FreshWater Chlorine Granules 3.5 lb | Spa Chlorine

• 1 × 3.5 lb container of FreshWater Concentrated Chlorinating Granules — sealed plastic container with screw cap
• Use directions, dosage chart, and safety information — printed on the label

• Fast-dissolving dichlor formula — granules fully dissolve in seconds, no waiting, no clumping
• pH-neutral chlorine — won't drive your pH or alkalinity out of range with every dose
• Dual-purpose use — primary sanitizer for chlorine programs, or shock/oxidizer for salt, mineral, and ozone programs
• 3.5 lb container — approximately six months of routine sanitation for a typical 400-gallon spa
• Universal sanitizer system compatibility — works as primary or secondary sanitizer with FreshWater Salt, ACE, Ag+, ozone, and direct chlorine programs
• Designed for spa volumes and temperatures — formulated for the small, hot, heavily-used environment of a residential spa, not for outdoor pools
• Granular form for precise dosing — measurable in tablespoons or ounces, no guesswork
• Genuine Watkins Wellness — formulated by the same engineering team that builds Hot Spring and Caldera spas
• EPA-registered sanitizer — meets federal requirements for residential pool and spa use

When sodium dichlor granules dissolve in spa water, they release hypochlorous acid — the active form of chlorine that actually sanitizes water. Hypochlorous acid does two jobs at once:

• Disinfection — destroying bacteria, viruses, and pathogens by attacking their cell membranes
• Oxidation — breaking down body oils, sweat, sunscreen, lotion, and other organic contamination bathers bring into the spa

Most spa sanitizer programs need both jobs done, and dichlor handles both. Once it's done its work, the chlorine either evaporates as harmless chloride or binds with the organic contamination it just broke down — which is why your chlorine residual drops over time even when no one's used the spa.

Two distinct usage modes:

• Routine sanitization — small daily or twice-weekly dose to maintain a 2–3 ppm free chlorine residual
• Shock (superchlorination) — larger periodic dose to oxidize accumulated organics and break down chloramines (used-up chlorine bound to contamination)

The shock dose is what removes the chlorine smell most owners associate with chlorine spas. Counterintuitively, chlorine smell means you have not enough active chlorine, not too much — the smell is chloramines, which are inactive byproducts that need to be oxidized away with a shock dose to restore active chlorine residual.

Pro Tip: If your spa smells like chlorine, the fix is to add more chlorine via a shock dose — not less. The smell goes away as the shock breaks down the chloramines causing it. This is the opposite of what most owners assume, and it's one of the most useful things to understand about chlorine spa care.

Initial Setup (Fresh Fill)

1. Clean spa surfaces and back-flush the filter before refilling.
2. Fill the spa with fresh water and bring to operating temperature.
3. Balance the water — adjust alkalinity (80–120 ppm), then pH (7.2–7.8), then calcium hardness as appropriate for your sanitizer program.
4. Add 1 oz of chlorinating granules per 500 gallons of spa water as the starting dose.
5. Run circulation for 15–20 minutes with the cover off.
6. Test with FreshWater 5-Way Test Strips — confirm free chlorine residual is 2–3 ppm.
7. If chlorine is below 2 ppm, repeat at 15–20 minute intervals until residual is established.
8. If chlorine is above 5 ppm, do NOT enter the spa. Wait for residual to drop to 3 ppm or below before reuse.

Routine Sanitization

• Test water with FreshWater 5-Way Test Strips weekly at minimum, or before each use
• Add chlorinating granules as needed to maintain 2–3 ppm free chlorine
• Typical dose ranges from a teaspoon to a tablespoon per use, depending on spa size and bather load
• Add to circulating water with the spa pump running and the cover open
• Wait 15 minutes after dosing before retesting

Superchlorination (Shock Treatment)

Shock your spa periodically to oxidize accumulated organics and break down chloramines:

• Frequency: Every 1–2 weeks under normal use; nightly for heavy bather load; weekly for moderate use
• Dose: 1 oz per 500 gallons (typical shock dose)
• Procedure: Add to circulating water with cover open. Run circulation for 15 minutes minimum.
• Wait time: Do not enter the spa until free chlorine drops below 5 ppm — typically 15–30 minutes for a standard shock dose
• Resume normal program once chlorine residual returns to 2–3 ppm

Storage and Safety

• Keep the container tightly closed between uses
• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location away from direct sunlight
• Store separately from other chemicals — never store chlorine with acids, bromine, biguanide, or other oxidizers
• Keep away from children, pets, and combustibles
• Wear eye protection when dosing; chlorine dust is mildly irritating to eyes and respiratory passages
• Never combine chemicals outside the spa water — always add each product separately to the full spa
• Indefinite shelf life when sealed — dichlor doesn't degrade chemically if kept dry

Pro Tip: If you switch from chlorine to bromine (or vice versa), you must drain and refill the spa completely. The two chemicals form unpredictable compounds when mixed in water, and residual amounts can cause weeks of unbalanced readings. There's no shortcut — partial drains don't work.

