How to Add Chlorine Tabs to your Swimming Pool

Jul 20, 2020

It’s Maintenance Monday again here at ePoolSupply! On Mondays we like to discuss pool maintenance and the best tools and practices to use when it comes to the upkeep of your swimming pool. Today’s topic is chlorine tabs and how to safely add them to your swimming pool to ensure even distribution. Owning a swimming pool can be a wonderful experience, however, without the required maintenance it can turn into quite a costly endeavor. Let's dive in!

What is Chlorine?

Chlorine is one of the MOST EFFECTIVE sanitizing agents for not only swimming pools, but for water in general. Small amounts of chlorine are commonly added to city tap water in order to combat germs and bacteria, so it makes sense for a “puddle” of water the size of a swimming pool to use chlorine more frequently. With routine chemical checks you may find that you go through chlorine slower or faster depending on a few variables not limited to: pool usage, weather related events, and outside temperature.

Why Chlorine Tabs?

You might be asking yourself why we have specifically chosen to focus on tabs themselves rather than other forms of chlorine. The answer is simple; Tablets are easy to handle, they often carry higher percentages of sanitizing trichlor, they steadily dispense chlorine at an appropriate rate, and they are readily available at most local pool or home improvement stores.

How Much Chlorine Should You Add to Your Swimming Pool?

Generally, the ideal range of total chlorine is somewhere between the 1.0 ppm and 3.0 ppm area. Keeping the pool chemically balanced within that range will prevent the risk of contaminants and encourage a healthy pool environment. A higher concentration of chlorine will potentially irritate the skin, eyes, as well as the nasal and throat cavities after minimal exposure. To ensure the chlorine level in your swimming pool stays in that ideal range, routine chemical testing ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY! Some testing kits vary from simple strips to more accurate drop combination tests (Queue the high-school chemistry flashback). Whichever your preference, staying vigilant and up-to-date with your chemical testing supplies is ESSENTIAL! That brings us to the most important section; how do you add chlorine tabs to your pool to not only make sure that your pool stays clean and pristine but to also do so safely.

How to add Chlorine Tabs to Your Swimming Pool?

Chlorine dispensers come in all shapes and sizes. Choosing the best method (and sometimes not the best method) will determine how efficiently you are using your chlorine. Some people will just tell you to throw the tabs in the skimmer basket and call it a day but we’ll be the first to tell you this is the fastest way to damage your skimmer, pump, and plumbing in the shortest amount of time. Admittedly, it’s fine while the pump is running and circulating, but what happens when the pump shuts off? Those chlorine tabs will now slowly dissolve and build up a higher concentration inside the skimmer area causing damage to anything it comes in contact with. Once the pump turns back on it runs that highly concentrated water through the plumbing, pump housing, and pool filter before making its way back to the pool. Over time this will weaken those parts and dry out any seals and gaskets inflicting further damage to the equipment.

Here are the only ePoolSupply approved methods for dispensing chlorine tabs in your swimming pool and why:

Floating Tab Dispenser: Slow distribution, floats around the whole pool.

Inline Chlorine Tab Feeder: Even distribution, adjustable feeder level.

If you have any questions about ANY of your pool equipment, don't hesitate to contact us directly. Our team of industry professionals is here to assist you. Give us a call or email us directly, we're happy to help!