There are two major reasons why there’s currently a real chlorine shortage in the works, and this will profoundly affect all pool owners!
First, the pandemic of the last year+ has put a high demand on chlorine in general. High demand=short supply as time goes by. Second, there was a major factory fire in Louisiana last August which interrupted supply even further.
With the pandemic fading but still waiting in the wings, coupled with the onset of pool season across the country, there’s still a high demand for chlorine, yet the supplies are still low. That equals chlorine that’s hard to find and prices that are significantly higher than normal, so be prepared! I’ve heard that prices have already increased as much as 40% for pool sanitizers!
I understand that chlorine tablets for pools are becoming particularly difficult to find, followed by pool shock. Liquid chlorine for pools is an acceptable substitute at an exchange of roughly 1 gallon per 2 chlorine tablets, but it can raise the pH of your pool water and be used up more quickly, requiring 2 additional chemicals to be added: pH decreaser and chlorine stabilizer to make the chlorine last longer, particularly if you’re in a state like TX that has blazing hot sun with high temperatures for months on end.
I’ve already seen limits on chlorine supplies at big box stores and clubs like Sam’s and Costco. The moral of the story is that if you haven’t stocked enough to get you through the season, you should grab it when you see it. I saw chlorine tablets last week and figured I’d pick up another bucket this week. Snooze, you lose, as the saying goes! Sam’s Club already shows chlorine tablets as out of stock both online and in stores. Ugh!
