How Much Bleach To Use In Pool

Chlorine Vs Bleach For Pools: Whats The Difference

• |May 19, 2020

Maintaining a clean, clear, and sparkling pool all summer long is every pool owners dream. However, it can sometimes seem like an unwinnable battle between the elements and the sanitizer in your pool.

The two most commons cleansers of choice are bleach and chlorine to keep your pool free of bacteria and other organic invaders. But which is the best option? Before you add another chemical into your pool water, lets take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of each.;

Ready to dive in?

• Which is Best?

How Much Bleach Should You Use

The amount of chlorine you need in your pool depends on several factors, including the size of your pool, your cyanuric acid level, and how quickly your chlorine is used up from the sun and contaminants.

As you can see on this chart provided by Trouble Free Pool, the higher your CYA level, the higher your FC ppm should be.

You can use apps like Pool Pal or PoolMath to plug in your numbers and find out how much bleach you should add to get where you need to be.

Continue to test your water regularly to make sure that your pool chemistry is keeping on track. An example of a good pool water test kit is the Taylor K-2006.;

Once in a while, you may end up getting a splash of bleach on your hands, here are our tips on how to get rid of the smell.

When Do You Need To Shock A Pool

When your pool has cloudy or green water, that means that the level of chlorine in the pool is too low and that it has fallen below the recommended value which is 1 ppm . ;This usually happens when chlorine has formed chloramines, which with bacteria and other contaminants is no longer available for sanitizing. Chloramines can emit an odor, so regardless of the fact that the concentration of free chlorine is low, the pool may actually smell of chlorine.

Also Check: Does Target Have Pool Supplies

How Often Should I Add Liquid Chlorine To My Pool

To know your consumption level, you will have to wait for a week or two. For hot and sunny temperatures, the 65 CYA is moderate enough.;

Just ensure you add enough liquid chlorine to keep the FC over the minimum level for your CYA level pending the time you can add more. You can make use of the pool calculator too.

How Often Should I Put Bleach In My Pool

It will help if you put bleach in your pool as often as your chlorine testing kit shows that the chlorine ppm level is low.

However, beyond this, you will need bleach when:;

• Your pool has been in use for a very long time without any maintenance
• You have not used you used your pool in a really long time
• After throwing a pool party with tons of people swimming in the pool

You May Like: How Do You Get Iron Out Of Pool Water

Tips To Combat Algae In Your Pool

If you want to combat the algae issues in the pool adequately, you need to be thorough with the treatment of the pool.;

• Constantly use the doses of medicine appropriately and at the right time for maximum effectiveness; if not, all your efforts will be wasted.
• Brush the whole pool, especially areas with visible signs of algae. The brushing process may be done only on the first day of treatment.;
• Regularly look into the filter pressure to clean as the need may arise.

How Much Bleach Per Gallon Of Pool Water

Before you begin the bleaching process, the first step is to know what quantity of bleach to apply in your pool water. The standard measurement is to add a quarter teaspoon or sixteen drops of bleach per gallon of pool water.

However, if your pool water has a cloudy surface, you can make it a one-eighth teaspoon of bleach, so the water clears.

With this calculation, you can easily know how much bleach you will need when applying it in 10,000-gallon pool water. A pool holding 10,000 gallons of water will require at least half a gallon of bleach to raise the chlorine level to 5ppm. To get your pools chlorine level to be at 2.5ppm, use a quarter of the gallon of bleach.

Though, ensure you get the current chlorine level by testing your pool before applying any quantity of bleach.;

Recommended Reading: Can You Heat An Above Ground Pool

Why Use Bleach To Clean A Green Pool

Instead of purchasing expensive pool cleaning products, bleach can be used as an effective and convenient alternative for cleaning a green pool. Some of the benefits to using bleach for pool maintenance include:

• Bleach is less expensive than liquid chlorine.
• Bleach disinfects and sanitizes your pool.
• Bleach is safer to use than chlorine tabs.
• Bleach oxidizes ammonia and other wastes excreted by swimmers.

There are a number of different types of algae. The class that turns your pool green is known as Chlorophyceae, or Green algae. Therefore, bleach is the ideal product for cleaning a green pool since, unlike other algae types, Green algae are not resistant to the chlorine found in bleach.

Dont Wait Shock Your Pool Now

Most people prefer to use bleach for pools instead of chlorine for shocking. This is because it dissolves properly and does not include any fillers usually found in chlorine products. There are two ways to add bleach to your pool; this is either with the use of a liquidator or doing it manually.;

You can use liquid bleach to shock your pool, and it also clears your pool water. One mistake most people make when shocking their pools is not using the right quantity of bleach. It should not be less, and it shouldnt be added in excess. If you apply it perfectly to your pool water, it makes your pool safe for swimming.;

It is important to test your pools chlorine level before applying bleach and measure the pool water volume. Follow this process and you wont have any safety issues with your swimming pool.

