Getting the right mixture of chemicals in the water of your toddler's pool is important to prevent water-borne infections while maintaining a safe aquatic solution which will not hurt your child. According to the Pool Solutions website, a toddler or kiddie pool is typically no deeper than 3 feet, is sold for children's use, holds between 200 and 4,000 gallons of water and is no longer than 15 feet. In addition, a toddler pool is most often installed by the owner rather than by a pool technician.
Chlorine
Just as adult and municipal swimming pools use chlorine for water sanitation, toddler pools also rely on chlorine to keep the water sanitized. To chlorinate your own toddler pool, you will need a test kit, which accurately measures chlorine presence in parts per million. Pool Solutions recommends purchasing stabilized chlorine with the name sodium dichloro-s-triazine trione or sodium dichloroisocyanurate. This can be bought in a container labeled for swimming pool use and should be somewhere between 55 percent and 62 percent active. Household bleach can also be used at a very low concentration to sanitize a toddler pool. Accurately measure the chlorine content of the water to ensure it is below 3 parts per million.
Algaecides
Algaecides act as a chemical safety net if there is insufficient chloride in your toddler pool to keep algae at bay. In addition, algaecide works to kill certain chlorine-resistant bacteria, which can cause ear infections. Pool Solutions recommends a non-toxic algaecide with the chemical name polyquat or poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride]. Algaecide should be purchased at a 60 percent active strength. When calculating quantities of the different chemicals to add to the pool, it is important to take into account the active strength of the product you are using.
Borax
Borax is used in toddler pools to maintain a safe pH level. The ideal pH range for the pool is slightly alkaline, with a pH reading between 7.4 and 8.0. Use your pH test kit to make sure the pool pH is balanced. If the reading is lower than 7.4, add borax to increase the pH level into the alkaline range. One tbls. of borax is usually enough to balance the pH of 200 gallons of toddler pool water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a pH level above 8.0 can lead to eye and skin irritation, and also reduces the effectiveness of chlorine as a water-sanitizing agent. Eye and skin irritation are also likely if the pH level is below 7.0.
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