First, don't add everything at once, or add everything except the shock - which should be added separately, either before or after, by at least 8 hours. Second, add phosphate removers, enzymes or stain & scale chemicals before you lower the water level, so you can circulate the chemicals for at least 8 hours.
Balance the water & add winterizing chemicals. Algaecides will be destroyed by high chlorine, so balance first, then shock, and winterize last. days prior to closing. the pool system for at least 1 day of operating the pool system.
Start with pH. Inexperienced pool owners often think that all you have to do is shock your swimming pool with chlorine, but the truth is that pH is the key. If your pH is not balanced, any other chemicals that you add will be ineffective. The ideal pH is between 7.4 and 7.6.
Because pH and alkalinity adjustments affect one another, you should always correct the total alkalinity before pH. This is because proper total alkalinity will act as a buffer for pH, helping to prevent fluctuations in pH levels.
Try to wait at least 10 minutes between adding chemicals to your pool. This is a sufficient amount of time for the chemicals to mix in the water.
One critical component of pool closing: chlorine level. Chlorine prevents algae, breaks down bacteria, and keeps your pool clean and fresh. Before you shut things down for the season, it's a good idea to hit your pool with an extra-powerful punch of chlorine in the form of a shock treatment.
Super chlorinate with liquid chlorine or other chlorine source and add winterizing chemical kit to pool; allow filter to circulate to evenly distribute chemicals. (Use chemicals as labels indicate.) Use 1 gallon of liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Let the shock try to fight the algae first. Add algaecide about 24 hours after shock to finish the job and prevent future algae blooms.
The night before you close the pool, triple shock it with granular chlorine. Follow the instructions on the package for how much to add, but generally most bags suggest adding 1 lb. of shock per 10,000 gallons of pool water.
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.
The Pool Water Treatment Process and Sequence
The sequence of strainer, pump, filter and heat exchanger is not debatable. What is debatable, is the position at which the coagulant/ flocculent injection point takes place, and also the point at which the disinfection injection point occurs.
Ideally, you should shock your pool at night, so the sun cannot interfere and destroy the active chemicals before they can do their job. Then, you can add your chlorine post-shock after the chlorine levels have fallen below 5 ppm.
Algaecide is simple and effective, with one quart of winter algaecide typically enough to treat 20,000 gallons of water all winter long. By simply adding algaecide to your water prior to closing, you can prevent algae growth from occurring during the cold winter months, which makes for an easier opening in the spring.
When should you use non-chlorine shock? That's easy — just test your water to check the chlorine levels. In general, you should aim to add shock to the pool at least once a week. The type you use depends on the results of your water test.
First, don't add everything at once, or add everything except the shock - which should be added separately, either before or after, by at least 8 hours. Second, add phosphate removers, enzymes or stain & scale chemicals before you lower the water level, so you can circulate the chemicals for at least 8 hours.
It is recommended to wait at least 20 minutes to an hour after adding water balancing chemicals. You should wait 2–4 hours (or one full cycle through the filter) to swim from the moment you use calcium chloride in your pool. It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours.
But as temperatures drop and sunlight wanes, your pool water level becomes vulnerable to algae blooms, staining, scaling, and a host of other issues that can turn your crystal-clear water into a murky mess. Using the correct chemicals when you close your pool acts as a preventative measure.
Begin the pool start-up process by adding some scale or stain preventative before any other chemical. If your pool consists of new plaster, this step should always go first. Make sure that the water is properly tested to determine how much chemicals you should add.
If the pH gets higher than 7.8, the water is becoming too alkaline. When water is too alkaline, it reduces the effectiveness of chlorine — the pool chemical that kills pathogens. Water with a pH that's too high also can cause skin rashes, cloudy water and scaling on pool equipment.
Can I Add All Pool Chemicals At The Same Time? No. With the exception of salt, you should never mix any types of chemicals and put them together, not even close to each other. Never want to mix acid with chemicals like stabilisers, chlorine and buffers.