How Often And How Much Chlorine To Add To Pool

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Whether you own an in-ground or above-ground pool, maintaining proper chlorine balance in the water is extremely important. The right chlorine balance prevents bacteria growth and hence ensuring you always have a safe and healthy swimming environment. 

If you are a new pool owner, chances are that you have tried to determine how much chlorine to add to the pool. In this guide, we will help you understand how much and how often to add chlorine to the pool – this should make it much easier for you to keep the pool sparkling clear. 

How Much Chlorine To Add to Pool

The basic chlorine to pool water balance is supposed to range between 1 to 3 PPM. To achieve this pool chemistry balance, you will need about 0.00013 ounces of chlorine per gallon of pool water. 

Different swimming pools feature varying sizes. Hence, you will need to perform some simple calculations to figure out the amount of chlorine you need to shock your swimming pool

To determine exactly how much chlorine to add to the pool, you need to calculate the size of the pool. On average, a round ring pool 15 feet across and 48 inches tall will hold approximately 4,978 gallons of water. On the other hand, an in-ground pool can hold over 31,000 gallons of water. 

To determine the number of gallons in the swimming pool, measure and multiply the width, average depth and, length, then multiply the value you get by 5.9 for around pool, 6.7 for an oval pool, and 7.5 for a rectangular pool. 

After determining the number of gallons in the swimming pool, the next step is to figure how much chlorine to add to the pool to bring the level to a healthy point. To do this, you will need to use a pool test kit. If you find that the chlorine level is already 1 ppm and you prefer it higher, you will need to add 0.00013 ounces per gallon to raise the level by 1 ppm. 

Simply multiply the number of gallons in the swimming pool by 0.00013 to determine the amount of chlorine that you need. To give you an example, if your swimming pool holds 4,978 gallons of water, you can calculate the amount of chlorine needed by taking 4,978 x 0.00013 which should give you 0.65 ounces of chlorine. 

If you prefer using liquid chlorine over granules and tablets, you should add a maximum of half a liter of chlorine per 50,000 liters of pool water. Adding excess chlorine won’t have a positive impact on water quality. It could damage your installation. 

Tip: You should test the pH level when determining whether the pool needs additional chlorine. The ideal swimming pool pH should lie between 7.2 and 7.6. Lower pH leads to corrosion of the pool while higher pH could cause discoloration due to scale formation. 

How Often to Add Chlorine to Pool

When it comes to determining how often to add chlorine to the pool, there are a couple of things that you need to consider. In addition to the pool size, the main things include: 

The Number of Hours You Use the Pool

The more swimming there is, the quicker the added chlorine degrades. For example, if you wear your swim cap & swimming goggles and get in the pool twice per week, you may need to add chlorine more often compared to someone who uses his or her pool once per week. 

If your swimming pool is not used much, you need to check the quality of the pool water once per week. If you use the pool more than 2 days per week, you should check the water quality 2 – 3 times every week. 

Insects and Leaves in the Swimming Pool 

If your pool has insects, leaves, and other forms of dirt, you may need to add chlorine more often. Insects and leaves usually cause the active chlorine to become exhausted. 

The Number of Sunshine Hours and UV Value 

The chlorine value is degraded by the sun’s UV rays. This means that the more hours your swimming pool is exposed to sunshine, the more often you will need to add chlorine. You can, however, reduce the effect that sunshine has on the chlorine levels by making use of pool covers

You might also like: Liquid Chlorine vs Tablets: Comparisson Guide

Using Chlorine Tablets to Maintain the Right Chlorine Level 

After achieving the right chlorine value – for example, when opening a swimming pool – most people prefer to use tablets to maintain the chlorine level. In most cases, chlorine tablets eliminate the need to worry about how often to add chlorine to the pool. 

Once placed in the pool chlorine dispenser, the tablets dissolve slowly. This helps keep the chlorine level in the pool constant. 

While the factors mentioned above do determine the number of chlorine tablets needed, the recommended amount is one 20-gram mini-tablet per 3 m3 of pool water for a small inflatable pool. You should wait until the added chlorine tablets dissolve completely before adding new tablets to your pool. 

FAQs

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Q: How Much Liquid Chlorine Do I Add to My Pool?

A: 

The recommended amount of liquid chlorine is 0.5 liters of chlorine per 50,000 liters of pool water. To determine the exact amount of liquid chlorine you need, you will have to determine the volume of your swimming pool. 

Q: How Much Chlorine Do I Put in A 5000 Gallon Pool?

A: 

0.00013 ounces of chlorine is recommended per 1 gallon of water. Therefore, for a 5,000-gallon pool, you will need 0.65 ounces of chlorine. 

Q: How Do I Add Chlorine to My Pool?

A: 

If you are using liquid chlorine, you should add it directly to the pool water, in front of the pool’s return jet, to disperse it throughout the pool. When using chlorine tablets, you can stack them in an inline or floating chlorinator and then allow the tablets to dissolve slowly. Chlorine powder should be dissolved in water before being distributed evenly throughout the pool. 

Q: How Much Chlorine Do You Need to Shock A Pool?

A: 

Assuming that you are using chlorine granules, you should use 3 measuring cups of 40 grams of chlorine granules per 10 m3 of water. This should be added after swimming to ensure that the product spreads well throughout the pool.

Q: How Often Do I Need to Add Chlorine to Pool?

A: 

During the swimming season, you should check the chlorine level at least twice per week. The ideal chlorine level should be between 1 and 3 ppm. If the level is below 1 ppm, you should add more chlorine.

Q: How Long After Adding Chlorine Can You Swim?

A: 

It is generally safe to swim after 2 to 4 hours. Keep in mind that for some chlorine products, you may need to wait for up to 24 hours before swimming. Reading the instructions should help you figure out how long you need to wait.

Q: How Much Chlorine Do I Add to My Pool When I Open It?

A: 

When opening a swimming pool, double-shocking is recommended. To double-shock the pool, you will need to use 2 pounds of chlorine per 10,000 gallons of pool water.

Q: How Much Chlorine Do I Add to My Pool for the First Time?

A: 

If you just opened your pool, you should add 2 pounds of chlorine per 10,000 gallons of water. To increase the chlorine level in the future, 0.00013 ounces per gallon should be ideal.

Globo Surf Overview 

Maintaining a healthy swimming pool means using the right chemicals in the right quantities and at the right time. Chlorine is one of the most important pool chemicals. In this article, we have answered the questions of how much chlorine to add to the pool and how often to add chlorine to the pool. This should make it much easier for you to maintain the right chlorine level.

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