Learning Center
DANGERS OF HIGH CHLORINE LEVELS IN A VINYL LINER SWIMMING POOL
We are seeing an ongoing problem in which pool owners bleach out their vinyl pool liners and ruin their covers (both auto and solar) due to over-chlorination. When you have a chlorination or a salt system, you still must check your chemical levels at least once a week, especially if you have an auto cover or use a solar cover on a regular basis. Chlorine levels can spike when you use these covers frequently because the chlorine can become trapped in the pool.
Maintaining chlorine levels of 10ppm or higher for extended periods of time can not only ruin your liner and cover, but also severely damage your pool equipment. Chlorine should be maintained between 1.5ppm to 3ppm. There are exceptions to this such as cleaning up a green pool or when preparing for large swim loads. But these are special circumstances and the ideal levels should be adhered to a majority of the time.
Almost all manufacturers will not honor your warranties if the product was damaged due to chemical abuse. So please remember to check your levels at least once a week and if you question anything, please bring water into The Pool People store for professional testing.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at The Pool People in Lancaster, Ohio.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What chlorine level is too high for a pool?
- Chlorine should be maintained between 1.5 ppm and 3 ppm. Holding 10 ppm or higher for extended periods can bleach a vinyl liner, ruin auto and solar covers, and severely damage pool equipment.
- How often should I test my chlorine?
- At least once a week — and that still applies if you have a chlorinator or salt system. Chlorine can spike when an auto cover or solar cover is used often, because it gets trapped in the pool.
- Will my warranty cover chlorine damage?
- Almost all manufacturers will not honor warranties when the product was damaged by chemical abuse.
- What should I do if I am not sure about my levels?
- Bring a water sample into The Pool People store in Lancaster for professional testing.