We’re in unprecedented times, and also that method answering unmatched questions. One concern I’d candid not supposed to hear is, “is it okay to use bleach come clean mine pool?” But due to the fact that the start of the year, I’ve seen folks asking around bleach in pool owner groups on Facebook, ~ above our social media channels, on blogs and YouTube comments, in emails, and even in a few panicked call calls here and also there.

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Why would certainly you desire to use bleach instead of pool chlorine?

If you’ve watched the news or tried to buy pool chlorine recently, you’ve most likely noticed the there’s a chlorine shortage walking on.

If girlfriend can discover pool-grade chlorine, it’s more than likely a same bit more expensive 보다 you remember. If friend can’t discover any, you’ll still require some means to store your pool clean.

Let’s take a look in ~ the pros and cons of using bleach instead of chlorine in this article... However first, let’s start by trying out what bleach actually is and how it differs from the pool-grade chlorine you’re provided to.

Bleach vs. Pool chlorine: the basics

First, let’s clear something up: bleach is chlorine. Pool-grade chlorine and a jug the Clorox are essentially the very same thing, chemically. However, they’re not made with the same concentrations the chlorine.

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Pool-grade chlorine, i m sorry you deserve to usually buy in tablets, granules, or as a liquid, often tends to be obtainable in formulations of in between 65% and virtually 100% chlorine. Pure chlorine is recognized as hypochlorous acid.

Most renowned pool-grade chlorine is formulated as calcium hypochlorite in granule or tablet form, which often tends to be on the lower end of the concentration range. Countless tablet-based treatments space formulated together trichloro-s-triazinetrione, or tri-chlor. A tri-chlor tablet can deliver almost 100% pure chlorine when dissolved in swimming pool water.

A jug of bleach, like Clorox, is largely water. Bleach contains about 5% come 6% sodium hypochlorite, which method roughly 95% of her jug that bleach won’t do anything helpful to clean your pool. Part bleach formulations may include colorings and also fragrances, which have the right to negatively affect the quality of your pool water.

Liquid chlorine treatments are additionally mostly water-based, but should typically have at the very least 10% salt hypochlorite in a systems without unwanted shade or fragrance additives.

Can you use bleach rather of chlorine?

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: it relies on the formulation.

The brand on every bleach bottle should tell girlfriend the proportion of sodium hypochlorite (and easily accessible chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A greater percentage is normally better, as you’ll must use much less bleach come treat her pool.

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You’ll likewise want a formulation with no fragrances or various other chemicals. You shouldn’t be dyeing your pool water or making it smell favor a summer breeze.

Many virtual retailers incorporate label info for chemical products like bleach, so friend can examine both the chlorine concentration and also for the existence of any other chemistry and/or additives before buying.

If you desire to save extra bleach about for future treatments, make certain you keep it in a cool, dry location indoors. Don’t leave your bleach jugs outside!

How to use bleach come sanitize and disinfect her pool

Bleach, like any type of other type of pool treatment, is best used in particular concentrations -- that is, you’ll want to have the ability to detect a details amount of chlorine in your pool water. Too little, and also you won’t effectively sanitize your swimming pool water and surfaces. Also much, and your pool water might become too harsh to use.

The ideal selection for included chlorine is between one and three components per million -- it is between 1-3 ppm in an ext scientific parlance. If friend aim because that 2 ppm, you should provide yourself sufficient wiggle room in either direction.

Clorox itself recommends using in between 100 and also 200 ounces of regular-strength bleach every 10,000 gallons of swimming pool water -- one gallon is 128 ounces, and many bottles of bleach are accessible in one-gallon or half-gallon sizes.

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Pool specialists tend come recommend more conservative amounts of bleach. I’ve checked out recommendations varying from one 4 minutes 1 of a gallon every 10,000 gallons of swimming pool water, which supposedly raises chlorine levels to 2.5 ppm, come one gallon every 30,000 gallons of pool water, for around 2 ppm of chlorine.

Most references assume you will do it be using traditional bleach, which is about 5% come 6% chlorine. If you’re making use of “concentrated” or “extra-strength” bleach, or any type of other formulation over the typical 5% come 6% ratio, you’ll have to use different amounts.

