How long after algaecide can you shock? You should wait at least 24 hours before shocking the pool after adding algaecide. After shocking, always check the free chlorine and total chlorine levels because they could increase very high if you do not wait long enough before shocking.
While shocking and adding algaecide is effective in getting rid of algae, 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.
It's important to know that using pool shock and algaecide together can create bad chemical reactions if you don't take the necessary precautions. Your chlorine levels won't return to normal right after you shock your pool anyway, so we recommend waiting at least 24 hours to add algaecide.
Algaecide should be added to your pool water on a weekly basis. Preventing algae is the key to fun in your pool. 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.
Now is the time to add Pool Clarifier and let it circulate for 12 hours. This will clump the algae together into vaccumable pieces. Shut your pump off and let the cloudiness settle. This may take up to a few days for very cloudy pools.
Shock your pool water weekly to remove contaminants and clear up cloudy water. Add a preventative dose of an algaecide to your pool every week after shocking. Algaecides not only kill algae—they can prevent its growth as well.
So unless you're dealing with mustard algae or black algae, leave the algaecide on the shelf and get ready to shock the heck out of your pool. But when dealing with regular ol' green pool algae, chlorine is your best bet to kill it dead.
Chlorine combines with the algaecide ingredients and renders them useless. The best time to introduce an algaecide , which functions best as a preventative, is after you've shocked the pool and the chlorine level has fallen below 5 parts per million.
Add a dose of algaecide, bring your chlorine level high by shocking, and run the filter continuously until the problem clears. The next day you should vacuum up the dead algae and backwash your filter. Algae thrives in hot weather and in pools with low or no chlorine.
The presence of too much algaecide can lead to a foamy pool water. Small bubbles will begin to be produced as the water is pushed through the return jet and back into the pool. Do not confuse these bubbles and foam with another common problem, which is air in your pool lines.
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.
When closing and winterizing your pool, it is important to remember to balance your pool water's chemistry prior to closing and don't forget the algaecide. Algaecide is simple and effective with one quart of winter algaecide typically enough to treat 20,000 gallons of water all winter long.
In a pool where algae is present, algaecides work in conjunction with chlorine to kill the algae cells. The algaecide causes the cells of the algae to burst, which destroys the plant. Different algaecides are used for different types of algae.
Pour the algaecide dose into the water, depositing it in several areas around the pool. Your swimming pool pump should be running at this time to help circulate the algaecide. Wait about 30 minutes before allowing anyone to swim after the algaecide application.
If you add chemicals to balance the water after testing, wait a full day – or even longer – before retesting. It takes about 24 hours for the chemicals to properly circulate in order to get an effective reading from the retest. The water test will assess the pH, chlorine, total alkalinity and calcium hardness.
Add Algaecide After Shocking
Wait for the pH to fall to a safe level for swimming (3 ppm or below) and then add a product such as Pool Time Algicide + Clarifier in the amount recommended in the product instructions. Pour this incrementally into the water as you walk around the pool.
You can get rid of algae quickly by vacuuming and brushing your pool, balancing your pool's water chemistry, and then shocking and filtering your pool water. Just be thorough as you clean your pool surfaces. If you leave behind even a small number of algae spores, it won't be long before they regrow and bloom again.
When to Use Algaecide
If you do not use chlorine to kill algae in the pool, you should aim to add algaecide to your pool on a weekly frequency. Algaecides serve as a secondary sanitization option for your maintenance system and prevent the ugly sight of algae in the pool.
There are a few different types of algaecides that contain various chemicals to suppress and fight off algae. Many of them include copper or copper sulfate. It's this copper that oxidizes in the water. And when copper oxidizes it turns a green color causing your pool to look green.
Algaecide is a chemical substance that biologically controls the growth of algae. It can be used in pools, fountains, and ponds.
Pool water turns green because of algae in the water. Algae can grow rapidly, particularly when it's warm like Summer, which is why it can surprise you overnight. This generally comes down to an imbalance or lack of chlorine in the water.
Green Algae
It can grow both on the pool surface, resembling a green, slimy stain, and also suspended in the pool water, causing the water to appear to have a green tint. In severe cases, the algae is concentrated enough so that it is impossible to see the pool bottom, or even the steps.