Can I Put Chlorine Tabs in My Aboveground Pool?

Chlorine tabs can keep your aboveground pool water clean and safe.

There are two main types of chlorine tablets for swimming pool use: calcium hypochlorite tabs and trichloro tabs. Both are effective means of disinfecting pool water and preventing algae, and both can be used in aboveground pools, but you must take some precautions to prevent damage to the pool floor and sides.

Proper Use of Chlorine Tabs

Chlorine tablets should be introduced to the pool water by placing them in a tablet floater or a pool chemical feeder designed for aboveground pools. These methods keep the tablets from coming into direct contact with the pool sides or bottom, or with swimmers. Always wear protective gloves when handling chlorine tablets. Test chlorine levels in the pool frequently and adjust the number of tablets according to the manufacturer's instructions to keep the chlorine level correct.

Dangers of Improper Use

Trichloro tablets can damage and eat away the material of the pool sides and bottom if they come into direct contact with them. Calcium hypochlorite tablets can bleach the pool walls and bottom if they contact them, just as household bleach removes the dye from fabric at high enough concentrations. Any chlorine can cause bleaching if it isn't evenly distributed in the pool. Bleach tablets cause chemical burns to the skin if you handle them without wearing gloves.

Calcium Hypochlorite Tablets

Calcium hypochlorite is a volatile chemical that can cause fires or even explosions if you mix it with oils, organic chlorine compounds like trichloro tablets or carbonated drinks. To be safe, never mix calcium hypochlorite with anything else, and store it only in its original container. Calcium hypochlorite tablets provide 65 percent free chlorine when dissolved in your pool, but they are UV-sensitive and must be used with a pool stabilizer like cyanuric acid.

Trichloro Tablets

Trichloro tablets don't require an additional stabilizer, since they already include cyanuric acid. They provide 90 percent available chlorine, making them more efficient than calcium hypochlorite. Trichloro tabs are quite acidic, with a pH of 2.9, but the fact that they have such a high level of available chlorine means that you don't have to use very many, so they don't affect the pH of the pool water very much.

References

• National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappali: Swimming Pool and Spa Water Chemistry
• Clean-Pool-and-Spa.com: Chlorine Tablets