If you’re a longtime pool owner, you’ve probably noticed that chlorine has been harder to come by in the last couple of years. And when you do manage to find some, the prices have spiked exponentially. This makes things difficult for pool owners to keep their pool waters properly maintained. Luckily, there are ways in which you can ensure that your waters stay safe and clean so that you can enjoy the pool season worry-free.
Why is there a chlorine shortage?
In August 2020, a fire caused by Hurricane Laura broke out in the Louisiana chemical plant that is responsible for most of North America’s supply of chlorine. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent demand for pool supplies, prices of the already hard-to-come-by chlorine tablets have nearly doubled since.
Fortunately, the plant is expected to resume production and operations in the spring of 2022, so there should be an improvement coming soon. However, because many pool owners are trying to stock up on chlorine for fear that they won’t be able to find any again, we may be seeing a reaction akin to that of Toilet Paper Gate 2020.
So what do you do if you can’ find any chlorine tablets in stores when comes the time for you to open your pool? Luckily, you have a few options.
Try different forms of chlorine
If you’re worried that you won’t find tablets in any store in your area, then you should consider trying out a different form of chlorine. Chlorine comes in tablet, crushed, and liquid form, so if you’re having trouble finding one, test out another. Making the switch from tablet to liquid chlorine might take you a bit of time to adapt, but it’s still a great way to ensure that your pool water stays clean and safe for you and your loved ones.
One thing to remember, however, is that feeders are not interchangeable — tablet feeders only work with tablet feeders, and liquid feeders only work with liquid feeders.
Make the Most of What You Have
One way to ensure that you don’t run out of chlorine too quickly is to make the most of the chlorine you do have. This can be done in a couple of different ways. You can add a UV or ozone system to your pool, which would clean your pool of harmful bacteria without having to add too much chlorine. You can also shock your pool on a regular basis with an oxidizer. Doing so would make it so that you won’t need as much chlorine. These methods can lower your chlorine consumption by up to 70%!
Another simple way to reduce your chlorine consumption is to invest in a good solar pool cover. Solar pool covers are great at preventing UV light from coming into contact with your pool water. Since chlorine is degraded when it comes into contact with UV light, using a solar pool cover would prolong the amount of time it would take for your pool to require more chlorine.
Change Systems
When it comes o pool trends, saltwater pool systems are making waves! That’s because saltwater pools are gentler on the skin, eyes, and hair. That burning sensation one gets in the eyes and the skin after swimming in a chlorinated pool will be long gone with a saltwater system. Instead of adding chlorine to your pool, you’ll just need to add salt, which will naturally produce chlorine in a saltwater pool system.
If you can’t find chlorine in any stores near you, and you’re still not sure how to proceed, call a pool expert. Montreal luckily has many stores that contain pool products, but if you need a little extra help, a pool professional can guide you through your worries. They can either do a weekly cleaning for you, or provide you with all of the tools you need in order to keep your waters safe and crystal clear.
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