most pool owners. However, the majority of pool owners prefer using chlorine in granular form. Typically, the chlorine is dissolved in a bucket of water before being introduced to the pool. After it enters the pool, it eliminates microorganisms and sanitises the pool.
However, in recent years, the popularity of chlorine tablets has steadily increased, and in this post, we'll tell you everything you need to know about chlorine tablets. So, if you're looking for an alternative to granular chlorine for sanitising your pool, read on.
How chlorine works to sanitise a swimming pool
Before we get to the details of chlorine tablets, we feel it’s important to tell you how chlorine works in a pool. Well, this is how – when you introduce chlorine to your pool water, a chemical reaction takes place over time. During this chemical reaction, two compounds – hypochlorite ions and hypochlorous acid, are formed.
After the formation of these compounds, they proceed to oxidise all the contaminants present in the pool water. However, their speed of action differs. On one hand, there’s hypochlorous acid, which begins to sanitise the water as soon as it’s formed. On the other, there are hypochlorite ions, which are released much more slowly compared to hypochlorous acid.
Why consider chlorine tablets
Now that you’re aware of how chlorine works in a swimming pool, let’s move on to chlorine tablets. You’re probably wondering at this point why you should consider chlorine tablets when chlorine is so readily available in granular form. Well, we recommend using chlorine tablets for pool sanitisation if convenience is your priority.
For starters, chlorine tablets don’t have to be measured in the way you’d have to measure chlorine in its granular form. As you might know already, too little or too much chlorine can disrupt your pool water chemistry. So, when using chlorine in its granular form, you’ve got to be incredibly careful, and measuring it properly can take some time.
Chlorine tablets are also known for their gradual dissolution in pool water. So, they can be more effective in terms of sanitising the pool than granular chlorine, which is much more fast-acting. However, this doesn’t mean you can throw caution to the wind when using chlorine tablets. You’ve still got to take care as too much chlorine in a swimming pool is never a good thing.
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Chlorine tablets: The different types
The differences between the various chlorine tablet products in the market are on the basis of their:
Ingredients: When shopping for chlorine tablets, you’ll see some products labelled as ‘stabilised’ and others as ‘unstabilised’. The difference between stabilised and unstabilised chlorine is simple – stabilised chlorine contains a chemical called cyanuric acid, while unstabilised chlorine doesn’t contain this chemical. Cyanuric acid prevents the sun’s UV rays from damaging the chlorine, which is why stabilised chlorine products are recommended for outdoor pools. If you want to use unstabilised chlorine tablets for your outdoor pool, you’d have to do it in the evening. However, you can feel free to use unstabilised chlorine tablets for your indoor pool at any time of the day.
Size: You can either buy 1-inch chlorine tablets or 3-inch variants. The difference between the sizes lies essentially in their chlorine content. The chlorine content in 1-inch chlorine tablets is less than half of the chlorine content in 3-inch variants. This makes them ideal for small spas and pools. However, if you have a big swimming pool, investing in the 3-inch variants would make more sense as a single 3-inch chlorine tablet can be used for treating up to a whopping 5,000 gallons of water.
What's the best way to add chlorine tablets?
There are a few options to consider in terms of adding chlorine tablets to your swimming pool:
Via the pool skimmer: Putting the chlorine tablets in the pool skimmer and then running the pump is a great way to distribute the tablets evenly throughout your pool. The greatest advantage of using the pool skimmer to distribute the chlorine tablets is that you only need to purchase the tablets – no additional equipment is necessary!
Via a floating dispenser: You can also use a floating dispenser to distribute the chlorine tablets throughout your pool. However, we recommend against using a dispenser as it can get stuck, and if it does, it’ll end up distributing the chlorine in only a few areas of the pool. So, if you want even pool chlorination, steer clear of floating dispensers.
Via an automatic chlorinator: If you want maximum control over things like how fast the chlorine should dissolve and how much of it should enter your pool, invest in an automatic chlorinator. Sure, it’ll involve a high upfront expense, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. To make it work, simply fill it with the chlorine tablets and set it according to your preferences. If you don’t have the time to manually add chlorine to your swimming pool, this option is your best bet.
Does chlorine damage fibreglass pools? See the details here!
Alternatively, you can also crush the tablets and turn them into powder. However, if you plan on doing this, why not buy chlorine in its granular form? Also, be sure to steer clear of throwing the tablets into the water directly. This will lead to the tablets eventually settling at the bottom of your pool, where they'll slowly dissolve and wreak havoc on the masonry.
How many tablets should you add?
The following dosage chart should help you add the right amount of chlorine tablets:
- 1 tablet every week for pools with capacities of 2,500 – 5,000 gallons
- 1 – 2 tablets each week for pools with a capacity of 7,000 gallons
- 2 tablets each week for pools with a capacity of 10,000 gallons
- 2 – 3 tablets each week for pools with a capacity of 13,500 gallons
- 3 tablets each week for pools with capacities of 15,000 – 17,000 gallons
- 3 – 4 tablets each week for pools with a capacity of 20,000 gallons
- 4 – 5 tablets each week for pools with a capacity of 25,000 gallons
- 5 – 6 tablets each week for pools with a capacity of 30,000 gallons
Conclusion
So, we hope this article proved to be informative in terms of letting you understand the ins and outs of chlorine tablets. Now, you should be able to add chlorine tablets to your swimming pool by yourself without any fuss or bother.
