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.
Algaecides act as a backup to your normal sanitization program and prevent algae from starting and growing in the pool. Algaecide should be added after every shock treatment.
It is critical to understand that using pool shock and algaecide together can cause bad chemical reactions if the necessary precautions are not taken. Since your chlorine levels will not return to normal right after you shock your pool, we recommend waiting at least 24 hours to add algaecide.
Just be sure to vacuum and brush your pool before using shock. This helps remove and loosen up large amounts of algae.
Algae can persist in a pool even after shocking. A green pool – especially one that turned green overnight or after rain, can also be from a pool pump that isn't properly circulating water or an issue with your filtering system.
We recommend using a calcium hypochlorite shock to treat your algae problems. However, green, yellow, and black algae will each require their own level of shock in order to be completely killed and removed from your water.
Step 2 - Add Stain & Scale and Clarifier: Before you shock the pool, which can disrupt other pool start up chemicals, add a Stain & Scale chemical to prevent staining by keeping minerals and metals locked tightly in solution.
Adding Chemicals for a Newly Filled Pool
Alkalinity Adjustments: It's recommended to start with any adjustments to Total Alkalinity (TA) first, because of its effect on pH levels. If your TA is below 80 ppm, add Alkalinity Increaser.
The simplest strategy is to follow them, remembering the two golden rules of adding chemicals: only add chemicals to a pool that is running, and only add chemicals to water, not water to chemicals.
If your pool water is no longer green, this next step is for you. If your pool water is still green, wait 24 hours and then redo the steps from Day 1. In the morning, add Oxidizer to your pool water. In the evening, add your liquid algaecide; we recommend concentrated 40% Algaecide.
24 hours after the first application of algaecide, the next thing you should do is vacuum your pool to remove the dead algae. However, if the algae are still visible in the water, you can re-apply an algaecide in the pool, following the manufacturer's instructions for our product.
Should I shock my pool every week? Yes, you should shock your pool weekly as part of regular maintenance. This helps keep contaminants out of the water and prevents algae growth from taking over. You should also shock your pool after any heavy rain, or after a pool party where you've had a lot of people in the water.
If the pH becomes too high (over 7.8), it prevents the chlorine from doing its job. If you're not checking the pH and it has risen too much, you could be adding the right amount of chlorine, but it can't work correctly, and algae will begin to grow.
Barley straw is a natural way to fight algae. On contact with water, the straw starts to break down, and as it does so it releases peroxides into the water which combat algae. Available in mini bales, or as a concentrated extract of barley straw liquid, it's a natural way of chemically fighting algae.
Algae thrives in hot weather and in pools with low or no chlorine. Be dutiful in shocking every week to two weeks and add a maintenance dose of algaecide every other week to prevent further algae growth.
“The algaecide will reduce your chlorine level dramatically, so you're going to have to add chlorine on top of it in order to activate the algaecide and to best utilize it in the pool,” Wilbur says. Preventing algae growth is more cost effective than having to treat an algae problem.
Since pool shock destroys algaecide, avoid using them at the same time. Otherwise, chlorine combines with the algaecide ingredients and makes the algaecide ineffective. Instead, shock your pool first, then wait for chlorine levels to return to normal before adding algaecide.
Once you have cleaned the pool, you should move on to the sand and DE filter. The expert says you should backwash them. However, for a cartridge filter, it is best to remove the cartridges and hose them off.
You didn't use Flocculants or Clarifiers. If you still can't see the bottom after shocking your pool, you may need to add a clarifier or flocculant the next day to remove the dead algae. Flocculant binds to small particle impurities in the water, causing them to clump together and fall to the bottom of the pool.
Green or Dark Green Pool Water:
This means there's a medium amount of algae in your water and you'll need to triple shock your pool. Triple shocking requires 3 pounds for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
If you're dealing with algae or a build-up of organic contaminants, use cal-hypo shock. If you're shocking as part of regular pool maintenance, it's fine to use any type of shock. Just know that dichlor shock will raise your cyanuric acid levels.