Chlorine floater vs Automatic Chlorinator
Chlorine floater
A chlorine floater ensures your swimming pool stays sanitized. Swimming pool chlorine floaters typically require a 3-inch chlorine tablet versus the smaller 1-inch variety for smaller spas. The tablet slowly dissolves as it chlorinates the water, without dispersing too much at once. You should never have a chlorine floater in the pool when the people are using the pool.
Automatic Chlorinator
An Automatic Chlorinator is a small device that connects between the filter and the outtake outside of the pool. You put in 3-inch chlorine tablets in the chamber. The tablet slowly dissolves in the chamber, you set the amount of the chlorine to dispense with the filter outtake.
Best Solution
While the Chlorine floater is a cheaper option, your much better off on using an Automatic Chlorinator to dispense chlorine around the pool. The Automatic Chlorinator is a great way to quickly put chlorine evenly around the pool, this is especially true when you are opening the pool for the season. You want to get as much Chlorine in the system as possible and there's no better way than using an Automatic Chlorinator.
Things I have learned
- We have a Super Clear Inline Chlorinator, and I find that it's pretty hard to open. I usually have to use Thermal Latex Coated Gloves to help get a good grip to open the top.
- When we have to put in Chlorine in the Automatic Chlorinator, we put in six tabs at once. This is because it's a pain to open up the device.
- The six tabs last about 2 weeks.
- The O-Ring on the lid doesn't last that long when your store in the lid. When storing the device for the New England Winter, make sure to take out the O-Ring so that it doesn't break apart because of lack of water exposure.
- The O Ring replacement part cost $18.79 at Leslie's Pool! An Automatic Chlorinator cost $74.99.
- We store the Automatic Chlorinator in our basement for the winter.
- I have used both the Automatic Chlorinator and Chlorine floater and have found that the Automatic Chlorinator has produced faster results. I found this out when I was trying to increase the chlorine in our pool and wasn't getting any results with the Chlorine floater, but after running the Automatic Chlorinator in a 24 hour period the Chlorine numbers went up significantly.