A pool should have a chlorine level between two and four parts per million (ppm). Make sure your above ground pool has enough by testing your water about every other day with chlorine test strips, such as these Aqua Chek Test Strips. Learn more about maintaining your pool's chemicals.
Place chlorine tablets in the chlorine dispenser. The chlorine will dissolve over time and keep the water chlorinated. Install an off-line chlorine feeder made for an above ground pool to your filter system. Follow manufacturer's directions for installation; they are easy to install.
Once the pool is opened and the floor and walls have been brushed the first chemical you should add is chlorine to shock it. It's recommended you add a gallon of liquid chlorine or pound of granular chlorine for every 5,000 gallons of water in the pool. You can also add more chlorine at the end of the opening process.
For the greatest protection against algae, bacteria, and cloudy water, Intex pools should maintain a chlorine level of 2.0-4.0 ppm at all times. If you opted for the Intex Salt Chlorinator, you can make your own chlorine by adding the correct amount of Pool Salt to the water.
Generally, pool water needs to be replaced once every five to seven years. This should be done during mild weather so that your pool surface is not at risk from strong sunlight and heat. Your pool maintenance company can recommend when it is time to drain your pool.
If your Total Available Chlorine (TAC) level is 0.3 ppm or higher above your Free Available Chlorine (FAC) level, it's time to shock the pool. This will break down the inactive Combined Chlorine (chloramines) in 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.
It is recommended to wait at least 20 minutes to an hour after adding water balancing chemicals. You should wait 2-4 hours (or one full cycle through the filter) to swim from the moment you use calcium chloride in your pool. It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours.
Shock is liquid or granular chlorine. You should add one gallon (or one pound) of shock per 10,000 gallons of pool water every week to two weeks. During hot weather or frequent use, you may need to shock more frequently.
The main difference between Shock and Chlorine is that the shock is a high dose of chlorine, whose only function is to shock by raising the chlorine level in the swimming pool. On the other hand, Chlorine is a general sanitiser used to maintain a crystal and clear pool for swimming.
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.
We recommend shocking Intex pools every week, especially if you're having a heat wave or heavy rains. Heat and excess water can knock your chlorine levels to sub-par levels pretty quickly. Use a pool shock with a decent amount of available chlorine, and run your filtration system after you shock your pool.
The most important factor though is the size of the pool. You'll need about 52-104 oz of liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons of water. This amount should get the chlorine level to between 5 and 10 ppm.
Run the Pool Pump Daily
Even if you don't plan to use the pool for a day or two, you should still run the pool pump and filter for 12 to 18 hours daily. The two run together to keep the water clean. The pool pump pulls the water from the pool and into the filter to clean the water from accumulated dirt and debris.
Add chlorine tablets to your chlorine feeder or chlorine floater to continuously chlorinate the water. Most pools use about 2 tablets per week, per 10,000 gallons of pool water.
If you're adding chlorine for the first time, add the amount of product required to achieve a free available chlorine level of 2 to 3 ppm. The instructions will let you know how much to use to raise levels by 1 ppm per 10,000 gallons (38,000 L) of water. Store pool chemicals in a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight.
Aim to maintain a chlorine level of 3 to 5mg/l at all times. How frequently you add more chlorine will depend on your usage and bathing habits. It could be daily, every two to three days or weekly. For 1mg/l, add 2g per 1000 litres.