Chloramine
Chloramines are derivatives of ammonia by substitution of one, two or three hydrogen atoms with chlorine atoms: monochloramine, dichloramine, and nitrogen trichloride. The term chloramine also refers to a family of organic compounds with the formulas R₂NCl and RNCl₂.
How do you add shock to a pool?
Sep 16, 2020 · Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly. Chlorine tabs (placed in a chlorinator, floater, or skimmer basket) maintain a chlorine residual in the water. You do need to use both tabs and shock. …. You should aim to keep the chlorine level at between 1 and 3 ppm.
What is the best rated pool shock?
Shocking (continual addition of chlorine beyond normal levels) a pool allows the elevated levels of chlorine to reach a breakpoint where the organic materials’ demand for chlorine has been satisfied. Once the chlorine has reached this level, combined chlorine is lowered and nuisance algae is eliminated. All pool shock is not created equal
When to shock a pool?
Pool shock is designed to solve those problems. Some use chlorine, but many compounds are formulated as oxidizers. Oxygen ions dissolved in water have very potent cleansing power. An oxidizing agent can not only kill bacteria but drive chemical reactions that rid your pool of a range of byproducts from other pool maintenance chemicals.
How long after shocking a pool can you swim?
Jul 16, 2008 · THIS MUST BE DONE ON A BI-WEEKLY BASIS WHEN SWIMMERS HAVE BEEN IN THE POOL. IN ORDER FOR THE "SHOCK" TO BE EFFECTIVE YOU MUST HAVE THE pH AT 7.4 TO 7.6. If pH is too low, chlorine literally ...
What are the benefits of shocking your pool?
Why do you need to shock a pool? Pools are shocked to remove combined chlorine molecules, aka chloramines from the water. Pools are also shocked to remove excess bather waste and bacteria after heavy pool use, contamination events, or for the removal of visible algae in the water.
How long does it take for the shock treatment in the pool to work?
Keep your pump and filter running. Give the shock a good 12 to 24 hours to work it's magic. If the algae hasn't cleared up after 24-48 hours, clean and brush the pool and add another shock treatment.Aug 7, 2020
What is the difference between shock treatment and chlorine?
1) What is the difference between chlorine and shock? Do I need to use both? Chlorine is a sanitizer, and (unless you use Baquacil products) is necessary for maintaining a clear and healthy pool. Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly.
Does shock clear up a pool?
Shocking a pool elevates the free chlorine level to 5-10 ppm. Elevated levels of free chlorine break up combined chlorine. Once your pool has been shocked, the water will be clean, clear, and safe for your family to enjoy.
Why did my pool turn green after I shocked it?
Pools can immediately turn green after shocking or adding chlorine when they have metals like copper or iron in the water. These metals oxidize when exposed to high levels of chlorine, which makes the pool water turn green. Metals in the water are caused by some algaecides and using well water.
How often should I shock my pool?
about once a weekHow Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.Mar 9, 2020
What happens if you swim in a shocked pool?
If you enter the pool immediately following a chlorine pool shock treatment, you are risking as little as skin and eye irritation and as much as fatality. Shocking your swimming pool is necessary, but take caution when doing so.Oct 21, 2021
Is shock the same as chlorine?
Are chlorine and shock the same thing? SKIMMER NOTES: No. Chlorine and shock are not the same thing. Shock has a more intense chemical strength than the traditional chlorine sanitizers, and it also differs in how you should apply it to your swimming pool.
Is liquid chlorine better than shock?
Liquid chlorine and granular shock have the same active chemical that sanitizes your pool, what changes is the strength and the way you use it. Liquid chlorine is less costly, unstabilized and comes in liquid form. Granular shock is stabilized and comes in a solid form that dissolves in your pool.
Does pool shock raise pH?
When you shock a pool, you test and adjust the pH level for a reason. With that said, if you shock a pool outside of the 7.2 to 7.4 pH range, not only will you waste a significant amount of the chlorine used, you will also end up with cloudy water.
How long should you wait to swim after shocking pool?
24 hoursAfter Shocking Your Pool It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours. It is always best to test first!
How long after shock can I add chlorine?
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.
Why is my pool shocking?
The most common reason for shocking your pool or spa is to deal with combined chlorine. There are three measurements of chlorine in pool or spa water: free chlorine, combined chlorine, and total chlorine.
What is shocking chlorine?
Shocking is the process of adding chemicals (usually chlorine) to your pool to: break apart chloramines, also known as combined chlorine. quickly raise your chlorine level. kill algae, bacteria or other harmful pathogens. Chloramines Bad, Free Chlorine Good.
How often should I shock my pool?
All that said, a general rule of thumb for most pool owners is you should shock once a week, knowing, however, that unusual events might require more frequent shockings. The ideal time to shock your pool is in the evening after all swimming is complete.
What is total chlorine?
Total chlorine is simply the combination of free and combined chlorine. Shocking then releases the combined chlorine and off-gasses the contaminants, increasing the amount of free chlorine in your pool or spa. The question of whether to use a chlorinated or non-chlorinated shock will depend on how much total chlorine you have in your pool or spa. ...
What happens after a party?
After a party - the extra bather load of active swimmers will put additional strain on chlorine in the pool. After/during a period of hot sunny weather - Not only does the sun boil the chlorine out of the water but as the water temp increases, algae and bacteria grow at a faster pace.
What happens when it rains in a pool?
Also, as the rain is falling through the air, it picks up contaminants such as pollen and pollutants and dumps them in your pool. Heavy rain may cause ground runoff to empty into your pool. Thou shalt shock if thy combined chlorine level is at .5 or higher.
