Treatment FAQ

how long to get back in pool after shock treatment

by Mr. Clay Kuhn Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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You should wait one hour per pound of shock product added, and then test the water to confirm the pH and chlorine are in the proper range before letting anyone enter the pool. As a reminder, you want your pH to be between 7.2 and 7.8ppm and your free available chlorine to be 1-4ppm for safe swimming.

How long do you have to wait to swim after shocking pool?

How Long do You Have to Wait to Swim After Shocking a Swimming Pool? After using a heavy granular chlorine shock, your pool will usually require 24-48 hours before the chlorine level has dropped to a safe swimming level.

How long does it take for shock to work on pool?

You should wait one hour per pound of shock product added, and then test the water to confirm the pH and chlorine are in the proper range before letting anyone enter the pool. As a reminder, you want your pH to be between 7.2 and 7.8ppm and your free available chlorine to be 1-4ppm for safe swimming.

Are shock treatments safe for swimming pools?

Alongside using sanitisers such as chlorine, a crucial part of swimming pool maintenance is the use of shock treatments. These treatments can be beneficial for providing quick and effective balancing for your pool, especially during heavy use. However, the nature of these chemicals means that you must know how to use them safely and effectively.

How long does it take for a swimming pool to recover?

Obviously, pools that are days away from becoming a swamp require more time and maintenance than a pool recovering from a rainy day. And swimming pools that require an extensive treatment due to algal blooms are in a class of their own. It can literally take weeks. On average, pool owners use three to five times the normal dosage when shocking.

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What is chlorine free shock?

Chlorine- free shock oxidizes bacteria and organics in your pool without any additional chemicals. With this type of shock, you can swim in the pool just one hour after. Chlorine- based shock contains high levels of pH and will alter both your pH and chlorine levels in the pool. Chlorine- free shock has a neutral pH and will not affect any ...

How to give your swimmers a realistic time frame?

First, assess how bad or dirty your pool actually is. Obviously, pools that are days away from becoming a swamp require more time and maintenance than a pool recovering from a rainy day.

What Kind of Shock Are You Using?

The type of shock you use to shock your pool also affects how long you have to wait until you jump back into the pool. The two most popular shocks we encounter at INYO are shocks with chlorine and shocks without chlorine. Shocks with chlorine, or cal-hypo, make up the majority of chlorine- based shock available today. The major differences lie in the concentration levels of the active ingredients. Most shocks with chlorine take longer to interact with your pool than non-chlorine shock.

Do you have to shock a pool?

However, if you have a salt water generator and consistently test and monitor your chemical levels, there shouldn’t be a need to shock your pool often.

Where to follow the manufacturer's instructions on a bag of shock?

Another good rule of thumb is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the back of the product. Typically on all chemicals, the manufacturer provides directions for use, precaution warnings, and tips for storage and disposal. The back the bag of shock we analyzed states, “Follow label directions for each product.

Can shock affect other chemicals in pool?

It’s a general precaution to monitor the type of chemicals you are putting into your pool. As you can see, even the type of shock you use can affect other chemicals that are already in your pool. And in turn, it will delay your swimmers from returning to the pool. How Long Should I Wait….

Can you return to the bottom of a pool?

If the water clarity prevents you from seeing the bottom of the pool, we recommend you do not return back to the pool. From a security standpoint, it prevents you from watching for submerged children. Another good rule of thumb is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the back of the product.

How long do you have to wait to swim after shocking the pool?

If shocking during the day, you should wait one hour per pound of shock product added, and then test the water to make sure levels are safe for swimming.

When to shock a pool?

Now, you’ve probably heard that best practice is to shock your pool in the evening or at night – after the sun goes down. That’s because shock is like a vampire – the UV rays from sunlight soak up your free available chlorine – the very thing you’re trying to increase by adding shock to your pool. So, it’s easier to just say, “shock at night ...

What Is Pool Shock?

