Chlorine tabs (placed in a chlorinator, floater, or skimmer basket) maintain a chlorine residual in the water. 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.
Floating pool dispensers can be used in aboveground and inground pools, but make sure your pool manufacturer says it's safe to use one. The chlorine floater must be removed from the water when people are in the pool.
Leaving chlorine tablets on the bottom of your pool can cause permanent staining and bleach liners. It's also the least effective way to use them. Tablets sitting at the bottom of your pool are nowhere near your pool's skimmer line. So they dissolve slower and release sanitizer unevenly.
Run the filtration system
While shocking your pool will help kill any germs any algae, it won't actually get rid of them; for that, you need your filter. So be sure to run your pool filter for at least 24 hours.
Answer: Yes, when using tablets they can be present in the water while you swim. Also confirm with a test of the chlorine level to be sure the sanitizer level is safe for swimming.
As a general rule, we see stabilized chlorine tablets (also called trichlor tablets) last anywhere from two to three days. Slow dissolve cal-hypo tabs may last four to five days.
Chlorine tablets are slow dissolving and therefore need to be placed in either a floating dispenser, in-line chlorine feeder or a skimmer basket.
Apply the shock at night time, as sunlight burns up chlorine and greatly reduces its effectiveness. Run your pump (at night) for at least 8 hours to ensure good distribution.
Now it's time to wait a while.
Keep your pump and filter running. Give the shock a good 12 to 24 hours to work it's magic. If the algae hasn't cleared up after 24-48 hours, clean and brush the pool and add another shock treatment.
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. Only then should you introduce algaecide to get the best results.
If the tablets are not dissolving, and you get a strong smell of chlorine when you open the chlorinator, you probably have a bad check valve in the chlorinator. It is not allowing any water to move through the chlorinator, and any water that is there simply sits there and builds up a yellowish chlorine gas.
Used properly, chlorine tablets should last about one week before they dissolve and new tablets are needed, but pool chemistry will ultimately tell you if you if the application rate is correct.
To use the right number of tablets, always round your pool volume up to the nearest unit of 5,000 gallons. For instance, your pool has a capacity of 20,000 gallons, you would add four chlorine tablets. But if your pool holds just 16,000 gallons, you'd still use four, three-inch chlorine tablets. It's that easy.
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.
Before you start pouring shock in the pool, the first step is to brush the sides and floor of your pool to loosen all the algae. Doing this breaks the skin and allows the pool shock to more easily kill the algae. Once you've done this, it is important to make sure you have the proper pH level in your water.
Although vacuuming should be combined with pool shocking, it's better to vacuum the pool before you shock the water. A good scrubbing and vacuuming of the pool walls and floor will ensure that dirt and debris that can affect the water chemistry is removed before the chlorine is added.
Answer: After shocking the pool, it will need filtration and circulation. Run the pump as much as possible. Keep the filter clean (daily) until the water runs clear. Be sure to brush the pool often during this process as above-ground pools do not have drains at the bottom.
In the industry it is recognized to have the pool run for 3 hours at a bare minimum up to 24 hours. 24 hours really is overkill but it'll ensure the water is completely mixed with the chemicals.
Open the baffle or vent at the bottom, fully open. The wider open, the greater the dissolution rate. Your test kit will tell you for sure if you are using enough chlorine tablets.
Floating chlorine dispensers, sometimes referred to as floaters or feeders, come in many forms but are used for the same basic purposes: to add chlorine to your pool's water. These devices dispense a set amount of chemicals into your pool throughout the months when it's closed and covered.
Add one tablet for every 5,000 gallons of water and always round up. For example, if your pool has 21,000 gallons of water, add five tablets per week. If it has 8,000 gallons, use two tablets.
Never pour pool shock into the skimmer, pre-dissolve for use in vinyl liner pools. When broadcasting shock across the surface, be mindful of the wind direction. Brush the pool after shocking, and filter the water for at least 8 hours afterward.
Tablets will last approximately 5-7 days depending upon temperature and amount of water flow.