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ewleaper
Apr 16, 2009, 07:48 AM
Is there a difference between calcium hypochlorite tablets and chlorine tablets

Perito
Apr 16, 2009, 08:32 AM
Most pool chlorine is some hypochlorite compound (sodium hypochlorite - bleach aka Clorox, calcium hypochlorite, etc). Chlorine is a greenish gas at room temperature (boiling point is -34.4 °C, -29.27 °F) so it's not very convenient for pool owners to use it although it is used in some municipal water supplies and in some municipal or commercial swimming pools.

Hypochlorite will react with chloride (that will always be found in pools) to form some chlorine. Note that you won't find a large amount of free chlorine in the water at any given time. The reaction does consume acid, so it raises the pH. That's not a big deal since pool owners are supposed to control the pH also.

ClO^-\, +\, Cl^- +\, 2H^+\,=\, Cl_2\, +\, H_2O

Both hypochlorite and chlorine will kill bacteria, fungi, and algae.

There are also other chlorine-based chemicals that will kill these substances and are, generically, referred to as "chlorine", even though they aren't exactly that chemical. Some do generate small quantities of chlorine.

To answer your question explicitly, most chlorine tablets are probably made of calcium hypochlorite so your answer is "No" or "Not much".