Correct Chlorine Levels for Small Pools

Small pools require less chlorine to maintain than larger pools.

Chlorine is a chemical used to sanitize pool water and make it an enjoyable environment for swimmers. Chlorine levels must be properly maintained, even in small pools, to make sure that the chemical does its job of killing bacteria but doesn't start to hurt the people who are actually swimming in the pool.

Measurement

Before you can understand the correct chlorine level for a small pool, you must first understand how those levels are determined. The chlorine level for any pool is measured in parts per million, or ppm This is the part of the equation that does not change, though the amount of chlorine needed will change depending on the size of the pool in question. For example, smaller pools will need less chlorine than larger pools to fall within the recommended range.

Testing Kits

Two main types of chlorine testing kits exist for use in pools. The first is a type of water-sensitive paper that can be dipped into your pool water. The paper will turn a color to reflect the current level of chlorine in the pool. The second is a type of testing kit that requires you to take a water sample from your pool and add a chemical agent to the water. The water turns a color that corresponds to the chlorine level.

Combined Available Chlorine

Certain pool testing kits only give you one chlorine amount number, which is the amount of "combined available chlorine" in the pool. This number reflects all chlorine that has been added to the water, including chlorine that has not yet neutralized bacteria, and chlorine that has neutralized bacteria and been dissolved. The low end of the scale for small pools should be a rating of 1.0 ppm, while the high end should be 4.0 ppm. If your small pool tests anywhere in this range, you have an acceptable amount of combined area chlorine.

Free Available Chlorine

The other type of chlorine reading certain testing kits give will be one for "free available chlorine." This is a testing of the amount of chlorine that has been added to the water of your pool that has not yet neutralized bacteria. In the event that you are testing your small pool for free available chlorine, you should test anywhere between 2.0 ppm and 4.0 ppm to have a correct chlorine level.

References

• PoolCenter.com: Testing FAQ
• American Chemistry: Pool Treatment 101: Introduction to Chlorine Sanitizing