How Many 3 Chlorine Tablets Should I Use

Have a few questions about chlorine tablets? Want to know the all-time way to use them?

Keep reading to learn everything yous demand to know to get started

Owning a pool comes with its share of fun and responsibility. On one hand, you get to swim whenever y'all want. You can savor a absurd, refreshing dip in the Summertime, or rut upward the h2o for a warm and cozy swim in the Fall. And a pool is the perfect spot for get-togethers, and spending fourth dimension with family unit and friends.

But, if y'all want to actually savour your pool, then you accept to keep it clean right? Because no one wants to swim in a dingy lawn pond.

So that ways skimming the water, scrubbing the walls, vacuuming the floor, cleaning the filter, and and then on. In other words, keeping your water visibly clean. But that still leaves the other side of puddle intendance…

Puddle chemical maintenance.

A pool that "looks" clean, isn't necessarily clean to swim in. Seemingly clear water can be filled with micro bacteria and other contaminants. Which is exactly why products similar chlorine tablets exist. Every bit you know, chlorine is what sanitizes your pool and keeps it sanitary and safe.

And in this post, we show yous how to utilise chlorine tablets in your swimming pool…the right style. Yes, despite their simplicity, there are right and incorrect means to apply chlorine tablets. Using them the wrong way can damage your pool, and waste your money – which are two not bad reasons to keep reading this post.

And then let's do a quick rundown on chlorine tablets, and the best manner to utilize them in your swimming puddle.

Why pools need chlorine

As mentioned earlier, chlorine is what keeps your pool safe and swimmable. It sanitizes your water and kills the germs, leaner, and other contaminants that would otherwise pose health hazards.

Just for those of yous who desire the nitty gritty details, here they are:

Chlorine 'southward sanitization process starts when it enters your pool. As it begins mixing with the water, chemical breakdowns occur. During these breakdowns, two important compounds are formed: hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions.

Both compounds actively sanitize your water by oxidizing the contaminants in your puddle. Simply while hypochlorite ions are more "boring release" and oxidize over long periods of fourth dimension, hypochlorous acid begins working on contact. Together, they keep your water germ complimentary and rubber for swimming in a diverseness of situations.

(Learn more about how chlorine works here)

So if you've e'er wondered how it'due south possible for a bunch of people to swim in a unmarried rectangle of water without anyone getting sick, you lot can give thanks chlorine for that.

And on that note…

What chlorine tablets are used for

Chlorine tablets are a safe, constructive, and affordable manner to sanitize your pool. They're designed to gradually dissolve, releasing chlorine into your water every bit they get smaller and smaller.

They're a pop choice amongst pool owners because of how easy they are to apply. For the most part, it's as simple as putting them in your water and leaving them to practice their job. Of course, where you put them matters, hence this entire post.

Different granular or liquid chlorine, there'south no precise measuring involved with tablets. So it'south much faster. Just add together the right amount of tablets for your pool size, and your good to go in only a few seconds.

Just, as we mentioned earlier, there are correct and wrong ways to use chlorine tablets, which we'll be getting to in just a minute.

For now, allow'southward talk about the different types of chlorine tablets you'll find at the pool store.

Related: Balance Your Swimming Pool Water in 7 Simple Steps

Types of chlorine tablets

Chlorine Tablet SIZES

Chlorine tablets come in two primary sizes: one inch and three inches

In virtually cases, you're best off with iii-inch chlorine tablets, every bit 1 single tablet tin care for up to five,000 gallons of water.

On the other hand, 1-inch tablets contain far less chlorine (most one-half as much as 3-inch tablets), then they're better suited for smaller indoor pools and spas.

Chlorine Tablet INGREDIENTS

Beyond size, at that place are besides a few other differences between chlorine tablets when it comes to ingredients.

For instance, y'all'll discover that sure tablets are labeled as either "stabilized" or "unstabilized".

This refers to a specific ingredient, known as cyanuric acid (CYA), which helps to shield chlorine from called-for upwardly under the sun. Stabilized chlorine contains CYA, which helps it concluding much longer, and work properly fifty-fifty in sunlight.

Unstabilized chlorine doesn't contain any CYA at all, which reduces it's effectiveness and leaves it completely vulnerable to burning away in the sun within hours. Hence why unstabilized chlorine tablets are ameliorate suited for indoor pools, where the sun won't be an consequence.

If your pool is outdoors, cull stabilized chlorine tablets.

Sure chlorine tablet manufacturers also include extra chemicals, like algaecides and clarifiers in their products. These are helpful additions, but tin can always be added separately if needed afterwards. And then cull the tablets that fit your needs and upkeep.

Related: Top 7 Causes of Chlorine Loss & How To Prevent It

What are the best chlorine tablets

Nigh chlorine tablets will practice an as adept job at keeping your pool clean. And that's because most brands use the aforementioned, or similar ingredients in their products. So it mostly comes down to your puddle's specific needs and budget.

But for outdoor pools, as long every bit you cull 3-inch stabilized tablets, you're good to go.

On that note, hither are a few specific brands of chlorine tablets worth checking out (these aren't sponsors or partners, just recommendations):

Pool Time Max Blue 3 inch chlorine tablets
Clorox Pool and Spa chlorine tablets
In The Swim three inch chlorine tablets
Swim Best 3 inch Trichlor chlorine tablets

How many chlorine tablets to add to your pool

Here's the question you lot've been waiting to go answered:

How many chlorine tablets should yous use?

The answer? It all depends on the size of your pool.

