This function is consistent across chlorine in its liquid or granular form, but there are a lot of other things to keep in mind before settling on either liquid chlorine or chlorine granules to keep your swimming pool in tip-top shape all summer.
Key differences
| Liquid Chlorine | Granular Chlorine |
| Readily available in bulk | Available in smaller quantities |
| Cheaper to buy in bulk | More costly |
| No residue | May leave residue |
| Requires acid additive to lower pH | Requires no additives |
| Shelf life of a few months | Shelf life of 5 years if stored properly |
| Popular choice for public pools | Popular choice for home pools |
Liquid Chlorine
Sodium hypochlorite, also known as liquid chlorine or liquid bleach, is the less costly method of swimming pool sanitizing and can often be purchased in bulk.
Due to the cost effectiveness and quantities available on the market, liquid chlorine is the popular choice for cleaning large, public pools.
Unfortunately, liquid chlorine users also have to add acid to their pools to counteract the high pH of liquid chlorine.
While not a very difficult task, this can complicate the sanitization process as you always need to have two products on hand and you need to perfect the acid to chlorine ratio.
Liquid chlorine does not have a very long shelf life, as its potency begins to diminish only two months after being exposed to air.
Chlorine Granules
Granular chlorine, also called powder chlorine or granular shock, is the go-to option for private swimming pools, despite its slightly higher price tag.
Chlorine granules often only come in small containers, meaning that they aren’t ideal for very large bodies of water. This does, however, make them perfect for normal backyard pools.
Granular chlorine comes in two forms, dichloroisocyanuric acid and calcium hypochlorite, also known as dichlor and cal hypo.
Cal hypo is the most common choice due to its low price tag, but it also requires pool owners to add acid to their water to lower the pool water pH.
Dichlor, however, already has a pH of around 7 and thus requires no additives to provide safe, sanitized swimming pools.
Chlorine granules can sometimes leave residue on your pool walls as, unlike liquid chlorine, they need to dissolve to take effect. This problem can be resolved by disturbing the water and chlorine granules and ensuring continuous water movement.
Chlorine granules have an impressive shelf life of up to 5 years if kept in the right conditions.
What’s the Best Option for Your Pool?
We would suggest liquid chlorine to public pool owners that have to perform frequent pool maintenance, as liquid chlorine is cheaper and easier to buy in bulk. Liquid chlorine may also be a good option for private pool owners with particularly large pools, but be careful not to buy too much at once, as it will expire rather quickly once opened.
Granular chlorine is a great option for private pool owners who just want to upkeep regular pools or perhaps even hot tubs. The price point is still quite fair if bought in small quantities and, depending on the type you buy, you may even be able to avoid the extra steps required by other chlorine types.
If you do happen to enjoy keeping your chlorine stock high, you can rest assured that your granular chlorine will stay effective for years to come.
Conclusion
The type of chlorine that is best for you will depend on your personal pool size and pool care needs, as both liquid chlorine and granular chlorine have advantages and disadvantages.
Typically, liquid chlorine is better for users who need to sanitize a lot of water often, while granular chlorine works great for users with smaller pools and less dire sanitization needs. Despite this, in the battle of liquid chlorine vs granular chlorine, there is no wrong answer.
We trust that this article has helped streamline your pool care process, leaving you free to enjoy your clear, safe swimming pool all summer long.
A ratio of 3.3 liters of liquid chlorine to 10 000 gallons of water should be added while the pool filter is running. This ratio ensures that you pool water is of healthy swimming quality and will provide the sought after clear, blue appearance.
A ratio of 1 pound of granular chlorine to 10 000 gallons of water should be added to your pool while the pool filter is running. This is enough to allow the chlorine to kill any harmful organisms while also adding that pristine, blue look to the water. The running filter promotes thorough chlorine circulation and prevents any residue.
In order to determine the frequency at which you need to add chlorine, it is best to test your water quality at least once a week using a manual or digital test kit. If your chlorine level is between 1 and 5 ppm, you are still in the clear, but if it drops below this, you will need to add chlorine to your swimming pool.