Ok, not an expert on pools - but improving. I have read all sorts of varying recommendations on how and how often to shock a pool, so am a bit confused. (nothing new there then)
So was wondering what others have found works well for them?
Last season I did it maybe twice by super-dosing with chlorine. Certainly works but it took well over 24hrs before the chlorine levels returned to normal (maybe got my sums wrong of course). Some of the - expensive - shocking kits claim to do it overnight.
I guess I have two questions:
- how often to shock
- do the special kits really work and are they better
As a postscript; I find the water is often a little cloudy - maybe milky and certainly, almost always is after rain. I've put this down to dust in the atmosphere? I check the chemical balance and chlorine daily so am happy with that and the water does not smell heavily of chlorine, which I understand is a sure sign that things must be done. Yet I know from last season that it fair sparkles after a shock treatment - hence my indecision as to whether it should be getting done more often.
Not easy to do at this time of year as guests are always wanting to swim in it - how inconsiderate is that?
Any help much appreciated.
Ralph
www.visitslovenija.eu
How often to shock?
Hi Ralph,
Firstly by "shocking" do you mean "flocking" the pool? As in, if you have lots of suspended particles in the water, you add a flocking agent (late in the day), leave it over night, and vacuum up the (now) heavier particles off the floor in the morning.
My #1 rule for our pool is, if it's in balance don't mess with it, which means I never flock the pool without a damn good reason. Just a few observations from your comments:
- If your chlorine reading is very high, not much else will work alongside it until the level has come down.
- Do you have hard water? If ever our pool loses it's sparkle and goes cloudy it is generally a result of a high PH reading. A good dose of PH Down normally gets this under control over night. Our pool loses around 250 litres of water everyday to the sun, so by topping up we are automatically lifting the PH everytime from the hard water supply.
Firstly by "shocking" do you mean "flocking" the pool? As in, if you have lots of suspended particles in the water, you add a flocking agent (late in the day), leave it over night, and vacuum up the (now) heavier particles off the floor in the morning.
My #1 rule for our pool is, if it's in balance don't mess with it, which means I never flock the pool without a damn good reason. Just a few observations from your comments:
- If your chlorine reading is very high, not much else will work alongside it until the level has come down.
- Do you have hard water? If ever our pool loses it's sparkle and goes cloudy it is generally a result of a high PH reading. A good dose of PH Down normally gets this under control over night. Our pool loses around 250 litres of water everyday to the sun, so by topping up we are automatically lifting the PH everytime from the hard water supply.
See the job, do the job!
http://www.premiumturkishvillas.co.uk
http://www.premiumturkishvillas.co.uk
My pool company said you should shock every month or so, but if the balance is good I don't see why it is necessary. My pool wasn't filtering correctly last year for a while, and I had to shock it every couple of weeks, but I solved the problem and this year have only had to shock once since the start of the season. I use the mineraliser PoolRX to keep the water clear and the pool algae free, which works perfectly for me. I have to add pH+ because the water here is extremely soft - the opposite problem to Revdev.
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visitslovenija
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Thanks for replies guys.
Never heard of 'flocking' - must read up on that!
It's all limestone here so I guess the water is hard. I find though that the pH is usually heading too low and have to add pH+, especially after rain.
As the chem balance seems ok, perhaps I needn't worry. I might try one shock treatment to get the clarity back and then see how things progress.
Next challenge is the blasted yellow tidemark - from creams and oils I believe. But perhaps that's another thread......
Ralph
Never heard of 'flocking' - must read up on that!
It's all limestone here so I guess the water is hard. I find though that the pH is usually heading too low and have to add pH+, especially after rain.
As the chem balance seems ok, perhaps I needn't worry. I might try one shock treatment to get the clarity back and then see how things progress.
Next challenge is the blasted yellow tidemark - from creams and oils I believe. But perhaps that's another thread......
Ralph
Hi Ralph These are my tips :
Shock between every 2-4 weeks depending on usage (you don’t have to go mad with the shocking agent) If you do this overnight & leave the heat cover off the level should be okay to swim the next day.
Put some shocking agent in the skimmers turn on the pump & when it reaches the filter (you’ll see it when it reaches the filter bubble) turn the pump off, this will disinfect the filter, a good time to do it is when it has just been cleaned.
Do a big shock if you get the chance.
Keep the ph level correct, this may mean adding ph+ or ph- twice a day.
Add flocculants when the pool starts to get cloudy every 1-2 weeks (if you have a pool light you can see the particles that make your water look cloudy)
I use a spray type of line cleaner and clean from inside the pool (its better on the knees)
I use brome not chlorine but the principles the same.
As a guest said to me “if you can see hairs on the bottom, its clean”
Shock between every 2-4 weeks depending on usage (you don’t have to go mad with the shocking agent) If you do this overnight & leave the heat cover off the level should be okay to swim the next day.
Put some shocking agent in the skimmers turn on the pump & when it reaches the filter (you’ll see it when it reaches the filter bubble) turn the pump off, this will disinfect the filter, a good time to do it is when it has just been cleaned.
