Pool Chlorine
Pool Chlorine
Swimming Pool Chlorine And Bromine
Pool sanitizing is one of the most important aspects of swimming pool maintenance. When pool water is not cared for and kept clean, swimmers are at risk of contracting illnesses and infections from organic waste, bacteria and other microorganisms present in the water. When pool water is properly treated and regulated, it will be clean, fresh and free from harmful contaminants, providing a healthy environment for swimmers to enjoy. In order to keep pool water clean and sanitary, the use of swimming pool chemicals is required. The two most common chemicals used for this purpose are pool chlorine and pool bromine.
Chlorine is a very widely used chemical. Discovered back in the 16th century, it is now used in many different industrial and household products. It's also the most common chemical used for swimming pool sanitizing. The reason for this is that it's very effective at killing contaminants and yet is relatively easy to use. Swimming pool chlorine reacts with the pool water to produce hydrochloric acid and hydrochlorous acid. Hydrochlorous acid is chlorine's active form and is able to penetrate the cell walls of bacteria and other potentially harmful microorganisms, killing them so they no longer pose a risk to the health of swimmers. The molecules of active chlorine continue this contaminant-killing process until they are broken down and deactivated or until they form chloramines by combining with ammonia or nitrogen compounds.
While pool chlorine is used for regular, ongoing sanitizing, it can also be used for pool shock treatments. “Shocking” or super-chlorinating a swimming pool refers to raising the chlorine levels until they are ten times the level of the chloramines in the water. This level is also known as “breakpoint chlorination” and sends a shock of killing power throughout the pool, eradicating contaminants that cause infections and water cloudiness. Chlorine shock treatments are used during pool openings and whenever extra sanitization is required during the course of the swim season. Some pool owners need pool chlorine for shock treatments every few weeks, especially when their pool is frequently used by a high number of swimmers.
As already mentioned, swimming pool chlorine is the most widely used pool sanitizer. However, pool bromine is also quite common. Swimming pool bromine is a highly effective sanitizer, which keeps water clean by killing microorganisms and by combining with and controlling debris in a similar fashion to chlorine. While both chlorine and bromine are affected by UV rays from the sun, bromine remains in the pool and can be reused, unlike chlorine molecules which get destroyed. Another difference between the two chemicals is the range of pH levels at which they are most effective. While chlorine requires the water's pH level to stay between 7.4 and 7.6, pool bromine is effective anywhere within a pH range of 7.0 to 8.0.
One of the reasons that some swimming pool owners prefer to use pool bromine rather than pool chlorine has to do with the fact that bromine does not produce a harsh odor like chlorine does. Swimming pool bromine also has no taste and is far gentler on skin and eyes than chlorine, greatly reducing the incidence of irritation. As a result of these advantages, many pool owners are more inclined to use swimming pool bromine as their sanitizer of choice even though bromine is slightly more complicated to use and can be somewhat more expensive than chlorine. Bromine also requires the use of an automatic feeder, as it dissolves much more slowly than chlorine. However, such feeders are easy to install and use.
Deciding whether to use swimming pool chlorine or bromine as your sanitizer of choice will depend upon your particular needs and preferences. If you choose to use chlorine, the type and form of that chemical that you need will also depend upon your own preferences and your method of application, as well as the size and volume of your swimming pool. These chemicals are available individually, and are also often available as part of a pool maintenance chemical kit, which also contains other useful chemicals such as algaecides and stain removers.
No matter which sanitizing chemical you choose to use, both high-quality pool chlorine and bromine options can be found relatively easily from a variety of online retailers. Best of all, it's possible to find these chemicals at affordable prices, so you can keep your swimming pool clean without hurting your wallet.
About the Author
Linda Gordon is swimming pool owner with more than 12 years experience of pool maintenance. She describes difference between swimming pool chlorine and bromine for water sanitization. This information is important for pool owners to select right swimming pool chemicals.