For the best results, use this chlorine tablet dosage chart as a reference:

2,500 – 5,000 gallon pools
- 1 chlorine tablet per week
7,000-gallon pool
- 1-ii chlorine tablets per week
10,000-gallon pool
- ii chlorine tablets per week
thirteen,500-gallon pool
- 2-3 chlorine tablets per calendar week
15,000 – 17,000 gallon pools
- three chlorine tablets per calendar week
20,000-gallon pool
- 3-4 chlorine tablets per week
25,000-gallon pool
- four-5 tablets per week
xxx,000-gallon pool
- v-6 tablets per calendar week

To keep things easy, call up that a single three-inch tablet tin sanitize up to v,000 gallons of water. Which ways four tablets are enough to sanitize a 20,000-gallon pool.

To calculate how many chlorine tablets to add to your pond pool, starting time circular your pool's size (in gallons) to the nearest 5,000th. And so if you accept a fourteen,000-gallon pool, you lot'd circular up to fifteen,000 gallons.

Hither's a little formula to think: Rounded up Puddle Size/5,000=number of chlorine tablets needed

Since a single tablet can care for 5,000 gallons of water, you'd only need 3 tablets to treat upwardly to 15,000 gallons. So you would utilize 3 tablets for your 14,000-gallon puddle.

Using our formula, that would look like this: 15,000 gallons(14,000 rounded up)/5,000 gallons= iii chlorine tablets

How to add chlorine tablets to your swimming pool

Finally, the most of import part of this post – how to add chlorine tablets to your pond pool.

What practise you hateful "how to add together", why tin't y'all just throw them in the h2o? That'due south what they're made for.

Keen point. Yes, chlorine tablets are designed to go in your water. However, they're non mean to exist left dissolving on the flooring of your pool.

Why?

Leaving chlorine tablets on the bottom of your pool can cause permanent staining and bleach liners. It's likewise the least effective way to use them.

Tablets sitting at the bottom of your puddle are nowhere nearly your pool'southward skimmer line. Then they deliquesce slower and release sanitizer unevenly. When you use chlorine tablets this way, most of the chlorine gets wasted, and you cease upwards having to use even more.

So instead of doing that, here are iv much better ways to add chlorine tablets to your swimming pool.

Floating dispenser

floating chlorine dispenser for chlorine tablets — Image via Flickr

Yous've probably seen this classic puddle accessory a few times. You lot may already be using one at present.

They're the small plastic containers that float on the surface of your water. Sometimes they have funny looking duck or fauna on top, other times they're blue and look similar the one in the picture above.

The dazzler of floating dispensers lies in their simplicity. They hold only a few tablets and keep them safely contained to gradually deliquesce. As the dispenser floats across the surface of your pool, it releases chlorine into your water.

But floating dispensers aren't perfect. Sometimes, they'll get stuck in one spot, or trapped in a corner. And since they 're completely manual, they don't float in a item pattern, which ways they don't always spread chlorine evenly.

So while using a floating dispenser is much improve than using zippo at all, it'due south not the Best mode to chlorinate your puddle.

Skimmer

I of the all-time ways to apply chlorine tablets is actually ane of the simplest. And it doesn't require you to purchase anything other than the tablets themselves.

In fact, you already have all the equipment you lot need.

Your pool skimmer.

While it'southward designed to cake out and contain loose surface debris, like leaves and bugs, it's also corking for dispensing chlorine.

So if you've ever wondered if it's OK to put chlorine tablets in the skimmer, the answer is yeah.

As your pool pump runs, water floats in through your skimmer line, past the pump, into the filter, through the heater, and back into the pool. With a constant stream of h2o running through it for most of the mean solar day, your skimmer offers the perfect spot for both distributing and dissolving the chlorine from your tablets.

And since it'due south right in the path of your h2o flow, your skimmer too spreads chlorine much more evenly than a dispenser always could.

That said, tablets left in your skimmer will keep dissolving fifty-fifty when your pump isn't running. If left sitting for a few days, the tablets tin can create an area of highly full-bodied, chlorinated water, which can be corrosive to pool equipment and pipes.

The all-time manner to avoid that is to run your pump on a schedule, or remove tablets one time they're mostly dissolved. If you have a single speed pump, switching to a variable speed pump tin can lower your energy bill and allow you to affordably continue your filter running.

Automatic chlorinator

If you're using chlorine tablets, the best way to do it is with an automatic chlorinator. This special piece of equipment gives you precise control over how much chlorine is fed into your h2o. It likewise allows you lot to control how fast or boring your tablets dissolve.

Essentially, it's a big container that y'all fill with chlorine tablets and includes a knob for adjusting feed rate. They're usually installed at the terminate of your pool system, right afterward the heater and earlier the return line.

With an automatic chlorinator, you load it upwards, ready the feed rate, and enjoy clean water. It saves you the time yous'd have to spend adding new tablets each week. Plus, with direct control over chlorine feed charge per unit, yous go the most value for your dollar.

Related: xi Simple Ways To Automate Pool Maintenance

Crushed up (granules)

If you've ever wondered how granular chlorine or pulverization chlorine is made, here'south the big reveal.

They're crushed up tablets.

So if you ever need to quickly chlorinate your pool and are pressed for time, you lot can crush a few tablets into a fine pulverization and spread it across your puddle. While the chlorine won't last as long this way, it'll work faster – perfect for final infinitesimal water sanitizing.

Closing thoughts on chlorine tablets

There you have it -everything you need to know about using chlorine tablets. To epitomize, you typically but need around two-four per week, and using them is as simple as calculation them to your skimmer. From at that place, your pool pump does the rest of the work for you.

Of form, e'er recall to buy the correct tablets for your puddle size and gear up. Overall, 3-inch stabilized chlorine tablets are best for outdoor use, while unstabilized 1-inch tablets are ideal for pocket-size indoor pools and spas.

If y'all liked this post, you might likewise like:

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