The sanitise part of the B.O.A.S.T. programme is all about making sure that your pool water is healthy by preventing and killing bacteria. This is achieved by continuously and consistently maintaining a level of sanitiser (disinfectant) in the water with either chlorine or bromine.
Chlorine
Chlorine is the most commonly used chemical to achieve satisfactory bacteriological and chemical purity in swimming pools. It must be present in the ‘free’ form to kill bacteria and oxidise organic matter derived from bathers. Provided the water is balanced, see water balance, chlorine levels of between 1.5 to 3.0mg/l are sufficient to maintain healthy, clean water. A well managed chlorine treated pool will have no odour and levels of chloramines (combined chlorine) of less than 0.5mg/l.
Combined chlorine is created as a result of a reaction between free chlorine and organic matter and is a mixture of Monochloramine, Dichloramine and Nitrogen Trichloride. The latter is mostly produced when the water is not being treated adequately and gives rise to the ‘chlorine’ odour.
Blue Horizons have made it easy for you to maintain your sanitiser level by giving you an extensive choice of products to suit your pool situation, preferred dosing method and budget.
Blue Horizons Stabilised Chlorine Granules
A traditional, granular chlorine donor that is still popular with many pool owners that like dose rate flexibility. These granules are rapid dissolving making pre-dissolving and application easy. The granules have a pH value of about 6.0 – 7.0, which is fairly close to the ideal pool water pH level and so will have little effect on the pH level of your pool water. Another feature of Stabilised Chlorine Granules is that they contain Cyanuric acid (chlorine stabiliser), this can be beneficial for outdoor pools as it reduces the amount of chlorine lost to sunlight – making it easier for you to maintain the correct chlorine level in your pool.
Blue Horizons Stabilised Chlorine Granules Dose Rates Table
| Pool Volume |
Stabilised Chlorine Granules
To Increase Level by |
| Cubic Metres |
Litres |
Gallons |
1mg/l |
2mg/l |
3mg/l |
| 4.55 M3 |
4,545 |
1,000 |
8g |
16g |
24g |
| 11.36 M3 |
11,364 |
2,500 |
21g |
42g |
63g |
| 22.73 M3 |
22,727 |
5,000 |
41g |
82g |
123g |
| 45.45 M3 |
45,455 |
10,000 |
83g |
166g |
249g |
| 68.18 M3 |
68,182 |
15,000 |
125g |
249g |
374g |
Blue Horizons Multifunctional 200g Chlorine Tablets
An easier way of maintaining chlorine levels in your pool water, 200g Chlorine Tablets are placed in the skimmer, floating dispenser or chlorine feeder (trichlorinator). When dosed via the skimmer the tablet(s) will dissolve slowly over a 3 to 4 day period, the rate at which they dissolve will vary depending upon water flow and temperature. They contain a high level of available chlorine and chlorine stabiliser to reduce chlorine loss to sunlight they also contain clarifier and algaecides to help improve clarity and prevent algae formation.
Blue Horizons Multifunctional Floating Chlorine Dispenser
The Multifunctional Floating Chlorine Dispenser is pre-filled with multifunctional chlorine tablets, which will dissolve slowly over a 10 to 14 day period making this product ideal to use whilst you are away on holiday and during the winter when the pool is not in use. The tablets within the feeder have a high level of available chlorine, contain chlorine stabiliser and clarifier. The Multifunctional Floating Chlorine Dispenser is available in two sizes, 900g or 1.6Kg, so there’s one to suit most pool sizes.
Bromine is similar to chlorine in its effectiveness as a sanitiser but there are some important differences:
Blue Horizons Bromine Tablets should be dosed via a chemical feeder (brominator), which is easy and inexpensive to install retrospectively to an existing pool. When set up correctly your brominator will dispense the correct amount of bromine into the pool to maintain the ideal level between 3.0 to 5.0mg/l and all you need to do is top up the brominator with new tablets as and when required, this makes maintaining the sanitiser level in your pool very straightforward.