Your pool needs to be properly sanitized in order to provide water clarity, algae management, and protection from disease-causing bacteria for the bather. Chlorine, usually appear in the form of chlorine tablets or chlorine granule, has been the preferred sanitizer for many years due to its effectiveness and low cost. Pool owners now have the option of a very commonly used chlorinated product in dichlor. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate is now a suitable substitute for almost all pool maintenance uses. Here we will explain how older chlorine products compare to dichlor, for example, sodium dichloroisocyanurate, so that you’ll know when and why to apply one.
Table of Contents
1. What is Chlorine?
A potent disinfectant utilized widely in swimming pool maintenance, chlorine is soluble chemically as liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite), calcium hypochlorite, or chlorine gas. Oxidation destroys bacteria, algae, viruses, and other impurities.
Advantages of Chlorine:
- It sanitizes rapidly and effectively.
- It is low-cost and readily available.
- It is highly effective in preventing algae.
Drawbacks of Chlorine:
- It creates sudden changes in pH.
- It volatilizes rapidly if exposed to sun if it is not stabilized.
2. What is Dichlor(Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate)?
Dichlor or sodium dichloroisocyanurate is a convenience-packaged long-term sanitizing capacity stabilized chlorine product. Dichlor consists of chlorine atoms chemically bound to cyanuric acid (CYA), a stabilizer that resists ultraviolet light breakdown.
Since it is a stabilized product, dichlor can be sold in powdered or granular form. It can also be utilized for shocking and treatment of pool maintenance, mainly for spas or pools where there are routine chlorine requirements.
3. Major Dichlor and Chlorine Differences
3.1. Chemical Composition Available and Chlorine
Calcium hypochlorite commodity chlorine products generally contain 65%-70% chlorine by weight. Less chlorine is in sodium dichloroisocyanurate at 56%-60% generally quoted. Less weight chlorine but stabilized and sunlight stable is dichlor.
3.2. Stabilizer Content (Standard CYA)
One of the benefits of dichlor is that it contains an internal stabilizer, cyanuric acid. The compound stops chlorine from deteriorating by sunlight, and therefore chlorine can be stored in swimming pools for extremely long periods without requiring frequent reapplications. All other types of chlorine require CYA to be added as a separate product, which makes water management difficult.
3.3. Effect on Pool pH Level
The chlorine products change the pH of the pool, and additional chemicals must be added to re-stabilize the water’s chemistry. Dichlor is pH neutral with a reading of 6.8 to 7.0 and has little effect on changing the pH. Chemically, it is simpler to control and has less other chemicals required to balance.
3.4. Mode of Application and Usage
Regular chlorine, as corrosive as anything, is normally pre-dissolved or treated with caution. Dichlor, however, sodium dichloroisocyanurate powder, disintegrates rapidly to be directly applied into the pool without premixing. It conserves handling time and is simpler to keep.
3.5. Cost Effectiveness
Though its cost per unit would be higher, its stabilized form can realize long-term savings through the prevention of chlorine loss to UV and a lower product use in the long term compared to unstabilized chlorine.
4. Dichlor Use Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to handle and dissolves easily.
- Minimum pH effect.
- Internal CYA stabilizer minimizes the need for frequent dosing of chlorine.
Cons
Overuse will unnecessarily increase CYA. Therefore, the pool water has to be diluted or replaced repeatedly.
5. When to Use Chlorine or Dichlor?
Ordinary chlorine should be used if you want speedy sanitizing and shock treatment without stabilizers or for indoor in-pool use. You should use sodium dichloroisocyanurate if convenience, simplicity, and outdoor protection against UV are most important.
6. Dichlor Pool Care Recommendations
1). Test your CYA and chlorine levels daily using good-quality test kits.
2). Don’t use long-term, single-dose dichlor to prevent CYA buildup.
3). Supplement with some unstabilized chlorine periodically.
4). Partially replace water if CYA is excessive.
7. FAQs
Q: What is sodium dichloroisocyanurate exactly?
A: A Cyanuric acid-stabilized chlorine sanitizer that was applied to pools and spas.
Q: Can you combine dichlor with plain chlorine?
A: It’s usually okay if they are both added at the same time; never combine chemicals.
Q: Does dichlor raise cyanuric acid levels a lot?
A: Yes, long-term usage raises CYA levels significantly.
Q: Is dichlor safe for use on indoor pools?
A: Yes, but beware of CYA buildup.
Q: Is dichlor safe to employ with hot tubs?
A: Dichlor is utilized for hot tubs because it is easy to apply and releases stabilized chlorine.
8. Conclusion
Having the assurance that sodium dichloroisocyanurate varies from chlorine means that pool owners can make suitable decisions for reasonable water quality control. They both assist, but don’t ever forget your personal pool requirements, local environmental characteristics, and overall objectives in water chemistry management.
9. Reference Resources
1). Reddit – Liquid Chlorine vs Dichlor Powdered Shock : r/pools
2). TroubleFreePool(TFP) – DiChlor vs Bleach | Trouble Free Pool
3). Pool Spa Forum – Is Chlorine Granules The Same As Dichlor? – Hot Tub Water Chemistry – Pool and Spa Forum