Pool & spa
Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine Tablets dupe
Why pay around £42.00 for Clearwater? The bulk active is TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g) — 43% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine Tablets
5 kg · £42.00 typical snapshot
Stabiliser and tableting aids
2 · Active
Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA)
90% on the label
87-90-1C3Cl3N3O3
Bulk TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g)
3 · Mix
2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide)
£0.00 per working litre · 43% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA)
- CAS
- 87-90-1
- Dupe
- TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g)
- Saving
- 43% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Slow-dissolve sanitiser for spas and pools”
The chemical reality
The tablet is 90% TCCA — the same stabilised chlorine used in bulk 200 g pucks. ‘Multifunction’ is a pinch of clarifier and a lot of packaging. Buy TCCA, dose from an SDS, and keep cyanuric acid in range.
Active vs filler
90% Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) · 10% carrier / filler — Stabiliser and tableting aids
- Typical retail
- £42.00
- 5 kg
- Estimated active cost
- £24.00
- Scaled from bulk £24.00 / 5 kg
- Indicative markup
- 1.8×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 5 kg pack of Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine Tablets typically retails around £42.00 in pool & spa. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Slow-dissolve sanitiser for spas and pools; Multifunction — clarifier and algaecide in the tab; and Convenient 200 g tablets.
The catch: The tablet is 90% TCCA — the same stabilised chlorine used in bulk 200 g pucks. ‘Multifunction’ is a pinch of clarifier and a lot of packaging. Buy TCCA, dose from an SDS, and keep cyanuric acid in range.
- “Slow-dissolve sanitiser for spas and pools”
- “Multifunction — clarifier and algaecide in the tab”
- “Convenient 200 g tablets”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) at 90%. Everything else in the pack is stabiliser and tableting aids.
Even when the pack is sold as “pure” or ready-to-use, the dose that actually does the work is Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA). The rest is how they get it into a bottle you will pick up.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 90% TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g), mixed to 2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide).
- Labelled active
- Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA)
- 90%
- Carrier
- Stabiliser and tableting aids
- Retail pack
- 5 kg · £42.00
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g) at 90% bulk. Indexed as CAS 87-90-1, formula C3Cl3N3O3. Buy it as 5 kg for around £24.00 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide). Indicative cost £0.00 per diluted litre — 43% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Oxidiser and irritant. Gloves and goggles. Never mix with other pool chemicals in a bucket.
- Dose in a floater or feeder, not mixed dry with shock or acid.
- Typical spa maintenance is a fraction of a 20–200 g tablet — follow a test kit, not a marketing schedule.
- Watch cyanuric acid (stabiliser) build-up; drain and refill if CYA climbs out of range.
- Store cool, dry, and away from organics and acids.
Dilution recipe
1,000 L pool / spa volume
Working strength 2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
5 grams
TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g)
Water
1,000 litres
Carrier / diluent
0% concentrate · 100% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
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Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedClearwater | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine TabletsAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g) |
| Pack / unit | 5 kg · £42.00 | 5 kg · £24.00 |
| Active | Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) at 90%Carrier: Stabiliser and tableting aids | 90% bulkC3Cl3N3O3 |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 87-90-1 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide) |
| Cost per litre | £42.00 / pack | £0.00 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 43% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectaclesVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
What is the active ingredient in Clearwater?
Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine Tablets is labelled as Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) at 90%. The carrier is Stabiliser and tableting aids. Pack size: 5 kg. The bulk equivalent we index is TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g) (CAS 87-90-1).
Is TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g) safe on the intended surface?
Used at the listed working strength (2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide)), the dupe is the same chemistry as the branded pack for pool and spa water once dosed from a test kit. That is not a blanket all-clear: read the supplier SDS, wear the listed PPE, keep acids away from hypochlorite, and follow UK HSE/COSHH rules. Wellness teardowns are supplements, not medicines.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine Tablets?
Yes. The bulk equivalent is TCCA 90% chlorine tablets (200 g) (CAS 87-90-1). Indicative saving 43% per working litre versus a pack that typically retails around £42.00. Working strength: 2 g/m³ as Cl2 (guide). Live shop prices move.
How do you mix the Clearwater Multifunction Chlorine Tablets dupe stack?
Oxidiser and irritant. Gloves and goggles. Never mix with other pool chemicals in a bucket. Dose in a floater or feeder, not mixed dry with shock or acid. Typical spa maintenance is a fraction of a 20–200 g tablet — follow a test kit, not a marketing schedule. Watch cyanuric acid (stabiliser) build-up; drain and refill if CYA climbs out of range. Store cool, dry, and away from organics and acids.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
Related guides
Pool guide
Pool and spa basics: pH, chlorine and cyanuric acid without the brand kit
What Clearwater-style pH Plus, pH Minus, chlorine and CYA actually are — soda ash, dry acid, TCCA and stabiliser — with links to DupeStack teardowns.
Pool guide
Pool shock, bromine, floc and algaecide — not the same tub
Cal-hypo shock, dichlor granules, MPS oxidiser, BCDMH bromine, alum floc, copper algicide and thiosulphate reducer are different salts. Match the job before you buy a spa-shop tub.
Pool guide
Phosphate remover and polyquat — not a shock, and not copper
Lanthanum chloride drops phosphate. A polymeric quat is a copper-free algicide. Neither replaces trichlor, dichlor or cal-hypo, and neither is alum floc.
More teardowns
Pool & spa
Clearwater pH Plus Spa / Pool Balancer
Clearwater
- Retail pack
- £11.501 kg bottle
- Raw active
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pH Plus is dense soda ash — 99% sodium carbonate, CAS 497-19-8. Pool-shop packaging turns a £2.70/kg commodity into an £11.50/kg ritual.
Pool & spa
Clearwater pH Minus
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- Retail pack
- £9.991.5 kg
- Raw active
- Sodium bisulphate (dry acid)7681-38-1
pH Minus is dry acid — sodium bisulphate. Pool retail is a small tub; chemical suppliers sell it in 5 kg lots for a third of the per-kilo price.
Pool & spa
Total Alkalinity TA Plus
Clearwater
- Retail pack
- £11.991 kg tub
- Raw active
- Food / technical grade sodium bicarbonate144-55-8
Standard baking soda sold at a 1,200% retail markup under spa branding.
£38.48Save 43% / L
Indicative DIY stack