Can I Put Liquid Chlorinator in My Pop-Up Pool?

Liquid Chlorine

• Liquid chlorine along with dry or tabular chlorine is an appropriate method of chlorination you can use to clean your small pool. In its liquid form, chlorine is concentrated at 10 to 15 percent. It can be poured directly in the pool but its important to distribute it across the pool as much as possible. Using the pool’s filtration or pump system may assist with this. The problem with chlorinating your own small pool is that it is difficult to know how much chlorine to use because of various factors that affect it.

How Much To Use

• The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recommend maintaining a chlorine level between 1 and 3 ppm (parts per million) to keep water safe. Test kits are available to help you determine how much chlorine is present and how much should be added. You can also contact your local pool supplies store for recommendations on how much to use. Remember that various factors can diminish chlorine’s presence and effects, making regular testing important.

Factors

• Sunlight quickly diminishes the presence of chlorine, so its best to apply the chemical at night so that it mixes in with the water before evaporating. The presence of dirt and other contaminants can reduce chlorine’s ability to disinfect. pH also plays a role; a pH above 8.0 shows poor chlorine disinfection and causes irritation to eyes and skin. A range between 7.2 and 7.8 is optimal for chlorine disinfection and comfort for the eyes and skin.

Recommendation

• While most in-ground pools incorporate filtration and chlorination systems that disinfect water accurately, many above-ground pools may not be automatically equipped with these systems. In fact, small plastic kiddie pools without treatment are known to harbor waterborne illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC recommends that large plastic and inflatable pools that can't be emptied should be equipped with filtration and disinfection systems to the same standards as in-ground pools. Small kiddie pools should be emptied after use, cleaned and allowed to dry in the sun before they are used again.