'When you smell the overly strong odor of chlorine, it usually means there’s not enough Free Available Chlorine in the pool water,' says water-testing expert Clay Spann from Leslie's. 'That powerful smell is chloramines, which form when inactive chlorine bonds with ammonia molecules.
'Chloramines are poor disinfectants and diminish the power of chlorine,' he continues. 'They also can irritate the eyes and cause respiratory issues. So, that strong chlorine odor is really an alert to test your water’s chlorine levels and ensure proper sanitization.'