Read Also: How Much Do Blue World Pools Cost

How Much Bleach Should I Add To My Pool

So, how much bleach to add to the pool? First, you need to know how much bleach to use. To do so, you need to know the chlorine levels of the pool. Get yourself a chlorine testing pool kit and follow the manufacturers instructions.

You want to have a chlorine level of 1-3ppm so you can make sure that your water is safe for swimmers and free from contamination.

Clorox is considered to be the most common bleach product that is used for pools. It has a 5.7% concentration, so if you have a 5,000-gallon pool, you will be using 3 cups or 24 oz to raise the chlorine levels.

If you do not know how many gallons your pool holds, just multiply the length, , and finally and you will have an estimated volume. If you have a round pool multiply that volume by 5.9, if you have an oval pool multiply by 6.7 and for a rectangular pool multiply by 7.5 gallons. The final result will be an estimate of how much water your pool holds.

If you need to calculate how much bleach or Clorox you need to shock your pool, you will have to use 1/2 gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the chlorine levels by 5 ppm. If you are just trying to raise the chlorine level by 2.5 ppm, then you will have to use as much as a ¼ gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water. Use this basic math to figure out how much ppm you have to raise your pool by and go from there. Make sure to continually test the pool water.

Should You Use Clorox Instead Of Pool Chlorine

Household bleaches such as Clorox are effective sanitizers for your pool and you can use it. However you need to be very careful not to purchase bleaches with fragrances, colors and other additives that could cause big issues in your pool.

In some areas, perhaps household bleach works out cheaper but we didnt see that in our cost calculations.

The decision whether to use Clorox instead of pool chlorine is really a personal one. Weighing the pros and cons and seeing what matters to you is going to help you make the best choice for yourself.;

You May Like: How To Remove Cyanuric Acid From Pool Water

Bleach In Pool Calculator

To calculate the right amount of bleach needed in your pool, you will need to know the volume of water in your pool and also the level of chlorine.

Calculating the pool volume

Pool Volume;= Length x Width x Average depth of the pool

Once you have calculated the volume, multiply the figure by the follows:

5.9 if its around pool;

6.7 if its an oval pool

7.5 if its a rectangular pool

What you get is the number of gallons in your swimming pool

The ideal level of chlorine in a pool should be 1-3PPM for effective sanitization of the pool. Levels that are higher than this are not safe for swimmers.

You can use any of the following tools to test your pool water

Test strips: This can test up to 7 parameters: In addition to testing free and total chlorine levels it also tests total hardness, bromine, pH, cyanuric acid & total alkalinity

An electro-tester-Checks and monitors chlorine levels. It can also be used for routine monitoring of pH in spas and different water sources.

Shock Pool With Algae

You do not want to see the full extent of damage algae can cause to your swimming pool. The dull appearance and the astronomical drop in chlorine concentration within the pool become even quicker with algae.;

Algae consist of a wide range of eukaryotic, phototrophic, and oxygenic microorganisms that use energy and light as a source of growth. Algae is different from plants because; they do not possess any tissue differentiation.;

Any pool with algae is an eyesore and very much dangerous to health. That is why it is crucial to act fast whenever they are perceived to be within the swimming pool.

However, just a dose of fresh chlorine can eliminate this inimical threat to your pools survival.

These are the main types of algae: Blue-Green Algae , green pond algae, filamentous/string/hair algae, bryozoans, diatoms, red pond algae, chara/muskgrass, golden algae.

You May Like: Cya Reducer For Pools

How Long Does Bleach Last In The Pool

There could be two possible answers. If you are talking about the bleach bottle, which you are keeping in your home, then its better to replace it every 6 months.And, if you are talking about the Bleach in your pool water, then, its depends on the sunlight, presence of Cyanuric Acid, and pH level.

In summary, using Bleach in your pool is really hassle-free. You just need to maintain the above steps carefully. You should use a good quality pool test kit and basic Bleach. Test your chlorine level regularly to determine the frequency of adding the bleaching agent in your pool.

How To Calculate How Many Gallons Your Pool Has

If you dont know how many gallons your swimming pool has, just use the basic formula that well give you. The formula for calculating a pool area in square feet or meters is the following:

• Length x width x depth x 7.5 = volume

By multiplying the length of the pool with width and depth gives the volume in cubic feet. Since each cubic foot has 7.5 gallons of water, multiply the cubic feet of the pool by 7.5 and you will get the volume of the pool in gallons.

