Pool Sanitizers, Chlorine & Bromine

When to use Sanitizers

Sanitizers are used to keep water clear of bacteria and inhibit/control the growth of viruses, algae and organic contaminants. The two most common pool water sanitizers are chlorine and bromine.

Choose the one that's best for you

Chlorine is a disinfectant and the most popular sanitizer used in pool water. Chlorine levels are determined with a test kit and mea-sured in parts per million (ppm). The ideal chlorine residual (chlorine residual refers to the chlorine remaining after all reactions and dissipations have occurred) in pool water should be between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm.

Bromine is an alternative sanitizer to chlorine. Bromine levels are measured using a test kit. The ideal Bromine residual is 3.0 ppm. Bromine is not as harsh on skin, eyes, hair and swim wear as chlo-rine, and does not produce a chlorine odor. Bromine is slower dissolving and is more effective than chlorine in hot water.

Water Warehouse® recommends sanitizing with our stabilized Chlorinating 3" Tablets, 1" tablets, Skimmer Sticks or Brominating 1" tablets. These can be conveniently dispensed by placing them in a chlorinator (or brominator), floating feeder or skimmer basket. If you prefer to sanitize by pouring directly into the water, then our Granular Chlorine is a good choice. During pool start-up you may need an extra dose of chlorine or bromine in order to satisfy the initial demand of the water. Use your test kit often to check your chemical levels and adjust your dispenser as needed to increase or decrease the flow. Factors that affect the amount of sanitizer you need are temperature, pool usage, rainfall and pH. Higher water temperatures, heavy pool usage and heavy rainfall all result in the necessity for increased chlorine or bromine.