When Should I Shock My Pool
The best time of day to shock your pool is in the evening after sunset so that the suns UV rays will not evaporate the shock from the water and will allow the shock to oxidize the water for a longer length of time.; Youll want to choose a time when your swimmers are finished and out of the pool for the day because you dont want anyone in the pool during this time.
Make sure to use protection when handling shock such as eyewear and gloves. Prepare the shock by following the manufacturers recommendations. Once you shock the pool run the filtration for 24 hours. Make sure to recheck your pool chemistry the next day and balance accordingly.
What Is Shocking A Pool And Why Should You Do It
Shocking a pool, also known as pool chlorination, is adding chlorine in swimming pool water to sanitize itgetting rid of chloramine , contaminants, bacteria, preventing algae, ammonia, and other living organisms from thriving in your pool.
Chlorinating a swimming pool is a very important and necessary part of pool maintenance.
Every pool owner should at least understand how to do it, how frequently, what amount of chlorine to add, and which chlorine shock to use in a pool.
Moreover, the cornerstone of keeping free chlorine active all the time is keeping it in proper balance with cyanuric acid.
The higher the cyanuric acid level in your water, the more your free chlorine will be ineffective, and the more chlorine you will use in your pool.
Confirm on Trouble Free Pool’s Chlorine/CYA Chart to know the correct amount of chlorine to add at a given level of cyanuric acid.
By regularly adding chlorine shock to your water, you completely avoid the hassle of SLAMing your pool to clear algae and ammonia.
To have a trouble-free pool throughout the summer, I always recommend the use of non-stabilized chlorine known as sodium hypochlorite with a 12.5% chlorine concentration for pool sanitization.
You can also use sodium hypochlorite with a 10% chlorine concentration, but not a regular household bleach that comes with low chlorine concentration of 8% and below.
Got My Shock But How Much Do I Need
As with any cleaning chemical, the amount of pool shock you use depends on the volume of your pool. Generally, the magic number is one pound per 10,000 gallons. This is especially easy to measure out when you buy pool shock conveniently packaged in one pound bags. Why not make your life easier?
Not sure how many gallons of water your pool contains? Simply multiply the length, width, and depth of your pool in feet, and then multiply that figure by 7.5 to convert the number to gallons. Its a quick calculation anyone can doeven if you never exactly aced geometry. And if you think better in formulas, that would be:
x x x 7.5 =
When opening your pool for the season, you should use double the amount of shock to really clear out any bacteria, algae, and who-knows-what thats built up in your water throughout the winter. That would be two pounds of pool shock per 10,000 gallons of water.
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How To Shock The Pool
The moral of the story is that you have to test your pool to know when to shock. Shocking monthly or even weekly is overkill in many cases.
Why Shocking Is Important
Unfortunately for pool owners, you cant just fill up a pool with water and expect it to always be clean.
Due to outside influences, the state of pool water is constantly changing, becoming increasingly grimy with each passing second.
Its for this reason why an array of chemicals are added to pool water. With the addition of a sanitizer such as chlorine, the water stays clean and safe for people to swim in.
Even though pools have a constant sanitizing agent in the water, over time it breaks down and slowly becomes less effective. At this point you need to add more of it if you want the pool to remain clean.
The idea behind pool shocking is to quickly raise the free chlorine level in the pool, killing off bacteria, algae growth, chloramines, and other pathogens in the water. This can be done using either chlorinated or non-chlorine pool shock.
Chlorinated pool shock is the most common. It gives the pool a massive dose of chlorine, killing everything in its path.
Non-chlorine pool shock is an oxidizer that attacks organic contaminants in the water. By focusing strictly on those, it frees up the free chlorine in the pool so it can be more effective in sanitizing the water.
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Pool Shock: When & How Much
Welcome to our discussion on swimming pool shock,; specifically, when should one shock the pool, and how much do I need to add?
Shocking the pool with chlorine is the raising of free chlorine levels in the pool to such a high level that every living thing in the water is killed by cell disruption. I liken the process to a lightning bolt ripping through the water, and perhaps thats why its called shocking the pool.
How Long After Shocking A Pool Can You Swim
After being shocked, your pool will temporarily have high levels of free chlorine . Swimming in highly chlorinated water can cause skin irritation and other harmful effects. The CDC recommends that pool owners maintain free chlorine levelsbetween 1-3 parts per million for safe swimming.