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Pool Chlorine
Pool Supplies : Pool Supplies: Chlorine
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Gene Pool Chlorine $21.99 Gene Pool Chlorine - T-Shirt |
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Women's: Gene Pool Chlorine $21.99 Women's: Gene Pool Chlorine - T-Shirt |
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Aquachek 4-Way Chlorine Swimming Pool Test Strips $24.95 Chemically balanced pool water keeps a swimming pool clean and safe. Test your pool water daily to ensure that your pool water chemistry is balanced and safe for swimming. AquaChek Test Strips are the quick and easy way to test your pool water! No more vials, reagents or messy drops! Use AquaChek's simple, yet accurate test strips instead of the complicated test kit. Just dip the strip and read the results in 30 seconds! The 4-Way Chlorine Strips test for Free Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity, and Cyanuric Acid. |
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SPLASHES DELUXE CHLORINE-FREE POOL CHEMICAL KIT $179.99 Splashes Deluxe Chlorine-Free Pool Chemical KitSanitize Your Pool without Harsh Chlorine!Splashes Deluxe Chlorine-Free Pool Chemical Kit features Biguanide-based sanitizer and algaecide products that work flawlessly and effectively to sanitize your pool water without the use of harsh chlorine or other chemicals, plus easy-to-use specialty chemicals that control pool water metals (to prevent staining and water discoloration) and clarify your pool water beautifully.Its absolutely everything you need for clean, crystal-clear pool water this season, thats silky-smooth, without any strong chlorine or chemical odors! All Splashes Chemical Kits are compatible with other chlorine-free sanitizers, including Baquacil, Soft Swim® and Revacil®.This Splashes Deluxe Chemical Kit Includes:¾ Gallon Sanitizer: Biguanide-based sanitizer and algistat - one of the most efficient non-chlorine pool water treatments on the market today. Dosage is 2 pints per 10,000 gallons to raise level 25 ppm (desired level: 50 ppm).4 Gallons Shock & Oxidizer: Made with 27% Hydrogen Peroxide to effectively shock and oxidize your pool water, removing organic compounds & swimmer waste to clarify your pool water beautifully. Monthly dosage is 1 gallon per 10,000 gallons.1 Quart Algaecide: A powerful concentrated, non-metallic algaecide that prevents algae growth. Weekly dosage is 1-¼ oz. per 10,000 gallons.1 ¼ Lb MetalControl: A vital component of your pool water care program, this product works in conjunction with other Splashes chemicals to prevent staining and water discoloration, as well as allowing the Sanitizer to work much more efficiently,which saves you money. Dosage is 1 bottle per 10,000 gallons (for every 2 ppm of metals present).1 ½ Lb Flocculent: An effective and easy-to-use water Clarifier - simply broadcast directly into your pool water oruse as a filter aid.1 Quart Filter Cleaner: An acid-based liquid Filter Cleaner that can be used with all types of filters.Biguanide Test Strips (25 count): We recommend frequent water testing to properly maintain the quality of your pool water. These top-quality Test Strips give youquick, accurate results for Sanitizer level, pH and total alkalinity.Looking for a Different Size or Model? Click here to view all related products. |
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SPLASHES CHLORINE-FREE POOL CHEMICAL KIT $149.99 Splashes Chlorine-Free Pool Chemical KitSanitize Your Pool without Harsh Chlorine!Splashes Chlorine-Free Pool Chemical Kit features Biguanide-based products that work flawlessly and effectively to sanitize your pool water with minimal maintenance time. All Splashes Chemical Kits are compatible with other chlorine-free sanitizers, including Baquacil, Soft Swim® and Revacil®.The Splashes Chlorine-Free Pool Chemical Kit includes all the sanitizing and algae control products you need for clean, crystal-clear pool water this season, thats also silky-smooth, without any strong chlorine or chemical odors.This Splashes Chlorine-Free Chemical Kit Includes:¾ Gallon Sanitizer: Biguanide-based sanitizer and algistat - one of the most efficient non-chlorinepool water treatments on the market today. Dosage is 2 pints per 10,000 gallonsto raise level 25 ppm (desired level: 50 ppm).4 Gallons Shock & Oxidizer: Made with 27% Hydrogen Peroxide to effectively shock and oxidize yourpool water, removing organic compounds & swimmer waste and clarifying your poolwater beautifully. Monthly dosage is 1 gallon per 10,000 gallons.1 Quart Algaecide: A powerful concentrated, non-metallic algaecide that prevents algae growth. Weekly dosage is 1-¼ oz. per 10,000 gallons.Looking for a Different Size or Model? Click here to view all related products. |
