BioGuard SilkGuard Complete Sticks | Sanitizer

• 1 x BioGuard SilkGuard Complete Sticks container, in your selected size
• Full manufacturer label with dosing rates, start-up directions, and safety information

Available in 4 lb and 18 lb. Each stick weighs approximately 8 oz, so a 4 lb container holds roughly 8 sticks and an 18 lb container roughly 36.

Built for Skimmer Chlorination

The stick format and SmartGuard dissolution rate were designed together specifically for skimmer feeding — the application method most pool owners actually use and the one ordinary trichlor handles worst.

SmartGuard Technology — Slower Dissolution When the Pump Is Off

Release slows when water isn't circulating, which prevents the concentrated acidic slug that forms in a skimmer overnight with conventional chlorine. It also extends stick life and evens out the residual between refills.

SilkGuard Technology — Softer Water, Protected Surfaces

Bonds to hard water components and metal surfaces to soften how the water feels against skin while shielding the pool finish and equipment from scale, corrosion, and metal staining.

SunShield Technology — UV Protection for Your Chlorine

Shields the free chlorine residual from ultraviolet breakdown, the single largest source of chlorine loss in an outdoor pool during summer.

Algae-Killing Crystals

A copper-based algae preventative built into every stick, stopping algae before it establishes rather than treating a bloom afterward.

84% Available Chlorine

A concentrated trichlor formulation delivering a strong, stabilized residual from each stick, keeping the volume you handle and store to a minimum.

Optimized for All Pump Types

The SmartGuard level is tuned for single-speed, two-speed, and variable-speed pumps, so a variable-speed system running at low RPM doesn't throw the dosing off.

Two Sizes

Available in 4 lb and 18 lb, so you can match your purchase to pool volume and season length rather than storing chlorine that will lose strength before you use it.

The primary active ingredient is trichloro-s-triazinetrione — trichlor — at 91.57%, yielding 84% available chlorine. As water passes over a stick, the trichlor dissolves gradually and releases hypochlorous acid, the active form of chlorine that destroys bacteria and other microorganisms by disrupting their cell structure.

SmartGuard is what distinguishes this product, and understanding it explains the whole stick format. Dissolution happens at the surface, and how fast it happens depends heavily on water movement. With ordinary trichlor in a skimmer, shutting the pump off doesn't stop dissolution — it just removes the water flow that was carrying the chlorine away. The result is a small volume of standing water holding an extremely concentrated, strongly acidic chlorine solution, sitting against skimmer plastic, plumbing, and pump components for however many hours the pump is off. That's a slow corrosion problem most owners never connect to their tablets.

SmartGuard changes the release characteristics so the sticks dissolve more slowly when the pump is off, preventing that concentration from building. The tradeoff is worth knowing: because overall dissolution is slower than conventional trichlor, a chlorinator that was dialed in for another product may need its output setting increased to hold the same 1–4 ppm residual.

Trichlor is a stabilized chlorine source, contributing cyanuric acid to the water as it dissolves. Cyanuric acid works as sunscreen for free chlorine, slowing UV breakdown so each stick's chlorine stays active longer. SunShield Technology builds on that principle. The tradeoff is permanent accumulation — stabilizer doesn't evaporate, burn off, or filter out.

SilkGuard works through sequestration, binding dissolved calcium, metals, and hard water minerals so they stay in solution rather than precipitating onto surfaces as scale or depositing as stains. The same binding action reduces corrosion on metal equipment and produces the softer feel swimmers notice.

The copper sulfate pentahydrate component, equal to 0.25% metallic copper, releases copper ions steadily as the stick dissolves. Copper interferes with algae cell metabolism directly, giving the product an algae-control mechanism chlorine alone doesn't provide.

One property to plan around: trichlor is strongly acidic, with a solution pH well below 3. Continuous feeding pulls pH and total alkalinity downward over the season — normal and expected, but it has to be corrected rather than ignored.

Pro Tip: If you're switching to these from another chlorine product, expect to turn your feeder up. SmartGuard dissolves more slowly by design, so a chlorinator or floater dialed in for conventional trichlor will under-feed at the same setting. Don't interpret a low reading as a weak product — increase the output, let the pool circulate several hours, then retest and adjust again. Get it settled in the first week or two and it holds steady from there. And note the reading you land on, because sunlight, temperature, rainfall, and bather count will all shift consumption through the season.

Dosage Reference

• Start-up: 16 oz (approximately 2 sticks) per 10,000 gallons
• Routine maintenance: 16 oz (approximately 2 sticks) per 10,000 gallons per week, or as needed
• Target free available chlorine: 1–4 ppm at all times

Before You Start

1. Confirm all pool equipment is operating properly.
2. Clean or backwash the filter following your equipment manufacturer's directions.
3. Adjust pH to 7.2–7.6.
4. In chlorinated pools, add stabilizer as needed to establish a minimum cyanuric acid level of 30–40 ppm, which reduces the degrading effect of sunlight on the chlorine residual.
5. If the water is cloudy or green, superchlorinate with an appropriate shock product until the pool is clear before starting stick feeding. Sticks maintain a residual; they don't recover a failed pool.
6. When using other products alongside this one, follow the directions on those labels as well.

