What is Pool Chlorine?
Pool Pro Pool Chlorine is available in a number of different forms:
Pool Pro Granular Chlorine also known as dry chlorine or Cal Hypo is calcium based and has been used for centuries as a sanitiser for water. It is not suitable for use in Salt Pools. Pool Pro Granular Chlorine is a top quality low residue product. It is very strong at 70% available chlorine per kg.
Pool Pro Liquid Chlorine is a popular way of adding chlorine to pool water. One must be careful to keep it away from metal fixtures. For many years it has not been recommended for above ground pools due to the possibility of the salt content in the liquid coming into contact with metal framing thus having a corrosive effect on it. Being liquid it is heavy to handle, although convenient to add to the pool. Liquid pool chlorine has a strength of 10-12% available chlorine. So in 10 litres of liquid chlorine some 88-90% is water. Although it is inexpensive to purchase, it requires constant trips to the pool shop to continually purchase, and when compared to dry chlorine is often shown to be not as price competitive as one may believe. Household bleach is a weak solution of Liquid Chlorine. The chemical name is Sodium Hypochlorite which you can see on the label of your bleach bottle.
Pool Pro Stabilised Chlorine is granular chlorine that is totally soluble. It has a strength of 62%. It is Sodium (salt) based so is compatible with salt pools. It is called Stabilised because it contains stabiliser or sunscreen.
Pool Pro 5 in 1 Chlorine comes in granular and tablet form and is the strongest of all. It contains an algaecide as well as a stabiliser. It is trichlor (the product used in slow dissolving pool tablets) based and is extremely slow dissolving. Because of its strength it is not recommended for vinyl lined pools. This product has the following functions:
- Controls bacteria
- Kills Algae
- Clarifies
- Reduces loss of chlorine due to sunlight
- Lowers pH
Pool Pro Stabilised Tablets are a convenient way of keeping chlorine in the pool especially when away on holidays. The tablets dissolve very slowly. They are placed in a tablet dispenser which floats around the pool adding slow doses of chlorine. Chlorine is also generated by your salt chlorinator.
Each of these different forms of chlorine have their own features and benefits. For instance, granular chlorine is convenient, easy to store and relatively cheap, however it cannot be dosed automatically. All are satisfactory sanitisers for your pool, so choose the type that best suits your budget and lifestyle. No matter which form you decide to use, the requirement for a residual 1.0 to 2.0ppm remains the same. In a tropical environment 3ppm is usually recommended. Your Pool Pro Professional can advise you what level your chlorine should be and which product is suitable for your requirements.
Safety Note: Never mix chemicals – even different types of chlorine – fire and/or explosion may result.
Adding Chemicals
As a general rule, you are far better off adding small amounts of chemicals, running the filter and testing the effect after several hours. Attempting LARGE chemical changes by adding LARGE amounts of chemicals can result in BIG PROBLEMS. Always add chemicals in the evening when swimmers are out of the pool.
