How to analyse chlorine on your pool or spa ?

Our chemistry expert explains in video all you need to know about chlorine and how to measure it to properly treat your pool or spa.

 There are 4 different chlorines: active, free, total and potential chlorine. 

Your pool or spa water contains several types of chlorine, but not all of them contribute to water disinfection. Not all water testing solutions measure the same type of chlorine, so care must be taken when comparing the measurements of two different tools. It is very important to understand what needs to be measured to know how to treat your pool/spa water.

• Active chlorine: if you have to remember one, it's this one! Active chlorine is the only chlorine that works in water disinfection.
• Free chlorine: it consists of active chlorine and potential chlorine. Measuring free chlorine can only give a partial view of the healthiness of your water.
• Total chlorine: this is the total chlorine in your pool. This includes free chlorine and combined chlorine, also called chloramine.
• Potential chlorine: it will become either active chlorine or neutral chlorine. Potential chlorine does not disinfect until it is transformed.

Choose the right solution to measure active chlorine, which ensures for water disinfection

Only by measuring the active chlorine can you check the level of disinfection in your pool. On the market, you will find different strips, electronic testers that measure free chlorine or total chlorine. The results of these measurements give you a partial indication, not a diagnosis, of how to control the sanitation of your water.

The strips do not measure active chlorine, but they can give a trend of your water quality. An ORP probe is the most reliable way to measure the disinfection level of your pond. Si vous observez une différence entre la mesure de votre sonde ORP et votre bandelette, vous savez désormais que les chlores mesurés ne sont pas les mêmes

To summarise:

Do you have any doubts about the sanity of your water? Choose an analysis solution, equipped with an ORP probe that measures active chlorine: this is the only chlorine that is responsible for water disinfection. You will be able to control your pool or spa water more efficiently to keep it healthy and clear.