It is important that pool water be disinfected as water exposed to the air naturally becomes infected with bacteria and viruses. In addition, people who swim in the pool bring with them their own germs. Having chlorine in the water kills these germs before they have a chance to harm anyone.



There are many reasons why chlorine is used to disinfect so many pools. First, it works consistently to disinfect pools and has been proven over many years. Chlorine not only works to disinfect pools, but it also can work to rid a pool of algae. It is also relatively inexpensive and is easy to find.

Chlorine was discovered in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele who thought that it contained oxygen. Later, Sir Humphry Davy realized that chlorine was in fact an element. Chlorine now is one of the most commonly used elements in the world. It can be used to make multiple products, including paper, paints and medicine. Chlorine is also widely used in the production of plastic, and most pool tubes and floats are made out of chlorine. This helps to further protect the pool water.

Although chlorine gas can be quite hazardous, chlorine used in a pool is safe for swimmers. If a negative reaction is noted, it typically is because someone has not added the correct amount of chlorine to the water. The person who is in charge of pool maintenance should be careful not to breathe in any chlorine gas and not to get chlorine on your skin. Chlorine should not be mixed with any other chemical as it can be dangerous.

Each pool will have its own level of chlorine that it requires. A test kit should be used to determine how much chlorine a pool needs. Chlorine can come in many different forms. Although some large commercial pools use liquid chlorine, most residential pools are treated through the use of granules or tablets. Both are inexpensive and are easy to use.

Chlorine can be used in different size pools, from small residential pools to extremely large public pools. It is an efficient way to make a pool a safe place to swim.