Depending on the treatment you used, it may take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours for your swimming pools FC levels to return to a safe range.
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Can I Just Drop Pool Shock Right In
As long as you have shock that doesnt require pre-dissolving, adding pool shock to your pool is unbelievably easy. All you have to do is walk slowly around the perimeter of your pool and pour it straight in.
If you have a type of sodium hypochlorite that requires pre-dissolving, add each pound to a five pound bucket of water and give it a mix and some time before adding it to your pool.
In either case, if you have an outdoor pool remember to apply pool shock at dusk or at night, or the sun will burn out the compound that makes it effective. True to its name, pool shock for pools is usually unstabilized. If youre adding pool shock to your hot tub, any time will do.
Unless youre using a non-chlorine shock, youll want to wait eight hours after using shock before you jump back into the pool. If youre a night swimmer, go you. Just add pool shock in after youre done for the day.
Shocking your above-ground pool? Make sure its circulated properly with a high-powered pump like the Copper Force Above Ground Pool Pump, which has three options for horsepower and an ultra-cool operation. According to customer Doug Paar, The pump is very quiet and has good pressure. I would recommend.
How To Shock A Pool
Before we discuss how to shock a pool, lets explain why and when to do it. Shocking a pool is part of regular maintenance during the warmer months. It is also done throughout the entire year, just less often during cooler months. Pool owners and pool service professionals shock a pool to super-chlorinate the water. Shocking a swimming pool will destroy bacteria, algae and organic waste that regular chlorination may have missed.;
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Pool Shock Quick Answers
Youve likely heard of the term everything in moderation at some point in your life. Surprisingly, when it comes to shocking your pool, this rule of thumb can be safely set aside. Generally speaking, the answer to Can you over shock a pool? is no, you cannot. You can, however, use more shock than you need or less than is sufficient.
In other words, while you shouldnt worry too much about adding a little extra pool shock, there is still a right way and a wrong way to shock your pool if you want to get the best results. In this quick guide, well review the main factors to consider when carrying out this critical pool maintenance process.
How Often Should You Shock Your Pool
The frequency of pool shocking isnt set in stone, and it really only needs to be done when your water starts going haywire.;
Some things youll be able to visually see , but most water pollutants will be invisible.
There are some pool owners who like to shock once a week to keep the water its cleanest, while others will do it on a 3-week or monthly cycle.;
Shocking frequency also depends on how much use the pool is getting, and what kind of weather its being subjected to.; Heavy rainfall and storms can disrupt the pool waters chemical makeup by introducing backyard debris and air pollutants like dust and pollen spores into the water.;
Likewise, an increase in the number of people using the pool will bring in more organic bacteria, resulting in a chlorine level decrease. If you have a pool party, youll most likely have to shock the pool once its over.
Youll also want to apply shock treatment when opening the pool, and closing it down for the season.
On opening, after youve balanced its pH level, shocking will sanitize and oxidize the pool, restoring its clear water. On closing, pool shock is used as a disinfectant to prepare the pool for the winter months.
Also of note, if you were wondering, you cant overshock a pool. The worst that will happen is the water has an abundance of chlorine for a few hours. Once the sun comes out, it will quickly destroy the chlorine and bring the pool back to a level that is safe for swimmers.
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Your Water Temperature Soared
While pool heaters allow you to increase the water temperature to your preference, warm water eats up free chlorine like a fat kid inhales cupcakes. In addition, microorganisms and bacteria such as algae flourish in warm water.
A comfortable temperature is between 86 and 88°F. If under heavy usage, the pool temperature should be lowered to 78 to 84°F. Water temperature can also soar if your pool is in the sun all day, and you have a pool finish like stone, which naturally draws in heat.
How Long After I Shock My Pool Can I Swim
Shocking your pool, or super chlorinating, is a cleaning method designed to keep your pool water clean and safe by adding three to five times the normal amount of chlorine. This drastically raises the chlorine level in a short period of time. Shocking your pool should not be a daily routine. Sure, there are times when shocking your pool is absolutely necessary like the times when you neglect your pool or when your pool is recovering from a terrible storm. However, if you have a salt water generator and consistently test and monitor your chemical levels, there shouldnt be a need to shock your pool often.
Pool owners usually have a single concern when shocking their pool- How long after I shock my pool can I swim?
