You must add 0.13 ounces of chlorine per 1,000 gallons of water in your pool to raise the chlorine concentration by 1.0 ppm (parts per million). However, before you add chlorine it’s essential to test your pool water. Perform a test to find the pH of your pool water and the current chlorine ppm. If the pH is outside the range of 7.4–7.6, it must be corrected before you can add chlorine. Once your pH is correct, add chlorine until your pool has the correct concentration of chlorine. The chlorine levels in your pool should be between 2.0–4.0 ppm. Too much or too little chlorine can be harmful to your pool.
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How Do You Tell if Your Pool Needs Chlorine?
In order to tell if your pool needs chlorine, use a testing kit that will provide you with the water’s pH level and the chlorine ppm (parts per million). Kits that allow you to easily test pH and chlorine levels are sold as “two-way test kits.” Having a two-way test kit handy makes it easy to monitor and perfect your pool’s chlorine levels.
- Use this two-way testing kit to find your pool’s pH level and chlorine concentration before adding chlorine.
- Testing your pool takes minutes with a proper kit.
- It’s essential to test your pool water before adding chlorine, in order to add the proper amount.
Once you have your water test kit, follow the instructions to test both the pH and the chlorine level. This test can be done in just a few minutes. Once you know the results, you can begin to add chlorine so your pool is safe and comfortable to swim in.
What is the Correct pH for Your Pool?
Your pool’s pH should be between 7.4 and 7.6. This is the sweet spot that allows your chlorine to kill harmful bacteria, but still provides water that is safe and comfortable to swim in. A pH lower than 7.4 means the water is overly acidic, which can cause skin irritation and corrode metal pool equipment. A pH higher than 7.6 means your pool water is basic. This could result in cloudy water and bacteria growth. Once you’ve tested your pool water, write down the pH. The pH must be in the safe range before you can add any chlorine.
What is the Correct Chlorine PPM for Your Pool?
Your pool should have a chlorine PPM between 2.0 and 4.0. If your chlorine is below 1.0 PPM, then you need to add chlorine to your pool. Low chlorine increases the risk of harmful microbes flourishing in your pool water. If the chlorine levels are above 5.0, the water can cause skin irritation to swimmers. Do not add more chlorine if the ppm is above 4.0.
How Do You Correct Pool pH Before Adding Chlorine?
In order to lower the pH of your pool, you must add muriatic acid. If you need to raise the pH, then you will need to add a base, such as baking soda. There are specialized pH-correcting products for pools. It is essential that you correct your pool’s pH before you add any chlorine. Never add chlorine to your pool if the pH is outside the 7.4–7.6 range.
- It is essential to correct pool pH before you add chlorine.
- Never add chlorine if your pool water is outside the safe pH range of 7.4–7.6.
- If your pool’s pH is in the safe range, you can add chlorine.
- Muriatic acid is used to lower pool pH.
- Baking soda and similar products are used to raise the pH of pool water.
We will cover proper and safe use of muriatic acid and other methods for altering pool pH in another guide. Working with pool chemicals requires specific safety measures and processes. For now, just remember that you only need to alter the pH if it is outside the safe range. Once the pH is correct, you can move on to adding chlorine to your swimming pool.
How Much Liquid Chlorine Should You Put in Your Pool Per Gallon?
Add 0.13 ounces of chlorine per 1,000 gallons of water to raise your pool’s chlorine by 1.0 ppm. So, if you have a 10,000-gallon pool with a chlorine ppm of 1.0, you can raise your chlorine ppm to 2.0 by adding 1.3 ounces of chlorine. Remember, it’s essential to know your pool’s current chlorine ppm before adding more, to prevent adding too much chlorine to the water. It’s also essential to know your pool size. Residential pools typically hold 10,000 to 20,000 gallons of water.
- 0.13 ounces of chlorine will raise the chlorine concentration by 1 ppm in 1,000 gallons of water.
- Make sure you know how many gallons of pool water your pool holds before adding chlorine.
- You can raise the chlorine concentration in a 10,000-gallon pool by 1.0 ppm by adding 1.3 ounces of chlorine.
- This 12.5% liquid chlorine solution is great for pools.
- When using a 12.5% liquid chlorine product, 8 ounces of the solution equals 1 ounce of chlorine.
- 10.4 ounces of 12.5% chlorine solution will raise the chlorine in 10,000 gallons of water by 1.0 ppm.
Liquid chlorine is a great solution for adding chlorine to your pool. However, liquid chlorine is rarely 100% chlorine. Instead, most liquids are 12.5% chlorine. This means it requires 8 ounces of the liquid to yield 1 ounce of chlorine. If you would like to raise the chlorine ppm by 1.0 in a 10,000-gallon pool, it will require 10.4 ounces of 12.5% liquid chlorine.
How Long After Adding Liquid Chlorine Can You Swim?
After adding chlorine to your pool, wait 4 hours before you swim. Make sure your pool pump is on and operating properly during this time. Circulating the water with a pump encourages the chlorine to mix with the water properly. Too much chlorine in one area can cause skin irritation to swimmers. If you’ve just shocked your pool with excess chlorine, test the chlorine levels before you jump in the water.
How Do You Use Liquid Chlorine in Your Pool?
If you wish to add chlorine to bring your in-ground or above-ground pool to the optimal levels for swimming, follow these steps:
- Test your pool water with a two-way test kit that measures pH levels and chlorine Parts Per Million (ppm).
- Pool water should have a pH between 7.4 and 7.6.
- If the pool’s pH is outside the ideal range, correct it with pH-adjusting products before adding chlorine.
- Ideally, your pool should have a chlorine concentration of 2.0 to 4.0 ppm.
- Add 0.13 ounces of chlorine per 1,000 gallons of water to raise the ppm by 1.0.
- Before adding chlorine, know the number of gallons of water your pool holds.
- When using liquid chlorine or chlorine tablets, review the label to see the concentration of chlorine in the product.
- Wait 4 hours after adding chlorine before swimming.
- It’s advised to test the quantity of chlorine in the water before swimming, to make sure it is in the safe range.
Pool maintenance may seem difficult at first, but you will quickly get the hang of it. Even if you add too much chlorine to your pool, simply leave the cover off and the chlorine levels will naturally drop. Once you learn how to test and chlorinate your water, you’ll be a pool pro in no time.
