What Are Ingredients in Chlorine Tablets?

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The basic ingredient of chlorine tablets is calcium hypochlorite. Calcium hypochlorite is commonly used in water treatment as a bleaching agent. The most common use of calcium hypochlorite is in chlorine tablets to disinfect the water of home pools.

Chlorine Tablet Forms

Chlorine tablets come in three forms from 3- and 1-inch circular tablets, a stick form and finally a granular form. The most popular form of chlorine tablet is the 3-inch tablet that is fed into a floating chlorine feeder. The 3-inch form is slower dissolving, requiring less maintenance and oversight. When the automatic feeder is properly adjusted for your pool, it will feed chlorine into your system for at least one week.

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Considerations

Some things to consider when selecting chlorine tablets are: How many gallons of water your pool holds The type of dispenser you will use How often you wish to refill/change the tablet supply

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How Chlorine Tablets Work

As the chlorine tablets dissolve in water, a chemical reaction occurs. The water becomes a light acid; this light acid interacts with algae and bacteria and sanitizes the pool surface and water. The chlorine that is left over freely floats through out the pool maintaining the water's clarity.

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Three popular brands of chlorine tablets are: Durachlor Shock Trichlor

Are Chlorine Tablets Dangerous?

If any amount of chlorine tablets are consumed by a child, adult or pet, a doctor or veterinarian should be called. For immediate assistance, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. You should always store chlorine tablets in a locked compartment away from children and pets. Common side effects of over-chlorination are skin and eye irritation.

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