But it's much more difficult to maintain chlorine levels in commercial pools without daily dosing, and almost impossible to do so in heavily used outdoor pools. In general, you should maintain free chlorine levels >1.5 ppm (mg/L as Cl2) on indoor UNSTABILIZED commercial pools.
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.
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.
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.
The ideal chlorine combination of your pool is between 1 and 3 parts per million (ppm). In order to kill pathogenic viruses, you'll want to make sure your chlorine concentration doesn't fall below 1 ppm.
But excessive exposure to chlorine can cause sickness and injuries, including rashes, coughing, nose or throat pain, eye irritation and bouts of asthma, health experts warn. Instructions for safely chlorinating a pool usually call for a maximum of four parts per million when people are in the pool.
We suggest shocking the pool every week to two weeks; with hot weather or increased use, you may need to shock more often. When tabs run out, replace them.
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.
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.
Factor #1: Regular Use
This works out to once every day or two. Testing at this frequency should ensure you are able to keep free chlorine levels at recommended ranges of 2.0 to 4.0+ ppm, assuming no unusual activity or events cause a spike in contaminants.
On average, you should check your chlorine levels at least two to three times a week. However, for new pool owners, you may want to begin by checking your chlorine levels once a day. This daily routine gives pool owners time to learn their pool in relation to their swimming habits and weather.
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.
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.
Answer: Yes, when using tablets they can be present in the water while you swim. Also confirm with a test of the chlorine level to be sure the sanitizer level is safe for swimming.
Store pool chemicals outside the home or attached garage; a locked stand-alone shed is recommended. Lock your storage area to keep children, pets and unauthorized users out. Keep your storage area free of rags, trash, debris, or other materials that could clutter the hazardous material area.
Liquid chlorine is preferred over chlorine tablets by pool professionals however home swimming pools will benefit too. Liquid chlorine quickly raises or maintains chlorine levels without raising stabilizer. Chlorine tablets maintain chlorine levels and add stabilizer to the pool water.
Chlorinated and non-chlorinated pools freeze at the same temperature. However, salt water pools will freeze at a slightly lower temperature. It should also be noted that above-ground pools will generally freeze at a higher temperature than inground pools.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours.
This level is ideal for swimmers because it isn't so high that it burns the eyes or skin yet helps keep the pool clean. This pH range works well with floating chlorine dispensers.
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 is essential for pool water because it kills harmful algae, bacteria and microorganisms. ... 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.
WEEKLY ABOVE GROUND POOL MAINTENANCE:
Clean the pool deck and surrounding areas, helps keep the pool clean. Add maintenance doses of algaecide, clarifier, metal control. Add chlorine tablets to refill the floater or chlorinator. Backwash or clean filter, only if pressure gauge rises 7-9 psi.
You Notice Signs of Eye or Skin Irritation
If you or your family members start experiencing signs of irritation during or after you swim in the pool, there may be too much chlorine present. You could notice that your eyes are itchy, red and watery, or you might notice that your skin is very dry, very itchy or very red.