5 Things to Know About That Strong Pool Chlorine Smell

The smell means your pool needs more chlorine, not less. That strong chlorine odor comes from chloramines, which form when chlorine has already been used up killing bacteria, sweat, and oils.

Chloramines are what sting your eyes and irritate your lungs. They are less effective at sanitizing than free chlorine, and they cause the burning sensation swimmers often blame on chlorine.

A strong smell signals a dirty, under-chlorinated pool. The odor means the chlorine has been consumed and turned into chloramines, leaving contaminants in the water.

The fix is to shock the pool. Raise free chlorine to 10 times the combined chlorine level, run the pump, and the chloramines will burn off in a few hours.

Trust a test kit, not your nose. Your sense of smell is misleading. A test kit gives an accurate reading of free chlorine and chloramine levels.