Swimming Pool Chlorine

Anyone who has ever visited a swimming pool or soaked in a hot tub knows the distinct spell of chlorine added to the water. Too much chlorine in the water can add an unbearably strong odor, and too little chlorine in the water is basically useless. Nonetheless, finding the right mixture of chlorine for the swimming pool or hot tub is an essential part of owning the device that brings so much pleasure, exercise, and comfort.

How exactly does chlorine work? Why do you need chlorine for your swimming pool or hot tub? Scientifically, how chlorine works is simply an easily understood chemical reaction of a chemical breakdown of the chlorine once it is mixed with the swimming pool water. Hypochlorite ion, or OCI, and hypochlorous acid, or HCOI, break down the cell walls of bacteria and microorganisms by working on the lipids and destroying those nasty enzymes that can cause nasty things to happen in your swimming pool.

Swimming pool chlorine is an important part of any swimming pool, but without the proper pH balance, the added chlorine will not be as effective. Experts suggest 7.4 as an ideal pH balance which is the same pH balance of human tears. Once those chlorine chemicals have done their job, they quickly get absorbed or break down meaning the addition of chlorine must be done on a regular basis to prevent buildup and to promote a healthy swimming pool environment.

Swimming pool chlorine come in different forms, and each form has its benefits as well as a few undesirable affects. The types of chlorine are gas, liquid, tablets or granules. With all these choices, the consumer is expected to know which is better and which is best.

Chlorine in gas form is actually in its pure elemental state. This was at one time a popular method to obtain swimming pool chlorine, but the gaseous form is highly acidic being close in pH to muriatic acid. Gaseous chlorine is 100% pure chlorine and extremely dangerous and by law is restricted to commercial swimming pools. The gaseous chlorine is too acidic and swimming pools using gaseous forms of chlorine must have a high amount of additional chemical binders added to the water for safety. This can be time consuming, expensive, and extremely dangerous.

By bubbling the gaseous chlorine through a caustic soda solution, liquid chlorine is formed. Liquid chlorine is usually between 10% and 15% chlorine and yellow in color. While liquid chlorine is stronger than household bleach, the two substances are chemically identical. Sodium hypochlorite is the scientific name for liquid bleach. Usually, liquid bleach is used by commercial swimming pools because liquid bleach is too difficult to use as residential swimming pool chlorine.

The tablet form of chlorine is called trichlor or trichloro s-triazinetrione. This form of chlorine is extremely stable and has gained in popularity quickly over the past decade. Stabilized chlorine is beneficial in a residential setting because it has pressed cyanuric acid in the tablet with the chlorine. The addition of this cyanuric acid acts a a stabilizer and elongates the life of the swimming pool chlorine. The pH is low which does tend to lower the pH balance of the swimming pool environment so adding chlorine tablets to the swimming pool will mean additional chemicals to raise the pH balance to a normality.

A chlorine tablet dissolves extremely slow. Consumers utilizing this effective and popular form of chlorine should carefully read the directions for adding the chlorine tablets to the swimming pool to avoid staining and deterioration of the swimming pool foundation.

Another popular form of chlorine is called Dichlor. Most consumers will purchase Dichlor in granulated form. Dichlor is highly popular in a residential setting because the pH is a steady 7, and the granules dissolve quickly getting the swimming pool cleaner faster. Dichlor also contains the cyanuric acid meaning the affect of the chlorine granules will last significantly longer than other forms of chlorine. While this is a highly desirable and popular form of swimming pool chlorine, many people find it is too expensive for everyday use.

While there are other forms of swimming pool chlorine, those mentioned above are by far the most commonly used in a residential setting.

Of course, every consumer will wonder how much chlorine do they add. The answer is something no article will tell you with definite precision. Only a test kit will insure you add the proper amount of chlorine to your swimming pool. In addition, all commercial swimming pools will have regulations concerning the amount of chlorine in the swimming pool at any given time. Checking local regulatory standards will keep a commercial swimming pool up and running.

Remember, pH balance and chlorine content are closely related. Adding chlorine to the swimming pool is a trial and error experience with a testing kit leading the way. At first, testing everyday will need to be completed until a steady pH balance and chlorine level are stabilized in the swimming pool environment. Too little or too much will affect not only the swimming pool water, but the people using the swimming pool.