If you're dealing with an algae infestation, brush the pool after shocking to remove lingering debris and run the filter. Rinse or backwash your filter to avoid recontamination. If you've still got traces of algae, shock your pool again. After shocking, test your water chemistry.
Yes you can backwash the morning after shocking. My rule of thumb is back wash until clean, rinse 10 seconds, backwash again, rinse 10 seconds, Obviously turning off the system between each step. Set filter to Filter and open pressure valve.
Good morning. I would give your pool a full 24 hours including at least 10 hours of the pump running to fully incorporate the shock into the water before you retest.
Don't Wait Too Long to Backwash:
On the flip side, not backwashing enough can also reduce flow and lead to cloudy water, as not enough water moves through the filter system.
1> Over-Chlorination: Most pool shocks contain high concentrations of chlorine or other sanitizing agents. Adding too much shock can lead to over-chlorination of the pool water. This can result in excessively high levels of free chlorine, which can irritate skin and eyes of swimmers.
If the pool water is hazy even after the pool shock, it is an indication of imbalanced levels of pH and total alkalinity. Usually the high level of pH causes calcium accumulation in the pool, affecting the clarity of the water. The high pH makes the water basic/alkaline and the low pH turns it acidic.
After shocking, test your water chemistry. Make sure all the levels – chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and CYA – are within the correct range. Adjust if necessary. If chlorine levels are too high, let the sun evaporate it.
Turn on the pump and allow the sand filter to backwash for 2-3 minutes or until the water in the sight glass (typically located on the top of the filter) is visibly clear. How long you backwash the sand filter for is not critical though you should visibly see clear water within 2-3 minutes.
'It's particularly important to do this at night, so the sun doesn't burn off the chlorine,' he says. You should then run the pool pump for a few hours (to circulate the shock), then switch it off and leave the pool overnight.
Regardless of how frequently or what system you use to add chlorine to the water, the chlorine level should stay between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm) to maintain a healthy pool. Anything higher will make you run the risk of red eyes and swimmers itch.
Vacuuming After Shocking
As mentioned, you should vacuum your swimming pool as much as possible to keep the job manageable. However, after shocking the pool, you shouldn't vacuum for at least 24 hours. Running the water pump during this period will allow the shock to do its job.
Running the pump during the hottest parts of the day helps to combat the effects of the sun, especially with deterring algae growth and removing bacteria and debris during peak swim times. Splitting up time into shorter intervals and running during the morning as well as in the evening may help to maximize efficiency.
Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.
Run Your Pool Filter for 8 Hours (And Shock Again If Needed) After you shock at night, your should run your filter system for at least 8 hours overnight. Even better, you should run your filter 24 hours a day until your pool is completely clear.
Backwashing a sand filter too often could lead to cloudy water. Assuming that your pressure gauge is functioning properly, resist the urge to backwash a sand filter until it's climbed at least 5 psi higher than the clean pressure.
1) What is the difference between chlorine and shock? Do I need to use both? Chlorine is a sanitizer, and (unless you use Baquacil products) is necessary for maintaining a clear and healthy pool. Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly.
Run the Filter
Now that the pool has been shocked and brushed down, the algae and debris will be floating at the top. It is perfectly normal for it to take a few days (usually two to three days) of continuous running to allow the filter to remove all of the algae and whatever else was in the pool.
It's typically used when the filter itself is malfunctioning, or there is a severe algal bloom in the water that would likely overwhelm the filter. If you want to distribute chemicals throughout the pool, without risk of clogging the filter, running your pump on recirculate for 2 hours should be sufficient.
Ideally, you should shock your pool at night, so the sun cannot interfere and destroy the active chemicals before they can do their job. Then, you can add your chlorine post-shock after the chlorine levels have fallen below 5 ppm.
Backwashing is a great way to clean out clogged filters but there are times you should avoid the process. If your pool has or had an algae issue is it recommended to by-pass your filter entirely and vacuum directly to waste.
Rinsing for 30 seconds after backwashing pushes the sand back in place clearing the filter of loose dirty water. If you don't rinse, you will have a puff of dirty water coming through the jet and back into your clean pool.
Backwashing reverses the flow of water, lifts up and flushes the sand, and then expels the dirty water via a waste line into the ground or drain. In order to prevent residual blow back into the pool, once you've finished backwashing it's highly advisable to rinse the filter.
You should leave the pool uncovered overnight to allow the shock to work, and to avoid damaging the pool cover.
Shocking is crucial for removing any pathogens in the water and making a pool safe for swimming. It also involves using heavy-duty chemicals, including chlorine, so it's best to wait at least 24 hours after you shock a pool to go swimming. Going in too soon can potentially cause skin, eye, and even lung problems.
Brush after Adding Chemicals: Many powdered or granular pool chemicals don't dissolve right away when added to the pool water. Brushing helps dissolve and disperse the chemicals so that they aren't able to stain, scale, or etch the interior surface.