- liquid Chlorine

• Sodium Hypochlorite, chemical formula HCl, delivers approximately l0% available Chlorine

• Common household liquid bleach is Sodium Hypochlorite, at about 1.5% concentration

• 5 litres of Sodium Hypochlorite contain about 0.5 kg of available Chlorine

• 5 gallons of Sodium Hypochlorite contain about 0.5 a gallon of available Chlorine

• HCl instantly forms Hypochlorous Acid when added to water

• HCl can be used for everyday sanitation or for Superchlorination

• HCl is non-flammable and is compatible with other pool chemicals

• HCl should be stored in a cool, dark place as it is degraded by strong light

• Therefore don't buy it in translucent containers

• At 26C the available-chlorine level in a jug of HCl will fall by 25% in 24 hours

• At 34C this can occur in just 2 hours

• Apply Sodium Hypochlorite at dusk to extend the life of the chemical in the pool water

• Pour HCl  into the skimmer with the jug as close to the water surface as possible to avoid loss of available Chlorine

• Adding Sodium Hypochlorite by trickling it into the skimmer, so that it mixes with the water, will help to reduce the Chlorine loss

• If HCl is the main sanitizer Cyanuric Acid should be added separately to keep the Chlorine in the pool from being degraded by sunlight

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- when Chlorine in its various forms is added to the water it produces Hypochlorous Acid - the chemical formula for which is HOCl (Hydrogen+Oxygen+Chlorine)

• Hypochlorous Acid controls bacteria and algae and also oxidizes organic wastes

• Hypochlorous Acid is a very weak acid and therefore not harmful to people

• HOCl dissociates (splits up) in water like this: - HOCl <===> H+ + OCl- (hypochlorite ion)

• HOCl reacts with bacteria and organics and is a very effective sanitizer

• OCl- reacts with ammonia (NH3) and is an extremely strong oxidizer

• HOCl reacts with sunlight and is destroyed by it

• Therefore Cyanuric Acid (CYA) is maintained in the pool at a concentration of 30-50ppm, to protect the Hypochlorous Acid

• HOCl exists in a killing form (HOCl) and as a strong oxidizer (OCl-)

• The pH of water determines the proportions of HOCl, H+ and OCl- that are produced

• The pH of the water is therefore very important

• Chlorine works most efficiently when the pH of the water is at, or close to, 7.4

• At low pH Chlorine is used up very quickly

• At a high pH Chlorine doesn't produce very much Hypochlorous Acid - it is mostly in the form H+ and OCl- (plenty of oxidizer but not much sanitizer)

• Pools kept at higher pH values have more problems with algae and bacteria, so the Chlorine level must be raised to compensate for this

• Chlorine as Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) is needed for sanitizing pools

• Chlorine as (OCl-) is needed for oxidization of pollutants

• Hypochlorous Acid is reduced to inactive chloride ion when it has completed its task

• The reaction of HOCl with ammonia produces a series of chlorine-like odorous, irritating compounds called ‘chloramines’ or ‘combined chlorine’

• Combined Chlorine is a very poor sanitizer

• Chloramines irritate eyes, skin and mucous membranes and are often confused with Chlorine because they smell strongly

• Free available Chlorine at levels up to 20 ppm has no detectable taste or odour and causes little or no irritation to  eyes, skin and mucous membranes

• This level of 20ppm is not safe for swimming, however, and pools should be kept below 5ppm, ideally in the range 1-3ppm

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Both companies offer years of experience, free unbiased advice and excellent, professional service.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. Please help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our Facebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

- the commonest-used sanitizer in privately-owned, backyard pools. Although it is used in the majority of pools, Chlorine is a poison and the least exposure we humans have to it the better. Fortunately, there are several alternative sanitizers available. Chlorine is an amazingly versatile chemical and production takes vast amounts of electricity - each production plant uses enough to run a small town 

The ideal level of Free Chlorine in a swimming pool is between 1 and 3 parts-per-million (ppm)

 Trichor (trichloro-s-triazinetrione) contains 90% available Chlorine - the highest of all 

• 1kg of Trichlor therefore provides 900gms of available Chlorine

• 10 pounds of Triclor provides 9 pounds of available Chlorine

• Trichlor is commonly available as tablets, granules or powder from any pool-shop

• Powder and granulated Trichlor can be made by crushing or powdering Trichloro tablets (wear mask, gloves and goggles) so there is no need to buy all 3 forms

• It has a long shelf life, is very slow dissolving, and works well in floating and erosion feeders

• Tricloro is best dispensed through a Chlorine Feeder and not just placed into the skimmer but if you don't have a feeder the skimmer is the next best place to put it

• Trichlor can be used for regular chlorination but not for Superchlorination as it lasts too long in the pool

• The granular form can be used as a ‘spot algaecide’

• Trichlor does not require the addition of Cyanuric Acid (CYA) to the pool water as a stabilizer as it makes its own when dissolved in water

• Trichlor is highly acidic with a pH of  2.8 - 3 and can corrode equipment and pool plaster if improperly used

• Corroded metal, usually copper, will deposit on the pool surfaces as a turquoise discolouration and can cause blue fingernails and green hair for swimmers

• It is necessary to add about 350g of soda ash for each Kg of Trichlor used

• Trichlor increases the CYA in the pool water so levels need checking more frequently

• Pools should be partially drained and refilled if the CYA level exceeds 100 ppm

• 35kg of Trichlor will supply the 30 kg of available Chlorine necessary to sanitize a 5x10m (15x30 ft) pool for a full year

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. Please help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our Facebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©