Do a big shock if you get the chance.
Keep the ph level correct, this may mean adding ph+ or ph- twice a day.
Add flocculants when the pool starts to get cloudy every 1-2 weeks (if you have a pool light you can see the particles that make your water look cloudy)
I use a spray type of line cleaner and clean from inside the pool (its better on the knees)
I use brome not chlorine but the principles the same.
As a guest said to me “if you can see hairs on the bottom, its clean”
Christopher Reeve said:
You've wouldn't think that there were any remaining mysteries about pool maintenance but this interesting thread highlights the split between the 'proactive' and 'reactive' shockers. Our original pool guy recommended regular shocking (once a fortnight - but he also sold chemicals?). His replacement suggests shocking only as a remedial treatment when the water begins to go cloudy or you detect the first a signs of algal growth. Conversations with other pool owners, my pool-owners' 'bible' and google researching exhibit a similar range of opinion.
We've settled for being remedial shockers but I'm on site and watch the pool like a hawk. I'm also aware of how quickly things can go awry and chlorine levels skittle down when our pool temperatures are high and we're having loads of swimmers. So proactive preventative shocking might have value then, particularly if you can't be around your pool every day. But I'm still blowing hot and cold on this issue?
Ju wrote:
Jim
Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of your pool or you go out into the ocean.
You've wouldn't think that there were any remaining mysteries about pool maintenance but this interesting thread highlights the split between the 'proactive' and 'reactive' shockers. Our original pool guy recommended regular shocking (once a fortnight - but he also sold chemicals?). His replacement suggests shocking only as a remedial treatment when the water begins to go cloudy or you detect the first a signs of algal growth. Conversations with other pool owners, my pool-owners' 'bible' and google researching exhibit a similar range of opinion.
We've settled for being remedial shockers but I'm on site and watch the pool like a hawk. I'm also aware of how quickly things can go awry and chlorine levels skittle down when our pool temperatures are high and we're having loads of swimmers. So proactive preventative shocking might have value then, particularly if you can't be around your pool every day. But I'm still blowing hot and cold on this issue?
Ju wrote:
Ju, what does shocking actually do to a liner (we're fitting one for the first time at the end of this season)?Don't shock unless you have to. It buggers up the liner.
Jim
I look after several pools.
The usual multi function chlor blocks slowly release the chemicals in small quantities. Chlor choc provide a rapid delivery of Cl gas which quickly escapes into the atmosphere having thoroughly disinfected everything in its path.
I only use chlor choc when I open the pool in the spring. Otherwise, it is only needed if there are signs of algae.
Cloudiness can be either the early symptoms of algae or air born dust and pollen. Providing the ph/Cl is normal the solution to this is filtering longer. A rule of thumb is half the deg C = filtration hours needed. So pool water at 30C needs 15 hrs filtration each day. Filter 24 hrs per day to remove cloudiness.
Floculant is useful to eliminate the finest dust (we get lot's of yellow sand from the Sahara) which is too small to be trapped in the filter. Floculant works by sticking the fine particles together so that the filter can remove them.
As a general rule you should use the minimum chemicals possible.
Peter
The usual multi function chlor blocks slowly release the chemicals in small quantities. Chlor choc provide a rapid delivery of Cl gas which quickly escapes into the atmosphere having thoroughly disinfected everything in its path.
I only use chlor choc when I open the pool in the spring. Otherwise, it is only needed if there are signs of algae.
Cloudiness can be either the early symptoms of algae or air born dust and pollen. Providing the ph/Cl is normal the solution to this is filtering longer. A rule of thumb is half the deg C = filtration hours needed. So pool water at 30C needs 15 hrs filtration each day. Filter 24 hrs per day to remove cloudiness.
Floculant is useful to eliminate the finest dust (we get lot's of yellow sand from the Sahara) which is too small to be trapped in the filter. Floculant works by sticking the fine particles together so that the filter can remove them.
As a general rule you should use the minimum chemicals possible.
Peter
the above pump hours are way in excess of any I do, ie, half the pool temp degrees c.
A pump is c 1kwhr so here in Spain thats 20c per kwhr, 15 hrs a day is 3e per day or 90e pcm.
I clean a few pools here & get away with 4-5 hrs a day even on hi occupancy let villas. Up the chems, use algicide, keep the ph in balance & adjust the pump hours into 2 sessions - morning & eve.
Clean the yellow off scum line (broken down sun lotion) with fairy & scourer sponge (non abrasive type).
Cheers
A pump is c 1kwhr so here in Spain thats 20c per kwhr, 15 hrs a day is 3e per day or 90e pcm.
I clean a few pools here & get away with 4-5 hrs a day even on hi occupancy let villas. Up the chems, use algicide, keep the ph in balance & adjust the pump hours into 2 sessions - morning & eve.
Clean the yellow off scum line (broken down sun lotion) with fairy & scourer sponge (non abrasive type).
Cheers