All pool chemicals, aside from unstabilised liquid chlorine, are good for up to three to five years as long as they're stored in a cool and dark place away from sunlight and they're packed in air-tight containers. Granular chlorine can be re-packed to extend its shelf life.
Most floating chlorinators can hold anywhere from two to eight weeks worth of chlorine, depending on conditions such as the season and your pool's size. An automatic feeder works in a similar way, allowing it to mix with the pool water slowly and deliberately.
We typically recommend using a calcium hypochlorite (cal hypo) shock when super chlorinating a pool. Just keep in mind that this type of pool shock has a small amount of calcium and will cloud the water for up to 12-24 hours in certain situations.
You should aim to keep the chlorine level at between 1 and 3 ppm. We suggest shocking the pool every week to two weeks; with hot weather or increased use, you may need to shock more often.
The simple answer to this question is yes. Like any chemicals, chlorine tablets go bad if left long enough or improperly stored. Kept in the right conditions, however, and they can remain effective for over five years.
Most pool test reagents will last a year at least. Some will expire after two years or longer. ... Larger bottles may appear to be the better value, but if not used in a year's time, reagents may need to be disposed of or risk exceeding their useful life.
As long as the climate you live in doesn't get extremely hot in the summer, storing pool chemicals outdoors is a possibility. Just make sure they're protected from the elements including direct sunlight.
What can happen if you go into a pool too soon after it's been shocked? There are a few potential issues. "Chlorine will react with water to produce an acid," Alan says. "The effects will be different depending on whether chlorine is inhaled or whether there is skin or eye contact."
Chlorine has a low pH level, and in order to maintain your pool water's clarity and balance, shocking weekly will allow you to quickly raise the chlorine level, which will rid the pool of contaminants, without lowering the water's pH levels.
According to experts, there is a chlorine shortage due to a swimming pool boom and a fire at a chemical plant in Louisiana. This shortage will make it more expensive to keep pools clean.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours. It is always best to test first!
It's often recommended to shock your pool once a week. If you don't do it every week, you should at least do it every other week. This is necessary to maintain your pool's water chemistry. If you have a lot of people over in your pool or have a party, you may want to shock your pool more frequently.
It's recommended that you should do a pool shock once a week. The more you use the pool, the more often you need to shock it. Occasionally, you may need to perform an extra pool shock after: Heavy pool use, like a pool party.
Tablets will last approximately 5-7 days depending upon temperature and amount of water flow.
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.
Add chlorine if needed to keep your reading between 1-1.5ppm. Once you've obtained a good reading, you can usually maintain your chlorine levels by adding chlorine tablets once a week. These dissolve more slowly and will keep your chlorine levels stable.
Daily as needed and indicated by measurement. One caveat, however: if your total alkalinity and pH are not where they should be, you will find it difficult to keep enough free chlorine in your pool water. Adjust your alkalinity first, then correct your chlorine.
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends on the formulation. The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite (and available chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as you'll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.
They are identical in every way, with the exception of strength. Household bleach is usually a 6% concentration (although some of the cheaper stuff is 3%), while pool chlorine can typically be found in strength between 10% and 12%. All of this is sodium hypochlorite, and works the same in sanitizing your water.
But if the cloudy water persists long after you've shocked the pool, you're likely having an issue with water balance, circulation, or filtration. Heavy use of a calcium based pool shock (cal-hypo) may increase Calcium Hardness over a period of time, increasing your odds of cloudy water.
The best time of day to shock pool is when the sun is down. So, experts recommend shocking your pool in the evening or at night, to make sure it does its job. Shocking during the day can be ineffective as UV rays from direct sunlight significantly reduce free chlorine levels.
Liquid Chlorine has the shortest shelf life of all your pool chemicals, losing up to 50% or half of its potency six months from when it was first opened and up to 90% after a year.
Pool chemicals should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. Garages are generally not the best place to store pool chemicals unless they are locked in a storage bin or cabinet. Oxidizers and strong acids corrode metal and can cause heavy rusting of pool, electrical, and other equipment stored in the room.
Chlorine is a common disinfectant, is widely used in swimming pools and leisure centres. Chlorine should not be stored with ammonia, acetylene, benzene, butadiene, hydrogen, any petroleum gases, sodium carbide and turpentine.