You will need to quadruple shock your pool by added 4 pounds of shock to every 10,000 gallons of water. This can be expensive if you have a large swimming pool.
Shock Your Pool with Chlorine to Kill Algae
This is the main event in clearing a green pool—killing the algae. Pool shock contains a high level of chlorine that will kill the algae and sanitize the pool. For the best results, use a shock that contains at least 70% available chlorine (calcium hypochlorite).
You need to raise the level of your chlorine – shock the pool – and maintain that high level until all the algae is dead. This may take 3 to 4 days.
You cannot overshock a swimming pool or add too much. Adding too much shock or overshocking your pool will kill off algae. The negative of adding too much shock is it will upset the chemical balance of your pool.
If you have a DE filter, you need to backwash it before you start the process, and add fresh DE. Allow the filter to run for at least 24 hours, after the treatment. Then, you can scrub the pool when you clean the filter, and then let it run again. You are going to repeat that process until the pool is clear.
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.
A pool filter should be run for a minimum of 6 hours after shocking a swimming pool. This is to allow the filter to clean the water and give the shock enough time to fully mix with the pool water. Running the filter after shocking for 24 hours to 7 days is necessary if the pool has a large amount of algae.
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.
Can you put too much shock in a pool? SKIMMER NOTES: It's unlikely but it could happen. It would take a lot of shock to really make the water unsafe for swimming. The best way to make sure you're safe to swim is to test your pool water and make sure free chlorine levels are between 1-4ppm for healthy swimming.
Typically for granular shock, you'll need one pound for every 10,000 to 13,500 gallons of pool water.
Never close the cover immediately after shocking the pool. It is recommended to wait several hours before closing the cover. Use a test kit to regularly test the pool water. If the tests results are good, this does not imply the water chemistry was good prior to your current test results.
When the chlorine has completely finished working, the algae in the pool will turn a white/gray color and will either settle to the bottom of the pool or be suspended in the water. There shouldn't be any more green color and the water visibility should be improving. Run the filter 24/7 and backwash as needed.
Prepare shock ahead of time in a 5-gallon bucket of pool water and stir. Ensure the pool pump is running. Pour the mixture from the bucket into the water around the edges of the pool. Let the pump run for about 6 hours or more and test the water.
When the levels are properly balanced, chlorine will keep the algae at bay, but the water will slowly begin to turn green as the algae take over if there's not enough. But be careful—adding too much chlorine in pool water can cause those metals to oxidize and turn the pool a different shade of green.
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.
Baking Soda and Green, Blue, or Yellow Algae
You'll need to use an algaecide to kill the algae and superchlorinate your pool to clear the water. After this treatment, test your pH and alkalinity and add baking soda to raise alkalinity to at least 100 ppm and pH to between 7.2 and 7.8.
The first, and most common, reason why pool water goes green is a lack of chlorine. Without chlorine in the water the pool will quickly start to grow algae. If chlorine is not added to the water once this process starts, the algae can grow to a point where the entire pool turns green within a day.
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.
While you can safely put your cover back on the pool right after you've added chemicals, it's always best to wait 30 minutes to an hour, just to help your cover last longer. And definitely always remove it while shocking your pool and keep it off until chlorine levels return to normal (about 1-2 ppm).
Is It Safe To Run The pool Pump With The Pool Cover On? It is safe to run the pool pump and filter with a swimming pool cover on. The pool cover doesn't in any way stop or hinder the pool pump from circulating the water or carrying out its function.
You want some clear area between the edge of the pool and the cover to pour chemicals. You don't need to remove the cover, you just need enough room so you aren't splashing any full strength chemicals on the cover. When you are done with the chemical addition you can pull the cover back into place.
Light Green or Teal Pool Water:
To double shock, you will need to add 2 pounds for every 10,000 gallons of water. For instance, if you pool is 20,000 gallons, you will add 4 pounds of shock.