• Brand: FreshWater® (Watkins Wellness)
• Manufacturer Part Number / SKU: 80022
• Net Weight: 3.5 lb
• Form: Granular
• Active Ingredient: Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione (sodium dichlor)
• Available Chlorine: Approximately 56% by weight
• pH Impact: Essentially neutral; does not significantly raise or lower pH at recommended doses
• Target Free Chlorine Residual: 2–3 ppm
• Routine Dose: Approximately 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per use (varies by spa size and bather load)
• Shock Dose: 1 oz per 500 gallons
• EPA Registration: Yes — registered residential pool and spa sanitizer
• Sanitizer Compatibility: Compatible with chlorine programs, FreshWater Salt, ACE, Ag+, ozone, and MPS-based programs
• NOT Compatible With: Bromine, biguanide (Soft Soak / Baqua Spa)
• Spa Compatibility: All residential hot tubs, spas, swim spas, and cold plunge tubs running chlorine-based water care
• Sibling SKU: 2 lb container available as a smaller starter size
• Shelf Life Sealed: Indefinite when stored dry and sealed
• Hazmat Classification: ⚠️ HAZMAT — DOT-classified hazardous material due to oxidizer status. Cannot be returned by mail under federal regulations. In-store returns at any LTI showroom are accepted.
• Country of Origin: Manufactured for Watkins Wellness, USA

Sanitizer Systems

• Direct chlorine programs — primary sanitizer; dose to maintain 2–3 ppm free chlorine residual
• FreshWater® Salt System — used for periodic shock, occasional boost dosing, and to clear chloramine buildup
• Hot Spring® ACE® Salt Water System — same role as FreshWater Salt
• FreshWater® Ag+ Silver Ion programs — provides the oxidation chlorine that silver ions cannot
• Ozone systems — provides residual sanitizer; ozone alone leaves no residual in water
• MPS-based programs — dichlor handles weekly shock; MPS handles regular oxidation
• Cold plunge tubs using chlorine — proper sanitizer for chlorine-based cold plunge water care

Spa Brands

• All residential hot tubs and spas running a chlorine-based or chlorine-supplemented program — Hot Spring, Caldera, Freeflow, Sundance, Bullfrog, Jacuzzi, Marquis, Master Spas, Cal Spas, and every other major brand
• Swim spas — adjust dosing for larger water volumes
• Inflatable and portable spas — Intex, MSpa, Coleman, and similar (test before each use; smaller water volumes shift balance quickly)
• Cold plunge tubs running chlorine programs

NOT Compatible With

• Bromine systems — never mix chlorine and bromine; use FreshWater bromine products instead for brominated spas
• Biguanide systems (Soft Soak / Baqua Spa) — chlorine destroys biguanide; switching from biguanide to chlorine requires a full drain-and-refill
• Outdoor pool sanitation — dichlor is concentrated for spa volumes; pool sanitation has different chemistry requirements and is more economically handled with cal-hypo or trichlor

Works Alongside

• FreshWater 5-Way Test Strips — essential paired diagnostic; check chlorine residual before and after each dose
• FreshWater pH/Alkalinity Up & Down — keeps water balanced so chlorine works at peak efficiency
• FreshWater Ag+ Silver Ion Sanitizer — pairs to reduce overall chlorine demand
• FreshWater MPS Test Strips — for programs using non-chlorine shock alongside
• FreshWater Stain & Scale Defense — protects metal spa components from chlorinated water over time

Pro Tip: NEVER mix chlorine with other sanitizer chemicals (especially bromine, trichlor, or biguanide) outside the spa water. Direct combination of chlorine concentrates with other oxidizers can react violently — including fire risk in extreme cases. Always add each chemical separately to a full spa with the circulation system running.