An undesired aftereffect of shocking your pool is this: it can cause cloudy pool water. In some instances, the cloudiness is a temporary thing (source). Running your pool's filter right after shocking can help it quickly clear away the particles and debris that cloud the water.
High doses of chlorine, like pool shock, can cause temporary cloudiness as it kills contaminants. High levels of pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness are more likely to cause cloudy water.
1) After shock - Sometimes pool water looks cloudy right after you apply shock granules such as cal-hypo, or liquid shock, but rest assured it's only temporary. This could be due to change in water balance – meaning your pool water temporarily goes off balance when adding these products.
In most cases, a cloudy pool after shocking is only temporary and should clear up within 24 hours. Keep filtering your pool, add a little clarifier to help, and your pool should be clear in no time. If after 24 hours your pool is not clear, then you may need to look a little deeper for the solution.
Although, if you overdo the shock treatment, you risk getting green hair from chlorine due to the excess chlorine oxidizing the copper in the water. You can execute a shock treatment with a few different types of pool shock, just be mindful of how much you're using.
Starting with the pH, then the chlorine, and then other chemicals after that. If the water still appears cloudy after adjusting all the chemicals, you can try using either a water clarifier to remove the debris through the filter or use a pool flocculant and then vacuum to remove any particles.
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.
Pool chemicals could be out of balance or the pH might be off. Chlorine levels and the right pH are key to keeping a pool clear. If a pool's pump or the filter isn't working right, the water may look murkier than usual. Storms or increased rainfall can affect your pool.
For the most part, yes. It can be unattractive and it should be addressed, but it is mostly safe to swim in cloudy water. The only exception would be if the pool is cloudy because there are too many chemicals in it. This pool water would be unsafe to swim in and should be avoided.
Excessive levels of pool chemicals can cause your water to become cloudy. High pH, high alkalinity, high chlorine or other sanitisers, and high calcium hardness are all common culprits.
During the swimming season, the pump and filtration system need to run for at least 8 hours every day to properly clean and filter the pool water. If it's only on for a few hours daily, then the system won't have time to clean the pool, leaving the water cloudy.
When the pH levels are imbalanced, it renders the free chlorine ineffective and the levels decrease. Too little free chlorine forms chloramine and it is this combined chlorine that results in your pool's cloudy appearance.
Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly. 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.
Shock has a more intense chemical strength than the traditional chlorine sanitizers, and it also differs in how you should apply it to your swimming pool. Short answer: No. Chlorine sanitizers and shock are similar but different in strength.
Backwash only as needed. Brush the pool vigorously, several times after shocking the pool. Do not use a solar blanket until chlorine and pH level are normal. If chlorine level drops to zero within 24 hours, Repeat the 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.
Baking Soda
Most remedies call for adding additional chlorine into the water. If your water's pH balance is between 7.2 and 7.5, however, you can add baking soda to the water to help clear it up. This serves as a replacement for chlorine because baking soda is a natural cleaning agent.
It's not a good idea to use pool shock at the same time as clarifier. Some clarifiers are polymer based and the shock can act to break up the polymer causing the clarifier to be ineffective. It's best to shock your pool before and wait a day or two before adding clarifier.
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is naturally alkaline, with a pH of 8. When you add baking soda to your pool water, you will raise both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity.
The simple answer is No. Baking soda cannot be used to clear up a cloudy pool because it is a base. Bases raise PH levels, which causes the water to turn cloudy. Some people suggest using baking soda as a quick fix to high alkalinity levels, but it's not reliable as a pool chemical.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool? 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.
Perhaps most important note of all, never add chlorine and muriatic acid together in the pool. This creates a dangerous toxic gas that can have severe health consequences if inhaled.
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.
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.