5 Best Liquid Chlorines for Pools in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

When it comes to maintaining your pool, there are a plethora of chemicals on the market that are intended to help you get or keep your pool water clean and clear. One of the most important and common pool chemicals is chlorine. But chlorine pool treatments come in many forms, including liquid.

Liquid chlorine is more concentrated, more cost-effective, and leaves no residue or scaling behind. But there are several on the market to choose from, so which one is the best option?

We wanted to know ourselves, so we tried them all. The following five reviews will compare what we learned about each of them during our testing to help make the decision easier for you.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Chloro-Guard Chlorine	Eliminates bacteria and sanitizes pool EPA registered No harsh odor	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Kem-Tek Chlorinating Liquid	Calcium-free Get a lot of chemical for the price Great for everyday maintenance	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Pool Tech Shock	5% chlorine Great for everyday use Kills algae and bacteria	CHECK PRICE
		Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid	Calcium-free Salt-system compatible	CHECK PRICE
		In The Swim Instant Liquid Chlorine	73% Calcium Hypochlorite chlorine Great for shocks openings and maintenance	CHECK PRICE

The 5 Best Liquid Chlorine for Pools – Reviews 2023

1. Chloro-Guard Chlorine – Best Overall

Chloro-Guard is a pool-grade liquid chlorine that’s great for sanitizing your pool. It eliminates harmful bacteria quickly thanks to the 12.5% sodium hypochlorite content. It may not sound like much, but that’s actually a pretty concentrated formula, which is why the Chloro-Guard is such an effective pool treatment. Despite its high concentration of chlorine, the Chloro-Guard managed to escape the harsh odors that are usually present with strong chlorine products. It’s even EPA registered so you know it’s not going to harm the environment around your pool. The only downside to this liquid chlorine is that it’s pretty pricey. But if you want an effective liquid chlorine, then it may be worth the expense. OVerall this is the best liquid chlorinator for pools we have reviewed this year.

2. Kem-Tek Chlorinating Liquid – Best Value

Chlorine isn’t the cheapest chemical. It takes quite a bit to keep your pool free of bacteria and looking clean and clear. Luckily, the Kem-Tek Chlorinating Liquid is a more economical option that includes three gallons of product for roughly the same price as other companies charge for a single gallon of their liquid chlorine. Because you get so much chemical for the price, we think the Kem-Tek is the best liquid chlorine for the money. It’s only 10% concentrated, but you’re still getting far more for the price. It’s also calcium-free and it won’t cloud your pool water.

Because of the slightly lower concentration of chlorine in the Kem-Tek formula, it’s a perfect option for daily maintenance. It kept our pool sparkling-clean while we used it and the water never clouded up like some products cause. Our biggest complaint pertains to the shipping. One of the gallons we received was damaged and leaking when we pulled it from the box. We didn’t lose too much, but it was still disappointing. Despite this, we think this is the best pool chlorine liquid for the money this year.

3. Pool Tech Shock – Premium Choice

Containing 12.5% chlorine, Austin’s Pool Tech Shock is a great choice for everyday use. It’s got shock in the name, but it’s not quite concentrated enough to use for that purpose. If you do try to use it as a shock treatment, you’ll go through the entire bottle in just one or two applications. However, it is very effective as daily maintenance for helping you achieve and maintain a crystal-clear swimming pool that’s devoid of any harmful bacteria or unwanted contaminants like algae and mold. It’s also a very fast-working solution. But it’s not cheap, so expect to pay a premium for this liquid chlorine product.

While using the Pool Tech Shock, our pools never developed any visible signs of algae, bacteria, or anything else. But our pool did have a pretty strong chlorine smell from how much of this product we were using. Our water remained completely clean though, and we were all satisfied with its performance.

4. Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid

Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid is a fast-acting liquid chlorine with a 10% concentration. It’s completely calcium-free and won’t contribute to cloudiness in the water. Plus, it’s salt-system compatible, meaning you can use this product in practically any pool. But it loses potency very quickly, so it’s difficult to purchase and store. It’s also not the most concentrated solution available so it’s not great for shocking or opening your pool. On top of that, it’s pretty pricey. We got great results using it though, and our pools stayed clean and free of cloudiness, algae, or any other unwanted contaminants. But we think there are better, more concentrated liquid chlorines available for the price, such as the Chloro-Guard in our top position.

5. In The Swim Instant Liquid Chlorine

The In The Swim BLZ-30456 instant chlorine contains 73% calcium hypochlorite chlorine, making it one of the most concentrated products on our list. However, it’s not actually a liquid chlorine, even though it’s called instant liquid chlorine. It turns out to be granules that dissolve and can be used as a liquid once dissolved. That said, this product is great for shocking your pool because of the high concentration of chlorine it contains. But it’s very expensive, and it takes quite a bit to properly shock your pool system. Worse, because of the calcium, it can make your pool water look cloudy, especially in the high dosages required for a shock.

