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A pool can be the best place for some great parties and even family get-togethers of all kinds. Whether it is a cold pool for a hot summer afternoon or a warm one for the winter, keeping it clean is necessary. You may have put in a lot of effort to make your pool look visibly clean.
It is good to keep it away from any germs and contaminants that may inhabit the water. Chlorine is an excellent way to rid your pool of contaminants and keep it sanitized. Read head to know how you can use chlorine tablets to do this.
Chlorine Tablets for Your Pool
Chlorine tablets are an affordable option that will keep your pool clean of any bacteria and other germs. They are straightforward to use. However, there are specific ways in which you should use them so that they are effective.
What Chlorine Tablets Should I Use for My Pool?
You will mostly find chlorine tablets that are 1 inch or 3 inches in size. A 3-inches tablet is good enough for 5,000 gallons of water. Hence, this is the recommended size for a regular pool.
If you have an indoor pool, a 1-inch tablet will be ideal. When you buy chlorine tablets for your pool, you will also have to look at their ingredients. You will find stabilized and unstabilized chlorine tablets in the market.
Stabilized chlorine tablets contain cyanuric acid (CYA), which prevents chlorine from burning when exposed to the sun. Hence, if you have an outdoor pool, look for stabilized chlorine.
On the other hand, unstabilized chlorine does not contain CYA and is hence great for indoor pools. In general, 3-inches long chlorine tablets should work well for an outdoor pool.
Amount of Chlorine Tablets in a Pool
Now that you have picked the right chlorine tablets, you will have to figure out just how much to add to your pool. This largely depends on the size of your pool. You can use a single chlorine tablet every week for a pool that is anywhere between 2500 and 5000 gallons.
If the pool is about 7000 gallons large, you can use about two tablets every week. Backyard pools are usually around this size or slightly more.
A single tablet can go a long way. Note that even for a pool with a capacity of 30,000 gallons, 5 to 6 tablets every week should work. Here’s how you can calculate the number of chlorine tablets given that the pool has a capacity of 5000 gallons or more.
Divide the capacity of the pool by 5000. This should give you an approximation of the number of chlorine tablets needed for your pool. So, if your pool has a capacity of 50,000 gallons, then it would require around 10 tablets every week.
Adding Chlorine Tablets to Your Pool
Adding chlorine tablets is not as simple as leaving one in the water. If the tablet gets to the bottom of the pool, it can permanently stain the area. It will also not be very effective. Further, tablets at the bottom of the pool release sanitizer to the pool unevenly and very slowly.
The problem with such usage is that it wastes away the tablet and causes you to use more. Hence, there are other ways to add chlorine that are much more effective. Read ahead to find out.
Use Your Pool Skimmer
Your pool’s skimmer works to keep any debris on the pool surface blocked out. Just add the chlorine tablet to your skimmer.
The skimmer sees a constant flow of water throughout the day. This is because the water flows through the skimmer line, moves through the heater, and goes back into the pool. For this reason, this is the right spot where the chlorine tablet can dissolve and distribute evenly.
If you use this method, do note that your pool’s pump has to keep running so that the chlorine is not concentrated in one area.
Use a Floating Dispenser
These dispensers float on the surface of your pool. They can contain a few tablets at a time and keep them contained. This ensures that they slowly dissolve into the water.
However, these dispensers also don’t float in patterned ways and may not hover over your entire pool. Hence, the tablet may not dissolve evenly around your pool. It is, however, better than letting the tablets sink to the bottom of the pool.
Crushing Chlorine Tablets
If you want to sanitize your pool at the last minute, this method works best. The chlorine won’t stay put too long using this method, but it is quick and effective.
All you have to do is crush the chlorine tablet into granules. Spread this powder around your pool and give it some time to be absorbed and dissolve into the water. Even the granular chlorine that you find in the market is made by crushing chlorine tablets.
Use an Automatic Chlorinator
An automatic chlorinator is a large container that lets you add chlorine tablets. You can adjust the feed rate of these tablets using this equipment. Hence, you will be able to control just how much chlorine goes into your pool precisely.
These will be installed at the end of your pool and just before the return line. All you have to do is set the feed rate, and the chlorinator will do the work for you. You can do the job in one go and won’t have to add new tablets each week.
Endnotes
We have listed the four ways in which you can use chlorine tablets to keep your pool clean. You can use equipment like an automatic chlorinator or simply using your pool’s skimmer.
To make the best of your chlorine tablets, it is best not to let them sink to the bottom and dissolve. Further, a 3-inch chlorine tablet is an ideal option for an outdoor pool. By maintaining a weekly cleaning routine, using your chorine tablets should become very easy.
This should keep your pool clean and tidy anytime you choose to use it.
