Free chlorine involves the amount of chlorine that’s able to sanitize contaminants, while combined chlorine refers to chlorine that has combined directly with the contaminants. Total chlorine is basically the sum of free chlorine and combined chlorine.
How do I raise the free chlorine in my hot tub?
- Shock Your Hot Tub Water. Shocking your spa water allows you to raise chlorine levels above the recommended amount for a brief period of time. ...
- Tackle Biofilm. Have you noticed a film on the surface of your spa? ...
- Add Some Shade. ...
- Lower the Water Temperature. ...
- Balance Chemicals and Rinse Filter.
What is free chlorine in hot tub?
Free Chlorine is the chlorine that isn’t combined with anything . It’s free and available as an effective sanitizer. Combined Chlorine is the chlorine that’s bonded or attached to the stuff it worked on.
What raises free chlorine?
Raising pool chlorine can be much easier than trying to lower chlorine levels. Simply adding chlorine in the form of chlorine tablets, granular chlorine, liquid shock or powder shock will increase the total amount of chlorine within the pool.
What happens if free chlorine is low?
When the chlorine level is too low, microorganisms like bacteria are able to multiply faster . With harmful bacteria like e-coli, this will quickly cause your pool to be unhealthy, risking any swimmers potentially getting sick. Algae growth. Algae will also grow quickly.
Why is free chlorine low in hot tub?
So, to answer the question, if your Total Chlorine is high but Free Chlorine is low, it is an indication that the hot tub requires a shock treatment . ... When you add an oxidizer, make sure run your jets for 15-20 minutes with your hot tub lid open so that it can gas off.
Why is there no free chlorine in my hot tub?
If cyanuric acid gets too high in a hot tub (above around 50ppm) , it can cause ‘Cyanuric Acid Lock’ which is where despite adding lots of chlorine granules, it is impossible to get a free chlorine reading. The only way to remove cyanuric acid from hot tub water is to drain and re-fill with fresh water.
What should my free chlorine level be?
For a healthy pool, the free chlorine level should be between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm) . The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control recommends pH 7.2–7.8 for pools and hot tubs.
Can you use shock and chlorine together?
It Should Not Be Done Together
This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM.
How much shock Do I need to raise free chlorine?
When you’re shocking a pool, the goal is to raise the free chlorine level of the pool water to roughly 10 times the combined chlorine level .
Will Shock raise free chlorine?
Free chlorine is just that, free. Free to interact with other chemicals, algae, bacteria or the like. ... Shocking then releases the combined chlorine and off-gasses the contaminants, increasing the amount of free chlorine in your pool or spa.
Will bleach raise free chlorine?
To raise the free chlorine by 1 ppm , I add about 40 ounces of an 8.3 percent bleach solution, which is about a third of a jug of bleach. You can scale up and down accordingly; if you need to raise the free chlorine by 2 ppm you would add about 80 ounces. ... You should add the chlorine just after the sun sets.
Is it safe to swim if free chlorine is low?
The Bottom Line about Pools and Chlorine
As mentioned above, you could probably swim in a pool without chlorine without any major health issues . However, long-term use of a pool lacking chlorinated H2O could make you sick or, at the very least, contribute to rashes and other types of skin irritation.
Why are my chlorine levels low?
You might have an infestation of algae, fungus or bacteria that can deplete normal chlorine levels and it is possible for this to occur without many visible signs. Your pool may appear to have a dusty look on the pool bottom. If you brush it and it clouds the water, then it is most likely a Mustard Algae.
Can total chlorine be less than free chlorine?
The Total Chlorine level cannot be less than the Free Chlorine level . Once you know how much Combined Chlorine is in the water, you add about 10 times that amount of Free Chlorine to get rid of it.
