Owning a pool is not just all fun and games. Every pool owner should understand that while swimming pools can be a fun and enjoyable activity for a family, it must also be properly maintained at most times. This makes it crucial to apply effective measures to ensure the safety of everyone who tends to swim in it. Not being able to maintain them regularly might lead to them being a home for all the bacteria and harmful elements, which can impose a huge risk for swimmers. For this reason, there are cleaning measures that must be integrated, which includes a chemical element that you will add to the water, making the biggest difference in pool maintenance. This includes the application of chlorine tablets.
Sanitizing your swimming pool is always a necessity, regardless of its shape, size, brand, or model. While this can be accomplished with chemicals like chlorine, bromine, or even salt, many pool owners have come to rely on a specific type of chlorine these days — chlorine tablets. Cleaning and sanitizing are important components of basic pool chemistry. Therefore, adding chlorine tablets to your pool is a simple way to get started. This is actually a more preferable chemical component as chlorine tablets tend to be easier to use. They dispense chlorine at a steadier rate than tossing a few scoops of chlorine granules into the pool.
Dissolving Chlorine Tablets
Chlorine tablets are meant to be dissolved in water. They should not, however, be left to dissolve on the pool floor. Leaving chlorine pills on the pool’s bottom might result in permanent discoloration and bleaching of the liners. It is also the least efficient means of utilizing them. Moreover, chlorine tablets in the bottom of your pool are not even close to the skimmer line. As a result, they take longer to break down and release sanitizer unevenly. When chlorine pills are used in this manner, the majority of the chlorine is squandered. Then, you are forced to use even more.
Since chlorine tablets are deemed to be an effective and efficient way of applying chlorine to swimming pools, you have to keep in mind certain measures on how to actually add them. A high quantity of dissolved chlorine might damage your pool equipment and surfaces. It depends on how you add the tablets to your pool. So applying them as is may not always be the safest option. For this reason, there are a few ways you can practice in incorporating chlorine tablets into your pool. These measures must be understood. This will let you properly apply cleaning solutions to your pool, for a cleaner, safer, and more fun swimming experience.
Floating Dispenser
One of the most common ways of adding chlorine tablets to swimming pools would be with the use of a floating dispenser. Floating dispensers are small plastic containers that float on the surface of the pool water. They sometimes come in cute, unique designs and forms. The simplicity of floating dispensers is what makes them so appealing. They can only retain a few tablets and keep them safe until they dissolve. The dispenser delivers chlorine into the water as it floats around the surface of your pool.
Given that chlorine tablets inside dissolve, these plastic pool gadgets disperse sanitizer across your pool. Floaters are convenient and low-maintenance, but they may not be the best option if you have a pool liner. They can get stuck in one spot and release too much chlorine in a small area. This can discolor and even possibly ruin your pool liner. They are also passive, administering chlorine unevenly without the help of flowing water from your pool’s circulation system. Thus, when you add in the unwanted concern about damaging your pool liner, the risk of disaster is simply too great in comparison to the seeming convenience.
Floating dispensers do not float in a specific pattern because they are used manually. Thus, they do not always disseminate chlorine evenly. While employing a floating dispenser is preferable than doing nothing, it may not be the most effective approach to chlorinate your pool.
Pool Skimmer
A better method for adding chlorine tablets, and sometimes considered to be the easiest one, would be with the use of a swimming pool skimmer. The skimmer is the part of your pool that sucks in water when the filtration system is working. It comes with a debris-filtering basket. In this method, water will rush fast over the tablets in the skimmer basket when your filter is operating. Then, it dissolves them considerably more effectively than the floater. The chlorinated water is then forced back into your pool through the return jets. Thus, allows the chlorine to disperse evenly throughout the pool.
One disadvantage of using pool skimmers for applying chlorine tablets to your pool is that they will continue to dissolve even if the filter is turned off. If left untreated, this can result in highly chlorinated, very corrosive water that can harm your equipment and pipes. However, you can get around this problem by removing the partially-dissolved tablets when the pool skimmer is not running. Or by installing a variable-speed pool pump to keep the water cycled without racking up huge utility bills.
This is actually a widely used technique. Adding chlorine tablets with the use of a pool skimmer is one of the easiest ways to distribute chlorine. There is no fuss, and no additional equipment is required. With a constant stream of water going through the skimmer for the majority of the day, it is an ideal location for chlorine distribution. It will also equally distribute the chlorine. However, though it is convenient and effectively distributes chlorine, some pool owners choose not to use it since chlorine can harm the skimmer basket.
Automatic Pool Chlorinator
If you want more control over your pool’s chlorination levels, and do not want to deal with chlorine tablets more than necessary, then a pool chlorinator is your best choice. This piece of equipment allows you to precisely manage the amount of chlorine added to your water. You can also control how quickly or slowly your tablets dissolve.
Essentially, this chlorinator is a large container with a knob for controlling the feed rate that you fill with chlorine tablets. They are normally installed directly after the heater and before the return line at the end of your pool system. You can fill the container with tablets. Then, adjust the chlorine level between 1 to 3 ppm, and check the level using test strips until you find the setting that works best for your pool, weather, and water quality.
This method for introducing chlorine pills to your pool combines the most efficiency and convenience. To ensure that your pool water is clean, clear, and properly chlorinated, make sure your chlorinator is the last thing it passes through before reentering the pool. But then, you have to keep in mind that the chlorinator you will be using is compatible with the chlorine tablets that you are going to apply. The chlorinators are designed to fit most trichlor tablets, which are 3″ wide. However, certain calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo) tablets are just 1″ wide and will dissolve too quickly in a 3″ chlorinator. Furthermore, although purchasing this equipment is quite expensive, it is considered to be the most effective way to add chlorine to the pool.
Key Takeaway
Adding chlorine tablets to your swimming pool will certainly ensure that you will have a cleaner and safer pool to swim in, which will definitely be enjoyed by households. You just have to keep in mind and make use of the best method for you in applying them. Given that chlorine tablets carry properties that may be damaging and harmful. Too much of this applied to the pool imposes risks that can be dangerous for everyone.