When to add Chlorine

[jb]

For those using liquid chlorine When do you guys and girls prefer to add liquid chlorine to the pool? Morning or evening and why?

 

[Richard320]

I dump it in between 4 and 6 PM, because that's when the pump runs. And I'm usually in the kitchen or out back at the barbecue so I see the water movement and get reminded. It was much easier when I smoked, since I'd be out back twenty times a day anyway.

 

[HermanTX]

I mainly test in morning - around 9-11am depending on what else is happening around the house. Depending on the volume I need to add, I try to add at least half directly after I test and then wait till later in day and add the other half. This is assuming I am just replacing lost Chlorine due to sun and not starting from very low FC level. I follow the CYA/FC chart so, for example, if I am at FC 5ppm (minimum) and need to be at 7ppm (target) based on my CYA level. If I know we are swimming soon then I may add more in a quick fashion. You should wait 30 mins after adding Chlorine before you go swimming just to ensure circulation of the new chlorine. Most will say that you need to add any chemical at least 30 mins prior to your pump stopping. Not sure of your pump schedule but I have a single speed pump so I run it all day in the summer and it shuts off at sundown. Hope this helps.

 

[TO116]

I add at around 5:30 pm.

That’s when I get off work.

 

[Dirk]

Near the beginning of the pump's runtime, so it mixes in as much as possible. Other than that, it's really just a matter of convenience, or when you need a smoke!

Now when is best to run your pump is another whole topic. My pump schedule is based on what is best for my solar heater. Of course I've got an SWG, so I only use liquid chlorine in the winter, when I don't use my solar, but I still run the pump during mid day so I only have to deal with the pool in mid-day sun. Again, it's kinda whenever it works best for you. As long as your pool gets enough chlorine and enough circulation, the when doesn't really matter.

 

[Dirk]

Oh, forgot. My pump schedule (and so my chlorine schedule) is influenced by PG&E. Whenever possible, I try to keep my pump runtimes during PG&E's cheapest hours (even with my PV solar system, because I get money back from them if I time everything just so).

 

[jb]

Congrats on giving up smoking! That's no easy task!

I've been adding it in the morning. But recently having completed my second slam, I've been watching my CL level closely and notice that it mostly burns off in the day, from sunlight and maintains overnight. So if you ad it at night , it seems you get a higher CL for the next 12 hours, untill sunlight returns, vs doing it in the morning when it will start to burn off immediately. I don't know maybe its the whole did the egg or chicken come first type thing

 

[magiteck]

I add it in the evening, any time between 6pm and 10pm depending upon what I have going on. My rationale is that the FC will then have all night at a higher level to protect the water before the sun starts degrading it the next day. Of course, as long as the level never goes below minimum it shouldn't really matter.

 

[jb]

^^^ Thats kind of my reasoning also. 'Peak' high point CL (morning add) vs 'plateau' high CL (evening add)

 

[Bigpaws]

I add about 1-3 times a day. My rational is to keep the levels a
bit more even. The bather load always changes from 1-8 or more
from 1-5 hours. I adjust often to handle the large demand swings.

-Bigpaws