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.
It doesn't matter how much chlorine, shock, algaecide, algae preventive or algae killer you use, the surface must be brushed to break the algae's protective surface and suspend the algae in the water so that the chemicals can do their job.
Combat the changes in your pool water by cleaning your pool and adding shock. This will remove contaminants and bring the pH levels up. You'll want to reduce the water level to normal before adding shock. Sunny Days– Summer brings the perfect pool weather!
Running your filter after shocking your pool is a must and is just as important to your pool as shocking it is. Be sure to run your filter for at least 6 hours, but shoot for 24 hours to several days, if your pool is particularly dirty or has algae, to properly circulate the chlorine and clean the water.
Dilute pool shock in a bucket of water for vinyl liner pools. Run the filter 24/7 until water is clear. Backwash only as needed. Brush the pool vigorously, several times after shocking the pool.
Algaecide should be used after each shock treatment, so it has a better chance to support your chlorine as it works its magic. Be sure to shock your pool first, then when the chlorine levels of your pool return to normal, add the correct amount of algaecide to several places around your pool while your pump is running.
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.
Apply the shock at night time, as sunlight burns up chlorine and greatly reduces its effectiveness. Run your pump (at night) for at least 8 hours to ensure good distribution.
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!
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.
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.
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. Only then should you introduce algaecide to get the best results.
BUT, if you have to shock your pool during the day in broad daylight, you can still swim after adding shock. It's recommended that you wait one hour after adding shock with the filter running, and then test the water to confirm the pH and chlorine are in the proper range before letting anyone enter the pool.
Q. How long does it take to shock a pool? The actual process shouldn't take more than an hour, but depending on the product used, it could be up to 8 hours before you can use it.
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.
This is why many pool experts recommend that you turn down, or shut off, your saltwater chlorine generator (SWG) while you're shocking your pool. Otherwise, you're running the risk of damaging the salt cell. And that could lead to it not generating enough chlorine after the shocking process finishes.
The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.
Heavy rains will dilute your pool alkalinity level, causing it to fall by 5-10 ppm a day. Low Alkalinity and low pH levels in pools can create a corrosive water environment. Corrosive pool water can result in the damage of underwater metal surfaces, such as pool lights, ladders and rails.
Algae can be very slippery, causing swimmers to fall resulting in bumps, bruises, cuts and even broken bones. Don't try to swim in a pool that's full of algae. Besides causing injuries, an algae infested pool creates a higher risk of drowning for those who are not expert swimmers or those who fall unconscious.
Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate, is pool chemical that has high alkalinity and a pH between 11.3- 11.7. The purpose of soda ash is to raise the pH in your pool while also raising your alkalinity levels.
5. Can I Use Algaecide to Clear Cloudy Pool Water? You can use an algaecide to kill early stages of green algae that might make your water appear cloudy, but the best method of getting rid of algae is to scrub and clean your pool using a large leaf net, vacuum, and kill algae with liquid chlorine shock.
Step 1 - Add Stain & Scale Treatment First!
Allow the agent 4-8 hours of filtration to make all of the chemical connections before adding chorine. Step 2 - Water Balance: When a pool is refilled with fresh water, the first step is to balance the pH, Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness levels.