Before we tell you about the time you need to wait before you can dive into your pool, let’s talk about pool shock and why it’s important to wait to swim after adding it.

When Can I Swim After Shocking My Pool?

The general guideline is that it’s safe to swim in a pool 24 hours after shocking it. To be safe, test your chlorine and pH using a chemical test kit to see if they are in balance. Make sure your free chlorine level has returned to 3ppm or less.

Just a Little Longer

Once your pool has met the conditions we discuss above, it will be time to jump in and enjoy. Please visit our safety guides for more valuable information on how to keep your family and home safe.

When to shock pool water?

In an ideal world, you’d apply shock to your pool in the evening after sundown and after the day’s last swim, then turn on the filter and let the shock do its job to eliminate bacteria and organic matters overnight. Test your water in the morning to make sure it’s safe for swimming.

How to swim after shock?

The simplest rule to follow with swimming after shock is to check the package of shock you have in your hand and follow the instructions closely. Each unique shock product may come with different instructions, and the videos you find on the internet certainly offer a range of advice that isn’t necessarily applicable to the product you have. What IS consistent is the range of free available chlorine that’s safe for swimming (1-4ppm), so with that in mind, another simple rule for pool ownership is to test your water often and always before swimming to make sure your pool is swim ready.

What is pool shock?

Swimming pool shock is a powdered or liquid form of chlorine that’s used to treat your pool water to help make it safe and healthy for swimming. Shock is an important part of pool care regardless of which type of chlorine you use for daily sanitation. There are three types of pool shock you can buy to treat your water: ...

What happens when you add shock to your pool?

When you add shock to your pool water, it introduces a fast boost in chlorine concentration that helps to remove the combined chlorine molecules (also called chloramines) from your pool.

How long after shock to test chlorine?

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. As a reminder, you want your pH to be between 7.2 and 7.8ppm and your free available chlorine to be 1-4ppm for safe swimming.

Is shock good for pool water?

All are effective in treating your pool water, but each type of shock has its own unique advantages.

Why Do I Need to Shock Treat My Swimming Pool?

Although it may sound like shock treatments are only necessary for emergency pool maintenance , they also play an essential role in pool maintenance schedules. While general chemical balancing is vital, shock treatments are also required, particularly during heavy use.

How long does it take for a chlorine shock to work?

After using a heavy granular chlorine shock, your pool will usually require 24-48 hours before the chlorine level has dropped to a safe swimming level. Lithium and non-chlorine shock labels usually allow bathers to return to the pool quickly; however, you will need to check the manufacturer's instructions before doing so.

What is Shock Dosing for a Swimming Pool?

Shock dosing your pool refers to a stronger concentrate of swimming pool sanitiser that instantly impacts the water and provides a deeper clean when compared to general maintenance. In most cases, shock dosing is related to concentrated chlorine, but chlorine-free shock alternatives can accomplish a similar result.

How does shock treatment work?

Shock treatments work quickly to dramatically raise the water’s chlorine level, allowing it to clean the pool effectively. Once you’re back on top of your pool’s cleanliness, you can enable chlorine levels to return to their normal level.

What is the best way to maintain a swimming pool?

Alongside using sanitisers such as chlorine, a crucial part of swimming pool maintenance is the use of shock treatments . These treatments can be beneficial for providing quick and effective balancing for your pool, especially during heavy use. However, the nature of these chemicals means that you must know how to use them safely and effectively.

How to get a pool clean?

If your pool gets to this stage, the most effective way of getting it clean is by using a shock treatment. When a lot of algae develops in the pool, you’ll need more chlorine than usual to combat the unwelcome visitors. Shock treatments work quickly to dramatically raise the water’s chlorine level, allowing it to clean the pool effectively.

Why do you shock a pool?

It is not only an essential part of a swimming pool's maintenance schedule, but it's an effective means for tackling various pool issues, such as algae infestations, reopening your pool after a significant closure or cloudy water after heavy use.

How long after shocking a pool should you wait to reenter the pool?

