Understanding chlorine levels in your swimming pool

When it comes to keeping your swimming pool water clean, chlorine is the most essential chemical in your maintenance routine. There are many steps you need to take to keep your pool water in balance and sparkling clean. But none of these steps will work without the right chlorine levels. 

The chlorine levels in your swimming pool should always be maintained between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million. These levels will keep your water safe and clean. There are many ways that you can choose to add chlorine to your swimming pool water.

Using testing kits can make it easier to keep your chlorine levels stable, but there are many different factors that impact your chlorine levels, usage, and demand. Understanding more about how chlorine functions in your swimming pool water can help you to keep your levels stable and constant. With the right chlorine balance, your swimming pool water will be clean, clear, and easier to maintain. 

Understanding chlorine levels

The actual chlorine levels in your swimming pool are actually made up of three different kinds of chlorine. These chlorine readings all appear in different forms in your swimming pool water. 

Free chlorine is the chlorine in your water that is available to effectively sanitize your water. When you test your pool water for chlorine levels, free chlorine is the measurement that really matters. The idea measurement of chlorine in your water (1.0 to 3.0 ppm) should be a measurement of your free chlorine 

Combined chlorine is chlorine that remains in your swimming pool water, but has already been “used up” in sanitizing your swimming pool. 

Total chlorine is the measurement of all of the chlorine that is in your swimming pool water (free chlorine plus combined chlorine). 

It is very important that the free chlorine reading in your swimming pool water is higher than your combined chlorine measurement. If the combined chlorine levels in your swimming pool water are too high, it is time to shock or super chlorinate your water. 

Understanding combined chlorine 

Combined chlorine is a concept that can be confusing. Combined chlorine has already been used to “kill” harmful pathogens in your water, and will no longer be effective in sanitizing your pool. You can think of combined chlorine as the “used up” or “worn out” chlorine that hangs around in your water. To removed combined chlorine from the water, the solution is actually to add more free chlorine to handle pathogens, dirt, and germs in your swimming pool water. Rigorous testing of your chlorine levels will let you know how much to add. 

Testing chlorine levels in your swimming pool water

When you test your swimming pool chlorine levels, you should keep an eye on your free chlorine and combined chlorine levels. If you find that your combined chlorine levels are higher than free chlorine, it is time to add more chlorine to the water. If the levels are low, you can leave your chlorine levels unadjusted. 

Maintaining chlorine levels in your swimming pool water 

It can be easy to neglect your chemical testing and maintenance, but it is very important that you keep your chlorine levels in the right range at all times. Chlorine is essential for clean water. But, it is also important to remember that chlorine is a harsh and destructive chemical. 

When chlorine levels are too high, the water can be uncomfortable for swimmers. But, routinely high chlorine levels can damage your liner, and shorten the life of your swimming pool equipment. If chlorine levels are too low, you risk bacteria, viruses, and algae infestations in your swimming pool. 

By regularly maintaining and testing your chlorine levels, you can avoid problems that can occur when your levels are incorrect. 

Adding chlorine to your swimming pool water 

Swimming pool owners have many different options for adding chlorine to their swimming pools. Liquid chlorine, pucks, chlorinators and dispenser varieties allow you to make a custom setup. Using an automatic chlorinator, salt water chlorinator, or other dispensers can make it much easier to maintain your chlorine levels. 

To make sure your chlorine routine is working effectively, water testing is absolutely essential. Whether you use a chlorinator or add your chlorine by hand, understanding chlorine levels can help to ensure you use your chlorine effectively and efficiently. 

Efficient chlorine use in your swimming pool 

Many swimming pool owners add chlorine to their water on a schedule without ever testing or considering their chlorine levels. But, chlorine is the most essential sanitizer in your swimming pool water – ensuring that germs, viruses, and invaders like algae stay under control. Keeping your chlorine levels in the right balance will keep your water clean without making your water harmful or uncomfortable. 

Take the time to understand and test chlorine and combined chlorine levels in your swimming pool. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to effectively alter your maintenance routine to make sure you always have the right amount of sanitizer in your water. Over time, this will save you time, money, and frustration as chlorine does the hard work of keeping your swimming pool clean.