---
title: "What Is Breakpoint chlorination? Pool Glossary | Marina Pool Services"
description: "Breakpoint chlorination means adding enough chlorine to destroy chloramines and reset the water."
url: https://marinapool.multisites.ai/glossary/breakpoint-chlorination
publisher: Marina Pool Services
phone: +1-817-896-1120
quote: https://marinapool.multisites.ai/contact
---

Water chemistry

# Breakpoint chlorination

Breakpoint chlorination means adding enough chlorine to destroy chloramines and reset the water.

Breakpoint chlorination is the proper way to clear a pool that smells strongly of chlorine. You raise free chlorine far above the combined chlorine level so the chloramines break down and leave as gas.

CDC advises raising free chlorine to 10 times the combined chlorine level, and it says to ventilate the swimming area. For example, 0.5 ppm of combined chlorine calls for about 5 ppm free chlorine. Do the work in the evening so sunlight does not burn it off. Retest the next day. This is the same idea as [shocking](https://marinapool.multisites.ai/glossary/shock) the pool.

[Marina can helpPool Maintenance Services](https://marinapool.multisites.ai/our-services/pool-maintenance-services)

## Related terms

-   [Chloramine](https://marinapool.multisites.ai/glossary/chloramine)
-   [Combined chlorine](https://marinapool.multisites.ai/glossary/combined-chlorine)
-   [Shock](https://marinapool.multisites.ai/glossary/shock)
-   [Free chlorine](https://marinapool.multisites.ai/glossary/free-chlorine)

## Sources

1.  [CDC Healthy Swimming: Chloramines and Pool Operation](https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/toolkit/chloramines-and-pool-operation.html)

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