Chlorine is actually a gas in its natural form, defined technically as a ?yellowish-green, poisonous gas? but fear not, its use as a swimming pool chemical demands that it is diluted to the point where it becomes harmless to humans! It is not, however, harmless to the bacteria and algae that would otherwise flourish in your swimming pool.

Left unchecked, bacteria and algae will take over a swimming pool. You may have seen an untreated pool and will be green in colour. That is the alga. The bacteria cannot be seen and are the invisible menace in the water. In any event, you would not wish to swim in it and so the answer is chlorine, as part of a properly managed swimming pool maintenance program.

Diluted chlorine is a disinfectant and, in short, it will kill both the algae and the bacteria in your pool. It is vital, however, that the level is accurately maintained. If the chlorine is too concentrated then swimming in your pool will become an immediately unpleasant experience. Equally, if it is too diluted, then it will not kill the bacteria and algae. And that is not only unpleasant but also dangerous. Hence, the importance of an accurate pool tester and regular checks.

Assuming the correct balance of chlorine in your water, your swimming pool will be a safe and enjoyable place to swim. But it does not end there. You will need to remove the dead algae and bacteria that have been killed by the chlorine and which will accumulate in the water. You will know this is overdue when your skin and eyes itch! Your pool filtration system will remove some but not all of this debris and so it is necessary to ?shock? your pool every two weeks or so with a further mix of pool chemicals.

Chlorine can be delivered to your pool in a variety of ways but the two most common are to deliver slow dissolving chlorine either in a chlorinator or, alternatively, in a floater. The chlorinator is probably safer because there is no risk of it being removed from the pool accidentally. A floater is literally a device that floats loos in your pool and it is easy to imagine how this might be knocked out of the water.

Don't be concerned by the fact that chlorine is a poisonous gas. There are a number of ways of delivering it safely to your pool and in the right concentrations so that it protects you and your family in the way that it should. It is the single most vital part of your swimming pool cleaning program and is essential to maintain a healthy pool.