Introduction to Pool Chemical Feeders

Chlorine Tablets & Tablet Feeders

By maintaining a constant chlorine feed, especially in the summer months when chlorine demand is high, adding excessive amounts of chlorine can be reduced. Chlorine tablets are a common way to feed chlorine into the pool and can be dispersed using a floating chlorinator or in-line feeder.

IMPORTANT - Chlorine tablets (tabs) are not a substitute for chlorine! By using only tabs, you won’t supply your pool with the proper amounts of chlorine. Tablets also have stabilizer in them which will keep your stabilizer balanced, however, excessive amounts of stabilizer will lock your pool water up and cause problems over a period of time.
Sometimes the only way to balance your pool is by diluting the water. If you are using 3” chlorine tablets, you are adding 1 lb. of stabilizer for every 2 tablets you put into your pool. If your stabilizer level rises over 100 ppm, your chlorine becomes ineffective and yellow algae and poor sanitization result. When you stop using tablets at summer’s end, be sure to check your stabilizer level.  NEVER put tabs on your pools surface as it will damage the finish.

Proper chlorine tab dispensing

Floating chlorinators are a viable alternative during summer months if you do not have an automatic chlorine tablet feeder. Many people let them float around the pool which isn’t very effective. Ideally, it should be tied to a part of the pool by a string that lies within a water flow path when the pump is on so the tabs dissolve properly. Avoid using a floating chlorinator in a pool with children as it can be opened easily and tabs can fall out or be handled by little fingers. (I still cringe when I think how we used to hold on to the chlorinators and swim around the pool when we were kids).

In-Line Tablet feeder

One of the most basics of automatic pool equipment, an in-line tablet feeder is generally attached to the output pipe of your pool pump. It is usually only used during the summer months when chlorine demand is high. The chlorine is distributed into your pool through the pool jets as the tablets dissolve. It is important that chlorine is constantly fed when the pool pump is running and distributed at the proper rates to make up for the chlorine that is being used up.

Determining how much chlorine is fed into the pool

1. The number of tablets in the feeder controls how much can be fed. As a general rule, only put as much in the feeder as will be needed over the next week. If you fill a chlorinator all the way up, you run the risk of putting more chemicals than needed into your pool. This way you have some control over the maximum feed. For instance, a spa might only use less than a pound of chlorine per week, but the chlorinator will hold 6-8 lbs of chlorine. If you were to fill it up, you would create a dangerous situation in the spa with very high chlorine levels and very low pH levels.
2. The knob controls how fast it will be fed. - In-line chlorinators have a knob that controls the flow of water through the chlorinator. The faster the water flows through the chlorinator, the faster the tabs are dissolved. The problem with most in-line feeders is that you have no idea of how much water is flowing through the feeder, so you have to be careful and observe the setting that produces optimal results.

DANGER: Use caution when opening a tablet feeder with tabs in it as fumes may build up inside and hit you in the face. It’s pretty nasty, trust me! (make sure pump is off before opening)

Adding Water to your Pool

While servicing 70+ pools a week, I am always amazed at how quickly water levels will drop in some of the pools. Granted, in southern Florida weather conditions can be extreme, especially during summer, but weekly water evaporation in any part of the country can cause water levels to drop, almost overnight.

I am surprised at how little emphasis some pool owners give this issue. The fact is, if your water level goes below the skimmer, and your pool pump timer turns on, the system could suck in air for hours and burn up the pump motor, a costly expense. Or worse, it could melt the pump basket and the entire pump and housing system has to be replaced. I have seen this, and it’s not pretty!

When I have a pool with a semi-low water level that is not critical, I will leave a hose with water going into the pool on a slow trickle, knowing that when I come back the following week the water level will be where it's supposed to. If I have a pool that desperately needs water, I’ll leave a note for my customer to put water in their pool. Many do, but there have been times when they forget to turn off the water, the pool overfills, and their water bill skyrockets.