How to Test Chlorine

Chlorine can keep your water crystal clear, but too much of it can lead to irritation problems.

Chlorine is a necessary component of any swimming pool. This chemical works to alleviate algae and keep your pool free of other dangerous chemicals or bacteria. However, too much chlorine can cause severe skin and eye irritation, so it's important that you frequently test your water to make sure the chlorine level stays between the recommended 2.0 ppm (parts per million) and 4.0 ppm. Chlorine test kits can be purchased at pool supply shops and consist of simple test strips that make testing very easy.

Things You'll Need

• Pool chlorine test strips

Instructions

1. Turn on your pool's water pump, if you haven't already, and allow the water to circulate for between five and 10 minutes. This will allow the existing chlorine to properly disperse throughout the pool water.

2. Dip one of the chlorine test strips, and dip it into your pool water. Hold it there until it changes color. This could take several seconds to a minute.

3. Shake off any surplus water from the test strip, and let it sit for 30 seconds.

4. Compare the color the test strip turned into with a color on the test strip's chart, which should have come in its packaging or even on the packaging. The corresponding colors will tell you the chlorine level. For example, if the strip turned blue, and the strip's chart indicates that blue represents a chlorine level between 2.0 and 3.0, then that is your pool water's chlorine level.

5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 with another test strip to ensure you get the same results.

Tips & Warnings

• Add chlorine to the water if the reading is below 2.0 ppm. Test again two hours after adding it to see if the level has gone up at all. To lower chlorine if the reading is too high, replace a few gallons of the chlorinated in your pool with unchlorinated freshwater (you may need to replace several hundred gallons to see a difference depending on the size of your pool).

• Consult your test strips' packaging for exact instructions, as different manufacturer's may produce different testing methods.

References

• Pool Center: Pool Test Strips FAQ
• American Chemistry: Pool Chlorine