When shocking a swimming pool wait at least an hour after adding swimming pool chemicals for swimming before reentering the swimming pool.

How long does it take for shock to dissipate in a pool?

The swimming pool shock treatment will dissipate in swimming pool water in 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on swimming pool use.

How Long Does It Take For Pool Shock To Work?

It can take swimming pool shock 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the swimming pool and other factors such as how often the swimming pool is used.

How long should you run a pool pump after shock?

At least one hour of run time on the swimming pool filter pump or circulation system will be required after shocking or when you notice that all of the chlorine from the swimming pool shock treatment has dissipated.

How long should you run a shock pump before swimming?

If you just shocked the swimming pool and it’s been about 4 hours before swimming then you should run your swimming pool pump for at least an hour again on a lower speed setting to circulate some fresh water through the swimming pool filter as well as make sure all of the chemicals from the swimming pool shock treatment have dissipated.

How long should you let chlorine sit before using again?

The amount will change based on swimming conditions and other factors but it’s always best to err on the side of caution when shocking any body of water with chlorine by letting it sit for an hour or two before using again.

How long does it take to run a pool filter pump?

A swimming pool that has just been shocked needs at least one hour of run time on the pool filter pump before swimming is allowed.

What is the main ingredient in shock?

Different Brand of Shock (The main ingredient should be calcium hypochlorite)

Why is my pool green?

Sometimes you will find that your pool is green and not where you want to take a dip. There is a simple reason, the chemicals have gotten out of balance and this lets algae begin to grow in your pool. With a simple problem, there is generally a simple solution. In this case, the solution is to merely shock the pool.

What is a pool water clarifier?

There are products on the market that are called Pool Water Clarifiers. These will help to bind to chemicals, gunk and debris in the water. The net result is that you now have bigger particles that are easier for your filter to handle, giving you a crystal clear pool.

Can you clean a pool filter if it hasn't been cleaned?

If it hasn’t been cleaned in a while it may not be able to keep your pool clear. Depending on the model that you are using the answer might be to backwash it or clean the filters. If it has been some time since your filter got any maintenance, you might have to replace either the filter or the filter media.

When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

It seems that everything is OK except the Chlorine level did not get back to OK level. I have shocked and kept the FC level above 10 until Sunday a week ago. I covered the pool since it was rainy the whole week. When I tested the water Saturday, the pool data is similar to the data I got today. It has been sunny since then.

Re: When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

keep checking the chlorine level and "let it ride"..it'll be fine..i don't believe the pool heater will have any impact in a closed system..i.e.

Re: When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

As tenax says, keeping the cover off is the best way to lower your chlorine. Sunlight (UV) will breakdown the chlorine faster than most anything else so keeping the cover off during the day is more important than keeping it off at night (in case you wanted to retain heat).

Re: When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

I hope you aren't waiting til the cl drops to go swimming. It is perfectly fine to swim with FC of 10 and cya of 30-50 as long as you have no algae. You might want to wear old swimsuits since it might fade your good ones a bit, but other than that it is not a problem.

Re: When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

I not only agree with watermom, but would like you to let us know if you notice ANY fading from swimsuits at all. An FC of 10 with a CYA of 30-50 should technically be equivalent (in disinfecting chlorine) to an FC of 0.2-0.4 with no CYA so I doubt that your swimsuit will fade at all.

Re: When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

Thanks for all the tips. Unfortunately, it is going to rain tomorrow and Wednesday's morning. I may have keep my cover closed again to keep the rain water from going into the pool. I may try to swim in my new pool the first time Wednesday's night after work. Thanks god there is a forum like this. I may need all of your help soon.

Re: When chlorine level will back to normal after shock

We'll be here when you need us! Just wondering, what does it hurt for the rain water to go in your pool? If I had a new pool and I had never swam in it before (at least I think that is what you were saying above?) - then I'd go swimming even in the rain! We sometimes do that around here and my kids think it is great fun!

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