What is the best pool shock?
Which type of pool shock is right for you? 1 Calcium hypochloride - or “cal hypo,” as the pros say, is a super-concentrated form of chlorine that’s sold in granule or tablet form, and you need to pre-dissolve it before adding it to your pool. It’s super-affordable -- and super-effective at killing algae and harmful bacteria. It’s also super-flammable, which means you need to be careful when handling and storing it. Cal hypo is also quick to burn away in direct sunlight, which means it’s most effective when used at night. 2 Dichloroisocyanuric acid, also known as “dichlor,” is a formulation of chlorine and cyanuric acid. It’s a bit pricier than cal hypo, but unlike cal hypo, it doesn’t need to be pre-dissolved and it’s sun-sensitive, which means you can shock your pool any time.#N#You’ll still need to handle it carefully, though: Dichlor is just as flammable as cal hypo. 3 Potassium peroxymonosulfate. Sometimes shortened to “MPS,” this oxygen-based shock treatment is an excellent choice for odor removal and neutralizing ammonia and other contaminants. If you’ve got algae issues, though, MPS might not be the best fit: It’s much less effective at algae removal than chlorine-based pool shock. It’s also one of the most expensive types of pool shock.
What does shock do to a pool?
What does pool shock do? Adding pool shock to your pool is kind of like power-washing your swimming pool water. By adding higher-than-normal dose of pool sanitizer to your pool water, you’re effectively killing algae, bacteria, and other contaminants -- and making sure they can’t come back to affect your water quality.
What is a dichloroisocyanuric acid?
Dichloroisocyanuric acid, also known as “dichlor,” is a formulation of chlorine and cyanuric acid. It’s a bit pricier than cal hypo, but unlike cal hypo, it doesn’t need to be pre-dissolved and it’s sun-sensitive, which means you can shock your pool any time.
What is a Pool Shock?
So, what is pool shock, exactly? "Shocking” refers to the process of adding chlorine or non-chlorine pool chemicals to the water in order to raise the "free chlorine” level. The goal is to raise this level to a point where contaminants such as algae, chloramines and bacteria are destroyed.
Types of Chlorine
As you learn how to shock a pool, it's vital to understand the difference between the types of chlorine .
How to Shock the Pool
When you’re shocking a pool, the goal is to raise the free chlorine level of the pool water to roughly 10 times the combined chlorine level. Reaching this mark is the breakpoint chlorination.
Types of Pool Shock
There are several types of products you can use to shock the pool. Typically, you will not use regular chlorine tablets as pool shock chlorine.
Shocking Saltwater Pools
Saltwater pools need to be shocked, too. Saltwater pools use regular table salt to create chlorine, by passing the slightly salty water over two electrically charged plates. How often you need to shock a saltwater pool is no different from when to shock other chlorine pools.
How Often to Shock Your Pool
How will you know when to shock a pool? Don’t wait for a bad smell or eye irritation before you shock your pool. It's recommended that you should do a pool shock once a week. The more you use the pool, the more often you need to shock it.
Why do you need a pool shock?
Pool shock is a great tool for keeping your pool’s chemistry balanced, and it is the best way to eliminate algae and return you water to pristine condition. When done at a regular frequency during the summer and high bather load months it is also a helpful and proactive way to retain a minimal level of chemical exposure to you, your family and, ...
What is shock in pool?
The term “shock” is an expression used in the pool industry to describe the intentional over-chlorination (or over-oxidation) of the pool water chemistry for a calculated period of time. Chlorine at normal residual levels is consumed by organic material (oils, lotions, urine and algae) in the water. Shocking (continual addition of chlorine ...
Does Cal Hypo raise pH?
Both an oxidizer and sanitizer, cal hypo is quick dissolving and is the most frequently used in the pool industry. It will slightly raise your pH, so make sure you adjust pH while using it. As the name implies, it will also raise your calcium hardness levels in your pool slightly.
What is shocking chlorine?
Shocking (continual addition of chlorine beyond normal levels) a pool allows the elevated levels of chlorine to reach a breakpoint where the organic materials’ demand for chlorine has been satisfied. Once the chlorine has reached this level, combined chlorine is lowered and nuisance algae is eliminated.
Does chlorine shock affect pH?
It is also critical that pH is maintained through the process of shocking. The ability of chlorine to work effectively is directly proportional to the pH. When the pH is out of range, pool shock will decrease its effectiveness significantly.
What are the triggers to shock a pool?
For regular maintenance, pools should often be shocked once every one to two weeks but this does depend on the water’s clarity and how much use the pool gets.
The best time to shock a pool
The best time of day to shock a pool is in the evening after the sun is down. This allows the pool chlorine time to spread out in the water and clean it before day-time temperatures reduce the effectiveness of the shock. Ultraviolet light reduces the effectiveness of chlorine.
How to Shock a Pool
Now that you know when to shock your pool, we need to quickly look at just how exactly you can shock your pool regularly. The process of shocking the pool should become a habit that you follow every three to four weeks as it will make your life a lot easier to do.
Pool Maintenance Course
When I first bought my house with a swimming pool I knew nothing about how to clean and maintain it. I was recommended Swim University’s Pool Care Handbook and video course so I bought it and have never regretted it.
Conclusion
Shocking your pool is a normal part of maintaining it and keeping it clean throughout the year. Make sure you always have a shock ready to use as you may need to do it any time to keep the pool sparkling.
