3 Things to Know About Pool Chlorine Levels

Keep free chlorine between 1 and 3 ppm Below 1 ppm and bacteria survive. Above 3 ppm and you risk eye irritation, faded swimsuits, and wasted chemicals.

Match total chlorine to free chlorine If total chlorine is significantly higher than free chlorine, you have chloramines. That means it’s time to shock the pool.

Adjust pH to make chlorine work better Keep pH between 7.4 and 7.6. For heavy use, hot weather, or algae, you can temporarily run chlorine up to 5 ppm, but don’t make that your daily target.