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Blue Wave Floating Swimming Pool Chlorine Dispenser $24.95 Keep your swimming pool clean and clear with the Floating Chlorine Dispenser form Blue Wave. This large capacity chlorinator holds up to 3 lbs. of chemicals and is for use with 1'' or 2'' chlorine tabs. The floating dispenser features an adjustment ring to control the feed rate. This chlorinator is made of UV-resistant plastic for several seasons of use. |
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Chlorine Neutralizer - 15 Lb $74.99 Chlorine NeutralizerSuper-Effective at Reducing Chlorine Levels, Super-Fast!When your pool waters chlorine residual concentration becomes too high, our Chlorine Neutralizer is exactly what you need. Its the easy and effective solution for pools or spas with a chlorine level of 2PPM or higher. Granular Sodium Thiosulfate. Initial Dosage is 6 oz. per 10,000 gallonsMakes balancing your water much easierKeeps water comfortable & more swimmer-friendlyWhen using any chlorine neutralizer to balance the chlorine level of your pool water, be sure to test your water levels regularly as chlorine neutralizers canimpact your pools pH.Looking for a Different Size or Model? Click here to view all related products. |
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Chlorine Neutralizer - 2.25 Lb $13.99 Chlorine NeutralizerSuper-Effective at Reducing Chlorine Levels, Super-Fast!When your pool waters chlorine residual concentration becomes too high, our Chlorine Neutralizer is exactly what you need. its the easy and effective solution for pools or spas with a chlorine level of 2PPM or higher. Granular Sodium Thiosulfate. Initial Dosage is 6 oz. per 10,000 gallonsMakes balancing your water much easierKeeps water comfortable & more swimmer-friendlyWhen using any chlorine neutralizer to balance the chlorine level of your pool water, be sure to test your water levels regularly as chlorine neutralizers canimpact your pools pH.Looking for a Different Size or Model? Click here to view all related products. |
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Chlorine Neutralizer - 40 Lb $134.99 Chlorine NeutralizerSuper-Effective at Reducing Chlorine Levels, Super-Fast!When your pool waters chlorine residual concentration becomes too high, our Chlorine Neutralizer is exactly what you need. its the easy and effective solution for pools or spas with a chlorine level of 2PPM or higher. Granular Sodium Thiosulfate. Initial Dosage is 6 oz. per 10,000 gallonsMakes balancing your water much easierKeeps water comfortable & more swimmer-friendlyWhen using any chlorine neutralizer to balance the chlorine level of your pool water, be sure to test your water levels regularly as chlorine neutralizers canimpact your pools pH.Looking for a Different Size or Model? Click here to view all related products. |
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Chlorine Neutralizer - 80 Lb $249.99 Chlorine NeutralizerSuper-Effective at Reducing Chlorine Levels, Super-Fast!When your pool waters chlorine residual concentration becomes too high, our Chlorine Neutralizer is exactly what you need. its the easy and effective solution for pools or spas with a chlorine level of 2PPM or higher. Granular Sodium Thiosulfate. Initial Dosage is 6 oz. per 10,000 gallonsMakes balancing your water much easierKeeps water comfortable & more swimmer-friendlyWhen using any chlorine neutralizer to balance the chlorine level of your pool water, be sure to test your water levels regularly as chlorine neutralizers canimpact your pools pH.*Note: 80-lb. size is shipped in 2 40-lb. bucketsLooking for a Different Size or Model? Click here to view all related products. |
