Anyone using UV with chlorine

We added a UV system last year. It doesn’t replace chlorine, but it definitely helps reduce how much we need. I still keep a chlorine residual for safety, but I’m using maybe 30–40% less than before. It’s been solid for keeping things balanced, especially during hot weeks when chlorine usually vanishes fast.
 
I’d say UV is more about added protection than cutting chlorine all the way down. It zaps stuff in the water as it passes through, but doesn’t leave anything behind to keep protecting. So you still need chlorine in the pool, just maybe not as much. I like it for peace of mind especially with kids swimming daily.
 
I added UV about halfway through last season, honestly didn’t expect much, just figured it couldn’t hurt. What I’ve noticed is that it doesn’t exactly lower chlorine usage in a dramatic way, but it seems to slow down how fast I burn through it.

Before, if I missed a day or two of checking levels, things would drop fast. Now the dips aren’t as sharp, especially during heat waves. So yeah, I still use chlorine, but I feel like the UV keeps things more steady behind the scenes.

If you're already keeping your pool clean, it's not a must-have… but it’s been a nice layer of backup for me.
 
I’ve been using UV with chlorine for a while now. It definitely helps keep things cleaner and lets me use less chlorine overall. I still keep a low level of chlorine in the water just to be safe, but the UV does a lot of the heavy lifting. It's great for peace of mind.
 
I’ve been running a UV system alongside chlorine for a while now, and it’s been really helpful. It doesn’t completely replace chlorine, but I’m adding less than I used to. The water stays clearer and feels fresher, and I don’t have to shock as often after heavy use.

One thing I noticed is that UV mostly helps while the water is circulating so it doesn’t provide constant protection like chlorine does. I still keep a small baseline level of chlorine, but overall, it makes maintenance less stressful. For me, it’s been a good mix of cleaner water and less chemical hassle.
 
Nora_Bell said:
Does adding a UV system reduce the amount of chlorine you need, or is it mainly for extra safety?
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I put in a UV system last year. It does help cut down on how much chlorine you end up using but you still need some in the water. The UV kills a lot of stuff as it passes through the unit but it doesn’t leave any protection in the pool itself. I noticed my chlorine use dropped a bit but I still keep tablets in the feeder. For me it’s more of an extra layer of safety than a total replacement.
 
I’ve been using a UV system with chlorine for a while, and it really helps keep things cleaner. The chlorine level stays lower, but I still keep a bit in there just to be safe. The UV does a lot of the work, and it gives me peace of mind knowing I’m not overloading the pool with chemicals.
 
I’ve looked into UV quite a bit and ended up adding one this season. What I’ve noticed is it’s not a replacement, but more of a support system. Chlorine is still needed because it provides ongoing protection in the water, but the UV seems to take a lot of the load off. My pool has stayed clearer between cleanings, and I haven’t had to shock nearly as often. For me the big win is that the water feels nicer on the skin and I don’t get that strong chlorine smell as much.
 
I’ve been running a UV system alongside chlorine for a couple of seasons now. It definitely helps reduce the workload on chlorine, but it doesn’t replace it entirely. I keep a low residual level of chlorine for ongoing protection, but the UV seems to handle most of the organic stuff as the water passes through. The water stays clearer longer, and I don’t have to shock as often, especially during hot or heavily used periods. For me, it’s more about stabilizing water quality than cutting chemicals drastically.
 
I’ve been running UV alongside chlorine for a while now and I’d say it’s less about “extra safety” and more about reducing how hard chlorine has to work. You still need a chlorine residual in the pool, no way around that, but the UV takes a bite out of stuff as water passes through. For me the biggest difference wasn’t raw chlorine savings, it was stability. FC doesn’t crash as fast during heat waves or after a bunch of kids are in the pool all afternoon.

Where I really noticed it was combined chlorine and that tired smell. Before UV, even with decent circulation, CC would creep up and I’d end up shocking more often than I liked. After adding UV, CC stays lower and the water looks clearer between cleanings. It only works when the pump is running though, so flow rate and filter pressure matter. If pressure climbs or circulation drops, the benefit fades fast.

I still keep a modest chlorine level and use aquadoc non chlorine shock occasionally to burn off organics instead of piling on more chlorine. That combo has been easier on the water and my nose. So yeah, UV doesn’t replace chlorine, but it definitely makes the whole system feel less reactive. Anyone else notice UV helps most during long hot stretches when chlorine demand usually goes crazy?
 
UV is mostly an extra safety layer, it helps kill stuff as water passes through and can reduce chloramines, but you and I still need chlorine in the pool as a residual sanitizer, so chlorine demand usually doesn’t drop dramatically, it just tends to feel more stable with less smell when the system and circulation are dialed in.
 
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