Start-Up and Ongoing Feeding

1. Add 16 oz of product (approximately 2 sticks) per 10,000 gallons of pool water to your skimmer, feeder, or floater.
2. Adjust the feeder or floater per its manufacturer's instructions to establish a free available chlorine level of 1–4 ppm. Because SmartGuard dissolves more slowly, expect to set the output higher than you would for conventional trichlor.
3. Allow the water to circulate several hours, then test the free available chlorine level and adjust again if needed.
4. Once free chlorine is holding at 1–4 ppm, add the preventative algaecide appropriate to your pool.
5. Reload weekly, or as needed, at the same rate to hold the residual.
6. Check the skimmer, feeder, or floater often and refill before it runs empty. Sunlight, rainfall, water temperature, bather count, and how often the pool is used all change how fast the residual is consumed.

Safety Requirements

• Do not add any other chemical into the skimmer, feeder, or floater while this product is in use. Fire or explosion may result.
• Do not throw sticks directly into the pool. Direct contact will damage pool surfaces and materials — a stick resting on a vinyl liner or plaster floor leaves a permanent mark.
• Re-entry into the pool is prohibited when free available chlorine exceeds 4 ppm, due to risk of bodily injury. Test before swimmers enter.
• Do not allow the product to come into direct contact with pool surfaces or materials.

Storage and Handling

• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, and open flame
• Keep the container tightly closed and the product completely dry — moisture releases chlorine gas
• Store separately from other pool chemicals, especially calcium hypochlorite shock, acids, and organic materials
• Keep out of reach of children and pets
• Never return a used or wet stick to the original container
• Read and follow all label precautions, first aid, and disposal directions before use

Pro Tip: Test cyanuric acid mid-season, not just at opening. Every trichlor stick adds stabilizer permanently, and a pool fed continuously all summer can drift far above the 30–40 ppm target without anyone noticing. Once cyanuric acid climbs past roughly 100 ppm, free chlorine becomes progressively less effective at the same test reading — the pool looks properly chlorinated and behaves like it isn't. Watch pH and total alkalinity too, since trichlor is strongly acidic and continuous feeding pulls both downward. A pool that "stopped holding chlorine" in August is usually stabilizer-locked, and no amount of additional product will fix it. Dilution will. If you're already running high, switch to an unstabilized cal hypo shock for the rest of the season rather than adding more stabilizer on top.

• Brand: BioGuard
• Product Type: Multi-benefit chlorinating sticks
• Form: Slow-dissolving sticks
• Available Sizes: 4 lb and 18 lb
• Approximate Stick Weight: 8 oz each
• Active Ingredient: Trichloro-s-triazinetrione, 91.57%
• Secondary Active: Copper sulfate pentahydrate, 0.99% (equal to 0.25% metallic copper)
• Other Ingredients: 7.44%
• Available Chlorine: 84%
• Stabilized: Yes — contributes cyanuric acid to the water
• Proprietary Technologies: SilkGuard, SmartGuard, and SunShield
• Algae Control: Copper-based algae-killing crystals
• Start-Up Dose: 16 oz (about 2 sticks) per 10,000 gallons
• Maintenance Dose: 16 oz (about 2 sticks) per 10,000 gallons weekly, or as needed
• Target Free Chlorine: 1–4 ppm
• Target pH: 7.2–7.6
• Minimum Stabilizer Level: 30–40 ppm
• Application Methods: Skimmer, in-line or off-line feeder, or floater
• Primary Application: Skimmer chlorination
• Pump Compatibility: All types, including variable-speed
• Feeder Note: Slower dissolution may require increasing feeder output to hold 1–4 ppm
• Suitable Surfaces: Plaster, gunite, vinyl liner, fiberglass, painted
• Not For Use In: Biguanide pools, spas, or hot tubs
• System Role: Step 1 of the BioGuard 3-Step Care System
• Shipping Classification: DOT-regulated — ground shipping only

Application Methods

• Skimmers — the primary intended use, and what SmartGuard was formulated for
• In-line and off-line chlorine feeders — supported; expect to increase output settings versus conventional trichlor
• Floating dispensers — supported; adjust the vent setting to hold the target residual

Pool Types and Surfaces

• In-ground and above-ground pools
• Plaster, gunite, vinyl liner, fiberglass, and painted surfaces
• All pump types, including single-speed, two-speed, and variable-speed
• Sand, cartridge, and DE filtration

Choosing Between Sticks and Tablets

• Choose sticks if you feed through a skimmer, or if you want the longest interval between refills. The elongated shape sits well in a skimmer basket and the slower dissolution stretches each load further.
• Choose 3" tablets for larger-capacity feeders and floaters where a round tablet seats better.
• Choose 1" tablets for small pools and small dispensers, where finer dose increments matter more than refill interval.
• The formula, active ingredients, and available chlorine are identical across all three. This is a format decision, not a chemistry one.

Water Care Programs

• Traditional chlorine pools — the intended application, and Step 1 of the BioGuard 3-Step Care System
• Salt chlorine generator pools — can supplement generator output during heavy demand or cell downtime, though continuous use raises stabilizer levels; check your generator manufacturer's guidance first

Important Incompatibilities

• Biguanide (non-chlorine) pools — do not use. Chlorine and biguanide chemistry destroy each other, producing cloudy water, filter fouling, and a failed sanitizer residual.
• Spas and hot tubs — this is a pool product. Trichlor is too aggressive and too acidic for the small, hot volume of a spa. Use a spa-specific sanitizer.
• Never combine with other chemicals in a skimmer, feeder, or floater. Mixing trichlor with another product — calcium hypochlorite above all — in a confined space can cause fire or explosion.
• Not suited to pools already high in cyanuric acid. Every stick adds more. If stabilizer is already elevated, an unstabilized chlorine source is the better choice until levels come down through dilution.