If your pool is closed and covered, pull back the pool cover along one side to add pre-dissolved pool shock. Then use your pool brush vigorously, to create circulating currents. This circulation is extremely important in distributing the shock throughout the pool and preventing damage to pool surfaces.
Shocking the pool during the winter months can certainly help to avoid a green swamp-like pool in the spring. It's often recommended. However, poor water balance or improper application can lead to unintended consequences, such as discoloration and damage to pool surfaces.
Winterizing Pool Shock
Shocking your pool before closing is necessary to kill any undesirables in the water. Let's face it, many people tend to drop their guard on pool maintenance in the last few weeks of the season. So it's a great idea to shock the pool before closing it for the winter.
Shocking your pool is easy: Use a shock treatment to bring your 10 to 12 PPM. Then, wait a day or two for the chlorine to come down to its normal level, about 1.5 to 3.5 PPM. Pro tip: For best results, shock your pool a few days before you plan to shut it down.
During the winter months, the amount of chlorine needed from your salt cell to keep the pool clean is reduced. This is due to the fact that it is difficult for bacteria to grow in cold temperatures.
You may want to shock the pool during winter if: 1. The water temperature is above 60 degrees.
Shocking kills any bacteria that might linger in your pool during the winter. We recommend shocking a few days before you close the pool. If that is not possible, make sure to shock the pool the night before you close it for winter.
How much shock do I need to shock my pool? A simple ratio and a standard rule of thumb to follow when you shock your pool is to dissolve one pound of either calcium hypochlorite or sodium dichlor for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Often, it will look something like this. 12.5% Liquid Chlorine Pool Shock – Normal Dosage: 1 gallon of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Shock Dosage: 2 gallons of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Source: Champion Liquid Pool Shock instructions.
Once you know where your pool chemistry stands, balance the water, adjusting the pH to 7.2 - 7.6, alkalinity between 80 and 120 ppm, and calcium hardness between 200 and 350 ppm. Shock your pool with Pool Breeze Granular Shock or 12.5% Liquid Shock two days prior to closing.
Closing a pool that is green with algae, or dirty with debris or with water that is unbalanced, leads to heavy staining and saturation of the water with dead algae cells, which makes it easier for subsequent generations to grow.
By simply adding algaecide to your water prior to closing, you can prevent algae growth from occurring during the cold, winter months which makes for an easier opening in the spring. You can apply algaecide directly to the pool water and allow the pump to continue to circulate for approximately two to four hours.
Hotter days mean more swimmers and more non-living organics in the water, like sunscreen and body oils. Between these organics and the living contaminants like algae, warm water has a higher chlorine demand than cold water. Chemical reactions generally work faster at higher temperatures.
Non Chlorine Shock is a powerful, odourless oxidising agent, which essentially means it works to eliminate contaminents in hot tub water. Oxidation is different to sanitisation. Oxidation is the breaking down of the oils and organics in your water whereas sanitisation is the killing of bacteria.
Chlorine dissipates more rapidly in warm water than in cold water.
Liquid chlorine and granular shock have the same active chemical that sanitizes your pool, what changes is the strength and the way you use it. Liquid chlorine is less costly, unstabilized and comes in liquid form. Granular shock is stabilized and comes in a solid form that dissolves in your pool.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours.
It Should Not Be Done Together
This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM.
So if you buy liquid shock, be aware that it only lasts one to two months at the most before it starts to lose effectiveness. While many swimming pool chemicals stay good for years if stored correctly, some pool-maintenance supplies expire more quickly.
Algaecide should be used after each shock treatment, so it has a better chance to support your chlorine as it works its magic. Be sure to shock your pool first, then when the chlorine levels of your pool return to normal, add the correct amount of algaecide to several places around your pool while your pump is running.
The first thing you'll want to do before closing your pool is balance the water chemistry. ... Also, make sure to thoroughly brush and vacuum the pool and clean your filter by soaking it in a filter cleaner for 24 hours. Next, the day before you close, backwash the filter and then super chlorinate the pool.
The best time of day to shock your pool is in the evening. This is because the sun's rays can affect the effectiveness of the chlorine by dissolving it too quickly, before it has a chance to rid the pool of contaminants and clean the water.
It's pretty tough to over-shock your pool; shocking your pool two days in a row with the proper dosage for your pool volume shouldn't be a problem – and in fact, is sometimes even needed to rid your pool of algae and other contaminants.