Before we get into how to shock a shower, let’s go over why you should do it and when you should do it. During the summer, shock a pool as part of routine maintenance. It is often performed during the year, but less often throughout the winter. Pool owners and service providers shock the water to “super-chlorinate” it. Swimming pools that have been shocked would be free of bacteria, algae, and organic waste that normal chlorination may have skipped.
Why Would You Shock a Pool?
The amount of chlorine in your pool will change based on the number of people using it and the pollutants in the water. Pool chlorine is designed to destroy bacteria and keep the pool clean to swim in, but it often binds to ammonia in the water, producing chloramines. Swimmers, fertilizers, bird droppings, sunscreen lotions, and other wastes contribute to this type of waste. The only way to get the bound chlorine (chloramines) out of the pool is to shock it.
When Do You Shock a Pool?
Depending on the tested levels of chlorine, a standard weekly maintenance routine of shocking and oxidizing will be to switch between a chlorine shock and a non-chlorine shock per week. To oxidize toxins out of the water, use a chlorine-based shock one week and a chlorine-free shock the next. This would help minimize the amount of chlorine required while still increasing the chlorine’s overall effectiveness.
So, what is the best time to shock the pool? You will see the difference between Free Available Chlorine (FAC) and Total Available Chlorine (CAC) levels by checking the water every week (during the swimming season). In the next part, we’ll go through the Chlorine definitions.
Rain and Thunderstorms: During storms, rain water, dust, and other debris are likely to contaminate your pool. After extreme weather, shocking will aid in the clean-up effort.
Opening and Closing: It is recommended that you shock your pool after balancing the other chemicals. The particles will be oxidized, bacteria will be killed, and the water will be clarified. When it’s time to shut your pool for the winter, shocking will aid in the battle against pollutants.
Algae Outbreaks: When algae occurs in your pool, super-chlorination with strong shocks such as Power Powder Pro or other Cal-Hypo variants will also solve the issue.
Pool Overcrowding: When a large number of people use a pool in a short period of time, the water may become polluted in a variety of ways. It is strongly recommended to shock guests during parties or other accidental contaminations.
We suggest using a non-chlorine shock like Leslie’s Fresh ‘N Clear to oxidize and burn off the ammonia until the chlorine is in the correct range of 2-4ppm. For all times, the Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine levels should be the same.
Chlorine comes in a variety of forms.
We need to know the two forms of chlorine that affect pool water chemistry before shocking the pool.
Free Chlorine, also known as Free Usable Chlorine (FC or FAC), is the most powerful chlorine for sanitizing pool water. It disinfects the water and destroys contaminants easily.
Chlorine (combined) – (CAC) Have you ever been to a public pool or water park and smelled the “chlorine smell”? The non-effective (dead) chloramines that develop when there isn’t enough Free Chlorine present give off this distinct odor.
Total Chlorine – Total Chlorine Available (TAC) The sum amount of chlorine in the form of free and combined chlorine. TAC = (FAC + CAC)
completely healthy swimming pool!