Unfortunately, there is no general consensus within the pool community when it comes to determining how long you should wait before swimming again. However, even with no general consensus, we were still able to discover many convincing factors that helped narrow down when the pool is safe for swimmers again after shocking.
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How Often Should I Shock My Swimming Pool
Pool Shock is a type of chemical used to destroy bacteria and other organic contaminants in your swimming pool.;Chlorine shock can be used to give your chlorine level a boost when it is very low. After using a chlorine-based;shock, you should wait at least 8 hours before going back into the pool.;Non-chlorine shock is a nice alternative and can be used as a supplement to your normal pool chemicals. With most non-chlorine shocks, you can swim again 15 minutes after shocking the water. Always make sure that the filter system is running while shocking the pool.
Some pool owners choose to shock their pools once every 1-2 weeks as normal maintenance. This is a great way to keep your chlorine level up and prevent algae growth.
In addition to your regular maintenance, common circumstances in which its a good idea to add shock to your pool water include:
Just remember At a minimum, be sure to shock your pool in any of the above situations. To be on the safe side, you may also consider shocking your pool every 1-2 weeks as a preventative measure. If youre utilizing a saltwater system with your swimming pool, its also a good idea to periodically shock your swimming pool if the chlorine levels are low.
Add Shock To The Pool
If using dissolved granular shock, make your way around the perimeter of the pool and slowly pour the solution into the water. What this allows for is the power of the return jets to circulate it quickly. If using liquid chlorine, pour it around the perimeter of the deep end of the pool, and close to the surface to avoid it splashing up.
In some cases with granular shock, you may end up with undissolved granules on the walls of the pool, or at the waterline. Take out a pool brush and remove them pronto. These little granular buggers can damage the liner/finish if left to their own devices.
Also, make sure your pump and filter are running all night. This ensures the pool shock will be fully distributed in the water to destroy all contaminants.
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What About For My Hot Tub Do I Need To Shock That Too
Congratulations, youre one of the fortunate among us with a hot tub. But calcium hypochlorite is not for you. This is because its unstabilized, meaning that it breaks down in heat like direct sunlightand loses 95% of its effectiveness in a hot tub. But dont think youre in the clear: no matter what sanitizer you use, you still have to worry about chlorines .
To shock your hot tub, youll want to use a stabilized shock like dichlor shock, which is also inexpensive and widely available. That is, unless you use two specific sanitizers: for a biguanide sanitizer, youre better opting in for a biguanide shock, and for a spa mineral sanitizer, youll want non-chlorine shock.
All cleaning chemicals only spread evenly thanks to your pool pump. For thorough circulation, try the 1.5 HP Variable Speed Blue Torrent Thunder Pool Pump. It pays itself off in energy saved and includes a lifetime warranty. As customer Eric D. says, For variable speeds, cant find much better price than this. Day one, I fired this pump up and it ran clean and fast.
You Just Opened Or Closed Your Pool
Shocking upon opening or closing a pool is a must.
When you open a pool for the season, you first need to balance the water properly. Once thats done, youll shock the pool to sanitize and oxidize it, simultaneously restoring clarity to the water.
At the end of pool season, youll need to shock it one final time to keep the pool sanitized during the months it wont be in use.
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Shocked Your Pool And Its Still Green
Sadly, theres no magic wand to wave to make your pool crystal clear overnight.
If your pool water has turned into a lovely shade of green, chemically shockingyour pool is your best bet to get it back into shape.
To ensure your pool returns to normal, there are three things youll need to get your pool back into shape: the correct chemicals, a filtration system, and of course, plenty of patience.
After completing the entire process outlined below, you should start to see your pool crystal clear, sparkling new and ready for a splash.
If you find your pool still murky green after you do chemically shocking your pool, dont panic.
This can be easily fixed!
What Is Pool Shocking
The term shocking means to add enough chlorine to the pool or spa water to destroy all combined chlorine present in the water. In detail, the process of pool shocking means adding chlorine or non-chlorine shock to your pool in order to raise the free chlorine level. The goal is to raise free chlorine levels to a point that destroys unwanted contaminants, such as algae, chloramines, and bacteria.;
A common term for using a pool shock to destroy combined chlorine is called breakpoint chlorination. Usually, reaching breakpoint chlorination will require adding 10 times the amount of combined chlorine present in parts per million .;
Here are some things to keep in mind before using pool shock:
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