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Pool Chlorine Tablets Vs Granules: Which are Better?
Chlorine is the go-to sanitiser for most pool owners and an instrumental part of your maintenance routine. This vital chemical can come in several forms, so it’s handy to know which option is best for which scenario, as they all have their advantages.
Chlorine tablets are probably the most common and recognisable form of pool chlorine. They are slow-dissolving white tablets or pucks that are usually used with chemical dispensers and left to break up over several days.
The main advantage of chlorine tablets is that they are slow-dissolving and long-lasting, so you don’t have to be as concerned with your chlorine maintenance.
Once you’ve established the right dosage, you can simply add your tablets to your chemical feeder or dispenser and sit back while the chlorine is released into your water over the set period (usually 3-5 days).
To find out more about the practicalities of using chlorine tablets in your pool, please refer to our dosage guide.
Because chlorine tablets are slow-dissolving, they’re not the best option for when you need to raise chlorine levels rapidly.
As the tablets already come packaged in a certain portion, it can also be trickier to alter your chemical levels if you’re not dealing with your normal conditions – i.e. if you experience increased rainfall and you need to add a more specific amount of chlorine and not just rely on the steady release from your chlorine tablet.
The other popular option for regular doses of pool chlorine comes in granule form. Pool chlorine granules have a lower concentration than tablets and are designed to be sprinkled directly into water to dissolve.
The key selling point of granules over tablets is their speed. Because they dissolve quicker, they can get to work against algae and bacteria faster. It’s this quality that makes them popular as pool shock treatments.
As you have more control over the dosage, pool granules can also be helpful if you need to change the level of care your pool gets week after week.
The main downside of using granules is that due to their fast-acting nature and manual application, there’s usually more work involved in ensuring chlorine levels remain where they should be.
It’s worth noting that many pool owners use both tablets and granules, depending on their needs – it is not really a case of which is more effective at sanitising your pool, but rather which is best suited for a certain scenario.
For instance, if your pool needs a bit of attention, you may start things off with a dose of chlorine granules to quickly raise the chlorine levels and then switch to regular tablet doses to maintain your pool’s chlorine content over time.
You notice that the chemicals in your pool rise and fall day-to-day because of sun exposure, debris or another external reason, as they are more reactive and sure to get you back on track quickly.
Your pool is relatively stable when maintained correctly, as these are easier to manage long-term.
For our comparison purposes here, liquid chlorine is more akin to granules than tablets, as it's fast-working and can be used as a shock treatment. Again, this may be something you use in tandem with other forms of chlorine throughout the different stages of your maintenance routine.
Whatever form of chlorine you prefer, we stock everything you need to keep your pool clean here at 1st Direct Pools. Browse our range of swimming pool chemicals to stock up on all the essentials.