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Bromine / Chlorine Floating Feeder $14.99 Bromine/Chlorine Floating FeederThis heavy-duty floating chemical feeder is designed to work withany size pool. Simply fill the dispenser with 1" bromine tablets or 1" and 3" chlorine tabs and sticks, and adjust it to your pools chemical needs - it couldnt be any easier! |
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Jed Pool Tools Inc Mini Chlorine Bromine Floating Dispenser 10451 $23.58 Chlorine and bromine dispenser. Adjustable ring controls the amount of chlorine or bromine to be dispensed into the pool or spa. Holds 1 tabs. Length: 6. Width: 2.5. Height: 5.5 |
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Blue Wave 1'' Swimming Pool Chlorine Tablets- 25 lbs. $132.95 Keep your swimming pool clear and clean with Blue Wave's premium stabilized chlorine. These tablets feature U.V. protection to shield them from the sun and are manufactured using only the highest quality EPA-approved chlorine. The powerful 90% chlorine is fast dissolving for immediate results. Blue Wave oversees a strict quality-controlled tabletting process, which guarantees the optimum hardness of each tablet. This ensures proper chlorine dosages 24 hours a day. You will find that Blue Wave chlorine dissolves completely with no residue. It's the best you can buy! |
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Blue Wave 1'' Swimming Pool Chlorine Tablets- 50 lbs. $234.95 Keep your swimming pool clear and clean with Blue Wave's premium stabilized chlorine. These tablets feature U.V. protection to shield them from the sun and are manufactured using only the highest quality EPA-approved chlorine. The powerful 90% chlorine is fast dissolving for immediate results. Blue Wave oversees a strict quality-controlled tabletting process, which guarantees the optimum hardness of each tablet. This ensures proper chlorine dosages 24 hours a day. You will find that Blue Wave chlorine dissolves completely with no residue. It's the best you can buy! |
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Blue Wave 1'' Swimming Pool Chlorine Tablets- 100 lbs. $464.95 Keep your swimming pool clear and clean with Blue Wave's premium stabilized chlorine. These tablets feature U.V. protection to shield them from the sun and are manufactured using only the highest quality EPA-approved chlorine. The powerful 90% chlorine is fast dissolving for immediate results. Blue Wave oversees a strict quality-controlled tabletting process, which guarantees the optimum hardness of each tablet. This ensures proper chlorine dosages 24 hours a day. You will find that Blue Wave chlorine dissolves completely with no residue. It's the best you can buy! |
Salt and Chlorine Pools: Which is Best?
Chlorination has been the traditional method of pool sanitation for decades—almost by default, since there were no alternatives for this crucial aspect of owning a swimming pool. However, for many pool owners, chlorination is an old and outdated pool sanitation method they’ve discarded in favor of maintaining a salt water pool.
Chlorine
So what’s the problem with chlorine, anyway? It does exactly what it needs to—kills algae and bacteria, keeping the pool attractive and more importantly, a safe and sanitary place to swim. A pool that doesn’t get regular chlorine treatments will quickly become clogged with thick green algae. Depending on where you live, and especially in a warm climate like Florida, an untreated pool can become a green, sludgy nightmare inside of a week—the chlorine is definitely important.
If you maintain a chlorinated pool, however, it’s not enough to dump chlorine in periodically and let the pool fend for itself. There are other chemicals to add too, as well as regular testing to keep an eye on water quality. For example, you must make sure there is enough free available chlorine (meaning chlorine that is active) in the water to keep up with sanitizing the water. This is usually done with the use of weekly chlorine tablets.
Another important aspect of this maintenance is PH levels—the acidity or alkalinity of the water. If the PH gets too high, the chlorine in the pool isn’t able to work as efficiently. However, if the PH drops too low, the water quickly becomes too acidic to swim in comfortably. Keeping the PH at the right level is somewhat difficult, because the range at which it’s ‘just right’ is very narrow and many factors, including rain, affect this.