Buyer’s Guide – Purchasing the Best Liquid Chlorine for Pools

Now you’ve seen the liquid chlorine products that are available, but how much do you know about liquid chlorine? What sets it apart from chlorine granules and why would you choose liquid instead? Moreover, how exactly do you use liquid chlorine to sanitize and clean your pool? If you’ve been wondering about these things, then this short buyer’s guide should answer your questions and help you get a better understanding of liquid chlorine.

Granular vs. Liquid Chlorine

So, what are the differences between granular and liquid chlorine pool and why would you choose liquid? Both products are highly concentrated forms of chlorine. But the chemical of chlorine that they use is different. Chlorine is kind of a broad term that’s applied to several different sanitizing compounds.

Granular

Granular chlorine generally contains chlorine in the form of calcium hypochlorite. It’s great for shocking your pool and eliminating bacteria and algae, but it also contains high amounts of calcium. The calcium can lead to scale and hard water spots, or worse, it can make the pool water very cloudy. But Calcium Hypochlorite is also a stronger form of chlorine than what’s found in liquid products and it can be quite harsh if overused.

Liquid

Liquid chlorines contain sodium hypochlorite instead and generally do not contain calcium. This means that they won’t make the water cloudy or leave any scale behind. They’re also safe for salt-systems so they can be used in almost any pool. Because Sodium Hypochlorite is less concentrated than Calcium Hypochlorite, it’s better for everyday use or weekly shocks. It can still be overused, but since it’s not as strong, you’re not as likely to do so.

Liquid chlorine also has a much higher pH than granular chlorine, so you’ll need to be careful that your water doesn’t remain too acidic. It also tends to be cheaper than granular chlorine, which is why commercial pools generally use liquid chlorine instead.

Using Liquid Chlorine in Your Pool

Liquid chlorine very simple to use and takes only a few minutes. Liquid chlorine is a non-stabilized form of chlorine, which means it will evaporate quickly when exposed to direct sunlight. For this reason, it’s best to add liquid chlorine to your pool in the evening, after the sun has already set.

1. Start by measuring out the appropriate amount of chlorine for the size of pool you’re treating. Go to the deep end of your pool and pour the chlorine in, being sure to keep it as close to the surface of the water as possible to avoid splashing.
2. After adding the chlorine to the deep end, take a brush and use it to brush the walls and floor of your pool. This serves two purposes. First, it helps loosen up any bacteria or algae that’s growing on the surfaces of your pool so that the chlorine can more easily eliminate them. Second, it helps to effectively disperse the chlorine throughout the pool so that it’s not concentrated into a single area. If you don’t spread the chlorine through the pool, you could potentially cause damage to the pool liner because of how strongly concentrated the chlorine is.
3. Once you’ve finished brushing down the walls and floor of your pool, leave the pool uncovered and let your pool pump circulate overnight. In the morning, you’ll need to check the chlorine levels in your pool water to ensure that they’re in the normal range.

A normal range of chlorine for pool water is one to three parts per million of chlorine. If your chlorine levels are too high, you’ll need to wait longer for it to dissipate before swimming. If your levels are too low, then you may need to add a bit more liquid chlorine to your pool and repeat the process.

Also, remember that you’ll need to check your pH as well. Liquid chlorine can make your pool water more acidic, so you may need to neutralize it to get proper pH balance again.

How Much Liquid Chlorine Should You Add?

Now you know exactly how to add liquid chlorine to your pool. But how much of it do you need? It depends on the size of your pool. You’ll want to add roughly 50-100 ounces of liquid chlorine for every 10,000 gallons of water your pool contains. So, how do you know if you added enough? You can check the pH of your pool water shortly after adding the liquid chlorine.

For proper sanitation, you’ll want the water to reach a chlorine level between 5 and 10 ppm (parts per million). You won’t want to swim in that, though; the high level is just for cleaning purposes. You’ll need to wait for it to drop below 3 ppm before you get in the water.

Since most liquid chlorine products come in gallon form, you’ll have 128 ounces to work with. Depending on the size of your pool, this could treat your pool several times, or it may not even be enough to treat it once. Before you purchase a liquid chlorine, determine how many gallons of water your pool contains so that you can get the proper amount of chlorine for a pool that size.

Also See: Pool Chlorine Alternative

Conclusion

You’ve decided to use a liquid chlorine, but you want to get the best, most cost-effective product you can find. We had the same thoughts, so we searched low and high and tested all of the best liquid chlorines on the market and put our findings into the five reviews you’ve just read. Our favorite overall was the Chloro-Guard liquid chlorine. It kept our pool water clean and clear by eliminating the bacteria and sanitizing the water without any harsh odors. Plus, it’s EPA registered so you know it’s safe for the environment.

For the best value, we recommend the Kem-Tek Chlorinating Liquid. Its calcium-free formula is great for everyday maintenance and offers some of the best price per dosage of any liquid chlorine we tested. It also doesn’t cloud your pool water, instead, leaving it crystal-clear. For a premium product with a similar price tag, we suggest the Austin’s Pool Tech Shock. With 12.5% concentration of chlorine, it’s great for daily use and kills all algae and bacteria with its fast-working formula. All three were effective products that we feel confident in recommending to you.

Featured Image Credit: DilanIDStudio, Pixabay