Pool chemicals: safe storage and use at home
Pool chemicals are safe when used correctly but dangerous if they are mixed. The basic rule: chlorine and acids always kept apart, in a cool, dry, ventilated space that locks.
Mixtures you must never make
- Chlorine with acid (liquid or granular pH minus, hydrochloric acid): this releases chlorine gas, which is toxic even in small amounts.
- Different forms of chlorine with each other, for example trichlor tablets with calcium hypochlorite granules: the reaction can be violent, with heat, fumes or even fire.
- Chlorine with organic or flammable materials: oils, fuels, fertilizers, pesticides, sawdust, cleaning products containing ammonia. Chlorine is a strong oxidizer.
- Chlorine with active oxygen products in the same container or the same dose.
Most accidents do not happen through carelessness, but through a shared scoop, a bucket that was not rinsed or a drop of acid that fell onto the shelf below.
Where and how to store them
| Product | How to store it | Away from |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorine (tablets, granules, liquid) | Closed, in its own packaging, in a cool, shaded spot | Acids, other forms of chlorine, flammables, fertilizers |
| pH minus and other acids | On a low shelf or in a spill tray, so they cannot drip | Chlorine, metal tools, electrical equipment |
| pH plus, flocculants, algaecides, sequestrants | In a dry spot, with a legible label | Moisture and direct sun |
| Test strips and reagents | In a cool, dark spot | Heat and moisture |
- Keep every product in its original packaging, with the label. Never in a water or soft drink bottle.
- Chlorine and acids in different cupboards, or at least on opposite sides of the space, never one above the other.
- The space locks and stays out of reach of children and pets; child safety starts here too.
- Buy quantities for one season: liquid chlorine loses its strength, much faster in the heat, and granules deteriorate with moisture.
If the plant room is small, enclosed or compact, do not turn it into a chemical store: acid and chlorine fumes corrode metal parts, the pump and the electrical panel. A separate, ventilated cupboard in the shade is better.
Correct use step by step
- Read the label and work out the dose from the pool volume.
- Wear gloves and safety glasses. Open packaging outdoors, with the wind carrying the dust away from you.
- To dissolve a product, put the water in the bucket first and then the chemical, never the other way round.
- Use a separate, marked scoop and bucket for each product.
- One product at a time, with the pump running and nobody in the pool. Let the water circulate for several hours before the next one.
- Pour the solution near the return inlets, never granules directly onto the liner.
Tablets need care too. A floating dispenser must not "park" on a step or in a corner, because it bleaches the liner. If you put tablets in the skimmer basket, when the pump is off the concentrated chlorinated water sits in the pipework and can damage equipment such as the heat pump. More on the different forms in pool chlorine.
If there is an accident
- Contact with the eyes: rinse with plenty of clean water for several minutes and get medical help.
- Inhaling fumes: move to fresh air immediately; if there is coughing or shortness of breath, call EKAB, the Greek national ambulance service (166).
- Swallowing: do not induce vomiting; contact the Greek Poison Centre (210 7793777) and have the packaging in front of you.
- Spilled granules: collect them dry into a clean container, do not put them back in the original packaging, and follow the label for disposal.
Do not throw leftover chemicals down the drain, in the garden or in the rubbish. Ask your municipality or the shop where you bought them about the correct way to dispose of them.
Questions
Can I keep chlorine and pH minus in the same cupboard, since they are closed?
Better not. Packaging can leak or give off fumes, and a little acid on chlorine granules is enough to release gas. Use separate cupboards, or at least opposite sides of the space.
How long do chemicals keep from one year to the next?
Tablets in a tightly closed container, in a cool, dry place, usually keep well. Liquid chlorine, however, gradually loses its strength, much faster in the heat, and test reagents have an expiry date that must be respected.
See also
Pool chlorine
Pool chlorine as tablets, granules or liquid: which form suits you, what free and combined chlorine are, and…
Child safety
Pool safety for children in layers: supervision, fencing, a safety cover, alarms, rules and swimming lessons.…
Pool plant room
Pool plant room: where to put it, how it is ventilated and drained, noise, access, below or above ground, and…