If you have a round pool, then you need to multiply the volume of the pool by 5.9. For the oval pool, you need to multiply it by 6.7. I hope that you know now how to calculate the pool gallons. If not, you can use the calculator below in which you just need to type the basic data and you will get the results.

Now that you know how to calculate the volume of your pool and how many gallons you have, you now need to know how much ppm you have in your pool.

Recommended Reading: Can Lice Drown In A Pool

Is Clorox Or Bleach Cheaper Than Pool Chlorine

Household bleach and Clorox cost about the same amount to raise swimming pool chlorine levels by 1 ppm. Household bleach and Clorox cost about half that of swimming pool liquid chlorine by gallon. However, given that Clorox and household bleach are about half the strength of swimming pool chlorine making this false economy.

There are other pool chlorines available too. We have an article on Liquid Chlorine Vs Chlorine Tablets here.

How Does Chlorine Work To Sanitize The Pool

There is a chemical reaction that occurs when chlorine dissolves in water. This reaction releases hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions, which oxidize the microorganisms and bacteria in the water.

It does this by attacking the lipids in the cell walls and destroying the enzymes and structures inside the cell. This process renders the microorganisms and bacteria harmless.

Also Check: Best Sealer For Stamped Concrete Pool Deck

Are There Other Household Items You Can Use In The Pool

Bleach isnt the only household product that can be used in a pool instead of pool chemicals. Some other common household products that can be used to keep your pool balanced are borax, soda ash, baking soda, muriatic acid, and citric acid.

The apps I mentioned above will tell you how much of each to use to get your desired results.

Lets take a look at how you can use each of these products.

Amount Of Chlorine To Use Per Gallon Of Pool Water

Related Articles

• How to Reduce Nitrates and Alkalinity in a Koi Pond

Keeping a pool sparkling clear isn’t the easiest project. Whether you have a round ring-top pool or an in-ground pool, maintaining the chlorine balance in the pool prevents bacteria from growing in the water. The basic balance of chlorine to water is between 1 and 3 ppm, or 0.00013 ounces of chlorine per gallon of water.

Don’t Miss: Wasps Invading Pool

Tips On How To Use Chlorine Or Bleach For Your Pool

Adding chlorine or bleach to your pool is easy, so long as you know the basics of your pool and follow the instructions. Also, make sure that your pool is clean, as chlorine or bleach wont do its job as well if the pool has soiled surfaces.

When adding chlorine, it depends on the type you are using. Sprinkle the recommended amount of chlorine to your pool, spreading it around. But before that, you should create the solution, whether you are using liquid or powdered form.

When using a chlorine mix , wait half an hour before you use it. Also, use the chlorine when there is no direct sunlight. Solutions like these lose strength and power over time, so we recommend you to create a batch just right for one use, or to use it immediately.

If using bleach, all you need to do is to use 1/8 cup for every 100 gallons of water. Its best to pour it with a skimmer to avoid the harsh chemicals from harming your skin while swimming.

Popular brand names such as Clorox are recommended to use, as they have the powerful ingredients to disinfect your pool. It wont be as effective as chlorine, but it does a good job.

Its best to disinfect your pool daily , once every few days. That way, your pool will stay clean and you can swim in it without worry of harm from bacteria and germs lurking in your pool.

Dpd Powder Chlorine Test

There are a number of ways to test your water chlorine levels including test strips and dropper bottles, however the more accurate and the way I recommend; testing it is with a DPD powder test kit.

When you use this testing method, you will be able to get your chlorine level accuracy within .5 or .2 ppm depending on the amount of water used during the test.; It is much more difficult to get that accurate of a reading when trying to depend on the human eye to match colors in determining the levels.

Read Also: Salt Water Pool Cost Estimator

How Much Bleach Does It Take To Kill Algae In A Pool

If you went on an extended vacation or didnt use your pool for a long time, youre almost certain that algae would welcome you back. This is no magic; its how stuff works.

You would most times come back to a green pool, and thats algae starring at you. Of course, you cant jump in this way.;

So, youre thinking of killing it. But then, you dont know how much bleach you need to do that. Well, heres what you need to know.

You cant just add bleach; there are other things to do. First, you have to adjust the pH and alkalinity levels. This is to ensure that the chlorine in the bleach is effective. For good effect, its great to leave the pH between 7.2 and 7.8.

Next, you have to brush the algae off the sides and any other surfaces in the pool. You may also have to vacuum to remove sentiments that would prevent chlorine from working on algae.;

After this, you can add your bleach. You would need about two gallons or 24 quarts of bleach for a pool of 10 000 gallons to kill the algae.;

Remember to do this in the evening or at night. This is to avoid the sun degrading the bleach in the pool. Also, always wait for the chlorine level to drop to the recommended level before taking a swim.