Never add chemicals at the same time, whether you're balancing the water, shocking the pool, or adding a specialty chemical. For most water balance changes, the pump needs to run on the high setting for at least four hours before you can add another chemical or retest the water.
Most balancing chemicals, such as pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness, will become incorporated into the water within an hour of adding them, at which time swimming is safe. Shock takes longer to adjust with the pool water, so waiting overnight after shocking before you swim is recommended.
You should test alkalinity first because it will buffer pH. Your reading should be in the range of 80 to 120 parts per million (ppm). If you need to increase the alkalinity, add an increaser. To lower it, you'll add a sodium bisulfate.
Once you get your pH levels between 7.2 and 7.5 and your total alkalinity between 60 and 120 ppm you can move on to working on the calcium hardness and chlorine levels.
If there is algae, brush it off of the walls and floor. Clean the filter then shock the pool. After that, add the phosphate remover. Keep in mind that phosphate remover is hard on the filter, and you will notice reduced flow after a day or two.
Test your pool's alkalinity daily. Ideally, your pH is between 7.2 and 7.8 and the alkalinity is between 110 and 150 ppm (parts per million). If your alkalinity level is lower, and especially if less than 80 ppm, then you need to raise the pool water alkalinity.
Lower the pH before shocking, 7.2 – 7.4 is best for shock efficacy. Dilute pool shock in a bucket of water for vinyl liner pools. Run the filter 24/7 until water is clear.
As shocking has a tendency to push metals out of solution and salt (even when labeled as pure) can contain trace amounts of metals, it is recommended that you add salt at a different time from shocking. Have your PH and ALK within range when adding salt, and brush until it is completely dissolved.
After you shock the pool — As soon as your chlorine levels reach 5 ppm or lower, it's officially safe to swim. Depending on the type of shock used, as well as the amount used, it can take anywhere from 24 hours or even up to a couple of days.
You do need to use both tabs and shock. Without tabs, the chlorine shock will dissipate quickly out of the water; without shock, the chlorine level will not get high enough to fully sanitize the water.
Are chlorine and shock the same thing? SKIMMER NOTES: No. Chlorine and shock are not the same thing. Shock has a more intense chemical strength than the traditional chlorine sanitizers, and it also differs in how you should apply it to your swimming pool.
Superchlorinate after rainstorms or heavy pool use, but for algae, chloramines or contamination, you will need to use packaged pool shock. In summary, shocking a saltwater pool is no different than shocking any other chlorine pool.
Pools can immediately turn green after shocking when they have metals like copper in the water. These metals oxidise when exposed to high levels of chlorine which makes the pool water turn green. Adding a metal control product such as Zodiac Metal Remover will help to restore the pool water.
So, not only is shocking a saltwater pool okay, but it's actually important to your pool's health. Shocking is the process in which you overload your pool with chlorine (3-5 times the normal amount) to improve your pool's cleanliness and kill off organic matter.
You should not add all pool chemicals at the same time. You should also avoid mixing pool chemicals together. Adding chemicals at one time can cause dangerous chemical reactions and serious injuries. In addition, it will make it difficult to balance the pool.
Alkalinity Adjusting Chemicals for Pool Start Up
This should be the first chemical that you add to your pool during start-up. This one can really affect the pH level of your pool. Sorting this out first prevents you from ruining your hard work on your pool's pH level by doing it afterward.
It's also not uncommon for pool owners to go a bit overboard when shocking their pool, and since chlorine-based pool shock is a high-alkaline substance, it will also naturally raise your pool alkalinity.
Rule of thumb is to do the PH first. And do not bother to drive to pool store to spend the extra money for a PH DECREASER. Buy a plain baking soda for 50cents a pound in Walmart! Chlorine will not work fully until your PH is in the proper range.
Can you put too much shock in a pool? SKIMMER NOTES: It's unlikely but it could happen. It would take a lot of shock to really make the water unsafe for swimming. The best way to make sure you're safe to swim is to test your pool water and make sure free chlorine levels are between 1-4ppm for healthy swimming.
Asides its effects on your pool, a low alkalinity swimming pool is unsafe for swimmers as the acidic water can cause nasal, eye, and skin irritations.
Raising PH Level
PH Plus will increase your Alkalinity level slightly too so keep an eye on this as remember Total Alkalinity is the buffer to allow your PH to be set.
If your pool water is too alkaline, it can cause scaling on your pool's surface and plumbing equipment, and can cloud the pool water. In addition, both high acidity and high alkalinity will alter the effectiveness of your chlorine, which will clearly disrupt your pool's disinfecting processes.
Wait until the shock process is complete, then put in the salt. It'll dissolve right away and be ready for the SWG by the time you get ready to use it.