You might likewise want to take into consideration using a salt water system rather of chlorine-based treatments. The can expense a little to switch from chlorine come a salt chlorinator, however it might be a great long-term decision, both in terms of your maintain costs and also for your permanent enjoyment of her pool. Check our guide to the finest pool salt water systems accessible today!

Stabilizers room important!

Remember when I told friend to store your bleach indoors?

Chlorine breaks down as soon as exposed come sunlight, i m sorry is why chlorine-based swimming pool treatments tend to incorporate an included stabilizer.

The most usual chemical stabilizer because that chlorine is cyanuric acid.

Adding cyanuric acid to your pool once you include bleach (or some various other chlorine treatment) will stop the chlorine native breaking down in sunlight and becoming useless because that disinfection and sanitization. Most experts recommend using about 30 ppm the cyanuric acid to stabilize the chlorine in your pool water.

Go slow and ask a pro

We strongly recommend questioning a swimming pool cleaning experienced for advice before including bleach, or anything else, come your swimming pool water.

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Always include any treatment in stages quite than overall if you’re the the very least bit uncertain of her outcomes, and check chlorine levels with a chlorine test kit every time you add bleach or any type of other chlorine treatment.

Not sure how much bleach come add, since you’re not certain how countless gallons the water space in your pool? questioning your swimming pool builder!

If you"d favor to call a swimming pool builder today, even if it is it"s to install a brand-new pool or gain the most out the the one you already have, click the switch below and also we"ll affix you come an authorized river Pools franchise near you:

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Fiberglass swimming pool shells need to include thorough dig specs with length, width, depth, and also the volume of water (in gallons) the should hold when full.

For example, our D24 model has actually a 7,500-gallon capacity, while our C40 freeform version holds around 17,000 gallons. Concrete and also vinyl liner pools may be a little trickier to estimate, however if you nothing mind doing a tiny math, you can use this formula to figure out her pool’s capacity...

Calculating the volume of rectangle-shaped and/or freeform pools:

The formula for calculating the gallons in a typically rectangular pool, including freeform pools with more or much less rectangular structures, is:

Length x broad x median depth x 7.5

For example, a freeform pool like our I30 architecture is 30 feet long and 14 feet wide. That is depth ranges from 3’9” to 5’6” -- its average depth could be about 4’9”. With 12 customs in a foot, you need to calculate inches together a portion of 12 fairly than simply using the customs after her decimal suggest -- 9 that 12 is 0.75, so the calculation because that the I30 is:

30 x 14 x 4.75 x 7.5 … or about 14,960 gallons. (14,962.5, to it is in exact.)

The I30’s true volume is actually simply 7,950 gallons, since it has a big tanning ledge and ample bench seating.

Most pools will certainly probably have actually a true volume well listed below the estimates you’ll obtain from this formula, because they’re additionally likely to have shallow-water features and forms the aren’t simple to measure or account for.

This is why the so crucial to asking your swimming pool builder for accurate measurements, and also why you should add bleach or various other treatments in batches or stages, while testing your water after each round of included treatment.

Hire a pro or do it yourself?

You most likely didn’t come right here for the math. I acquire it. However if you desire a clean, safe, exciting pool endure this summer, friend will need to acquire your numbers right.

Sometimes it’s just easier and also a lot less stressful come outsource swimming pool maintenance to a skilled cleaning service. Your hired pool man should know exactly how much bleach (or other chemicals) to add, how to stabilize it, just how to check everything, and also how to avoid wasting resources or transforming your backyard oasis into a toxic stew.

But if you’d rather keep your swimming pool clean on her own, you can still acquire help! There space a couple of highly helpful pool-maintenance apps accessible for your smartphone or tablet:

These apps can aid you include the ideal amount of any type of chemical to her pool, and you should likewise be able to track your chemical concentrations over time, in instance you require to figure out why miscellaneous went unexpectedly sideways one weekend.

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Hopefully, this post helped you figure out what come do about your chlorine situation. If girlfriend have any questions -- and also you probably do -- you re welcome reach out to your friendly ar pool pros. A clean swimming pool is a happy pool. Happy swimming!

At river Pools, we manufacture world-class fiberglass pools for customers across North America. If you"re shopping approximately for a fiberglass pool, feel cost-free to take it a look at our catalog of models, visit our extensive video library, try out our pool expense calculator, or request practice pricing using the switch below.