Chlorine is important for sanitation, but for many people it’s also a source of irritation. The harsh chemicals that are added to pre-packaged pool chlorine irritate the skin and eyes, making swimming a highly unpleasant experience. It is important to note that it’s not the chlorine that’s the problem—in most cases it’s the chemicals which are added to the pre-packaged mix.
Salt Water
The main advantage of a salt water pool isn’t that it doesn’t use chlorine. In fact, a salt water pool does use chlorine to keep the water clean. The advantage is that the pool owner doesn’t add chlorine to the pool—that means no pre-packaged chlorine, and less irritation for people who are sensitive to the added chemicals. Salt water tends to be much softer than chlorinated water, so it’s much more pleasurable to swim in, and is much less harsh on your skin. In addition, a salt water pool usually has a much lower concentration of chlorine than a chlorinated pool.
Another important benefit is more of a long-term one. In the short term, converting from chlorine to a salt water pool will involve some cash outlay, since there are a few system components you’ll need to by. It’ll run approximately $1000-$1500 to convert a traditional chlorine system to a salt water system. Over two or three years, however, the money you spend is recouped due to not having to buy extra chlorine for the pool. Just a bag of salt which is much less expensive.
Just to be clear though, salt water pools do in fact use chlorine to sanitize and the water. So if you are not adding chlorine tablets or shock, how does that work?
It works because of the chemical composition of salt, which is made up of chlorine and sodium. Within the salt water system is a unit called a salt-chlorine generator, which uses electrolysis to generate chlorine by separating the sodium and chlorine molecules in the salt you add to the pool. As the generator unit separates out the chlorine, it’s returned to the pool, where it keeps the water clean and sanitary.
A well-maintained salt pool is an absolute delight to swim in, with softer, more comfortable water that doesn’t irritate. It doesn’t taste salty, either, as you might think, because it has such a low concentration of salt that it’s officially considered to be fresh water! In the ocean, the salt concentration is between 20,000 to 35,000 parts per million, whereas in a salt water pool, it’s just 3,000 to 6,000.
Finally, don’t be fooled into thinking that a salt water pool maintains itself. It doesn’t. You still need to check PH levels and carry out other maintenance tasks. However,you’ll benefit from lower maintenance costs and a more enjoyable swimming experience, which definitely makes it worthwhile.
About the Author
Calum and Kathleen MacKenzie are Owners of Real Living Southern Homes a leading real estate company serving the Tampa FL real estate market. Visit their website to search for Wesley Chapel Homes and New Tampa Homes.
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Camco 40043 TastePURE RV Water Filter with Flexible Hose Protector $17.00 Looking for a large capacity in-line water filter? Look no further than TastePURE! The TastePURE RV Water Filter contains the KDF filtering system to fight bacteria, and reduce bad taste, odors, chlorine and sediment in drinking water. Convenient in-line exterior mount filter has a wider body to improve water flow; Comes with a no-kink hose protector. Durable welded case is UV resistant. Larger fi... |
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Goldline ORP and pH Sensing Kit For Pro Logic AQL-CHEM $531.00 Hayward Goldline ORP and pH Sensing Kit For Pro Logic AQL-CHEM The AQL-CHEM is an ORP and pH sensing kit that is offered as an accessory for all Goldline Aqua Rite Pro chlorine generators and Pro Logic pool controls. With the AQL-CHEM, the Aqua Rite Pro or Pro Logic can provide a fully integrated chemistry solution for your pool. The AQL-CHEM continuously tests the pool's sanitation and pH levels... |
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Wholly Water System - Whole House (2 Tank Unit) Based on our world-class breakthrough Patented Technology. WHOLLY WATER's ® Patented Technology PURIFIES and CONDITIONS water naturally, much like Mother Earth once did before she became contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, and toxic wastes... State-of-the-Art Performance is proven by NSF 53 & 42 protocols by independent 3rd party lab. This is a sensible, cost-efficient, and environmentally... |
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Chlorine: A Pool Skating Documentary $11.28 ... |
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Whirlpool KitchenAid Top Mount Refrigerator Quarter Turn Water Filter ... |
Pool Chlorine