Which is Better Liquid Chlorine or Granules for Pool?

Which is better, liquid chlorine or granules for pool? As a pool owner, you must consider different factors before coming up with a decision. And one of the most important aspects to take a look at is the type of chlorine that you are going to use to make sure that you have a healthy and clean pool, people can enjoy swimming in.

Well, these two choices have their pros and cons. Granular shock dissolves easily, lowers pH, and offers hassle-free purchasing, usage, and storage. In contrast, liquid chlorine, with a high pH of around 13, is suitable for large commercial pools due to its bulk application capability.

In this article, we are going to give pool owners ideas on which is better, liquid chlorine or granules for pools, based on several factors. We are also going to get to know these types of chlorine for us to arrive at the best possible option, that will help maintain your pools and achieve the results that you are yearning to.

Part 1. What is Liquid Chlorine?

Before making a decision, you must have a brief understanding of the two types of chlorine. Let us first talk about liquid chlorine, in this part of the article.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly option when it comes to the type of chlorine to use, then liquid chlorine could be your perfect option. Also, if you have larger pools or commercial pools, liquid chlorine is easier to apply, you can even directly pour it into your pool! You do not have to worry about it once poured into pools, as time goes on and through the help of the filtration system of your pool, liquid chlorine can be dispersed easily throughout your whole pool. You can also use it for other sizes of pool if you want to! So, what are the advantages of using liquid chlorine? Let us see some of them, below.

1. Liquid chlorine has a lot of different concentrations and is suitable for large commercial pools.
2. Make sure that microorganisms, germs, organic contaminants, bacteria, and biohazardous materials that can be present in your pools are destroyed and elicited!
3. You can also use it to treat algae infestation.
4. If you have a cloudy pool, liquid chlorine can help you make it clear.
5. You can easily apply it and mix it with your pool since the product itself is already liquid in form.
6. This type of chlorine will help you avoid stains in your pool since it has no residue.
7. You will not also worry about thinking about where to store it once you run out of it, you can use its refillable containers and fill them with the product once more!

There are many advantages of liquid chlorine, and if you are a commercial pool owner, it could be a wiser decision to use it. But, of course, there are still things to consider before making your decision final, let us take a look at the disadvantages of using liquid chlorine, below.

1. It has a shorter life span compared to other forms of chlorine. This means that keeping stocks of it would not be an option. Once exposed to great sunlight, the shelf life will eventually go down.
2. Once liquid chlorine is used, the number of Total Dissolved Solids or TDS will increase.
3. Once applied, it is also possible that minor injuries may take place especially if it splashes during the liquid shock procedure.
4. Possible splashes of liquid chlorine may also lead to staining your clothes or the surfaces of your pool.

And there you are, these are only some of the most important pointers a pool owner must take into mind before choosing which is better, liquid chlorine or granules, for pools. And now, that we have enough learning on what liquid chlorine is, let us talk about the granular one in the next part of the article.

Part 2. Getting To Know Granular Chlorine Better

You are surely blown by the many advantages of using liquid chlorine as you have read about it previously, on the other hand, granular chlorine has lots of advantages too! And who knows, you might also want to consider it if your pool type and budget permit too! It is great that you can have choices to compare when it comes to these things. You can also make a checklist based on factors that are deemed necessary to take note of.

Let us see some of the advantages of using granular chlorine in your pools, below.

1. Granular chlorine is available in different concentrations that can be widely used by pool owners.
2. The higher potency of Free Available Chlorine is offered by the granular form of chlorine.
3. It is easier to purchase and can even be ordered online. There are  some stores that offer the product through online shipment.
4. Most of it is dichlor and chlorine-free shock, and would surely not impact the pH of pool water.
5. You can also use it to treat algae or prevent it from infesting.
6. The granular form of chlorine is also useful in getting rid of bacteria, organic contaminants, germs, bacteria, and some biohazardous materials.
7. If you want your chlorine to immediately dissolve in your pool water, you can choose the granular type of chlorine.
8. If you want or love to stock items that can be useful for your pools, granular chlorine is also a great choice.
9. Since you can divide it into not-so-heavy packaging, it is a lot easier to manage and carry.

Whilst, the granular type of chlorine has its advantages, there are also disadvantages in using it. These points must be taken into consideration as well. Let us see the list of them, below.

1. There is a higher chance that the granular type of chlorine will leave residue and have it collected at the bottom part of the pool. When this happens, uneven presence and concentration of chlorine in your pools might occur.
2. Applying it to your pools may require a lot of procedures. You need to make sure that you have read and followed the instructions provided on the label of the product you are using, to avoid unwanted results.
3. It can increase the level of cyanuric acid and calcium hardness when you apply it in the wrong way.

We commonly use sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione, or simply dichlor, it is advisable to use this since it rarely affects the pH of your pool, it has near to neutral pH. It can be able to provide almost 60% of available chlorine, it is a stabilized shock that can be able to add cyanuric acid to your pool water. Contrarily, it cannot be able to increase levels of calcium hardness.

With all the facts given, once can have a hard time choosing which is better liquid chlorine and granular chlorine for your pools. You must take note of the following before making your final decision.

1. Size of your pool.
2. Type of storage you have.
3. Amount of chlorine needed to keep your pool healthy and safe to swim in.
4. The budget you are willing to spend when it comes to chlorine for your pools.

Apart from all the given factors, always put into mind the safety in handling both types, as they are still harmful chemicals that can pose health and body skin hazards to anyone!

Part 3. What is the Best Type of Chlorine for a Pool?

At the end of all these things, a choice must be made. Which is better, liquid chlorine, or granules, for pool, will still be a question that needs an answer. The choice between liquid chlorine and granules for pool maintenance depends on factors such as pH preferences, ease of application, and storage convenience, with granules often favored for their lower pH and ease of use.

Whichever type of chlorine you choose, it should always be remembered that a responsible pool owner always makes sure that the pool he owns is clean, and free from any form of bacteria, parasites, and even algae, so it can be safe for anyone to swim into. At the end of the day, whichever of the two types you choose, both can clean and maintain your pools, and it is needed that you always secure a safe, clean, and healthy environment for you and the users of the pool.