Chlorine Filter Time

by Melissa
(Evansville)

I have an above ground pool, 15' by 48" and I've only had it a week and I have gone through 3 chlorine tablets and the pump is barely flowing in and out of the pool. What can I use to help it work and why is it going through the tablets like this?



Hi. Here are a few suggestions. As far as the filter not flowing good, make sure the element is clean and there are no air leaks. If it is a cartridge filter, keep the cartridge clean, a sand filter should be backwashed. If you have a lint pot make sure it's clean. With everything clean, the flow you are getting is probably your maximum flow, that's what you want to try and maintain. When the flow slows down it's time to clean something.

A low flow is not necessarily bad but it does mean you have to run the system more hours a day. Some smaller systems need to run 24 hours a day in order to keep a pool clean.


Did you use stabilizer when you started the pool up? Stabilizer keeps the sun from eating up the chlorine as fast, it's a one time treatment but very important. Are you testing the water to see if the chlorine is needed or just being dissolved because it's there? If it's not needed take the tablet out part of the time.

A floating chlorinator has adjustments on the side you can set depending on the size of your pool and the amount of chlorine you want released. If you used one of these and set the openings to release only the amount you need your tabs would probably last longer.

These pages might help also.

Pool Cleaner

Above Ground Pool Mistakes