A pool is a great investment that not only raises the value of your property, it also gives you a place to create many summertime memories. Spend the hot weekends with your family by the pool or invite your friends over.
A pool is a great way to bond and it gives you a great reason to party too. Your pool in the backdrop of a social gathering is a great conversation starter too. The summer days spent by it will be remembered by all very fondly.
But your pool-owning experience can easily be ruined if you do not take care of the pool itself. It might seem like a daunting task but as time goes on you will get used to it. From chemical balance to water levels and alkalinity, a pool is a complex ecosphere.
Sometimes extreme measures need to be taken like shocking the pool. But why is it needed? And what does it achieve?
Pool Shock
It is usually the anime given to the practice of using chlorine to treat your pool. Chlorine is also known as a granular oxidiser and can help you get rid of organic matter in your pool in a matter of hours. It comes in liquid form very much akin to bleach and dissolves very quickly. It does not leave any residue. You should be careful while using liquid chlorine because if it gets on your clothes, they will essentially be bleached.
Granular chlorine is also a great option for pool shock but it has to be first dissolved in water and then added to your pool. In most cases, the granular shock will be stronger than the shock that the liquid variant provides. Some types of granular chlorine can also be directly added to the pool but you should confirm this with the manufacturer before trying.
The audience is divided on which form to use, liquid chlorine is hard to store as it comes by the barrel but is very effective. On the other hand, granular chlorine is easier to store but it can cause a peak in the chlorine levels very easily. The Granular form is also way stronger and needs some time to get used to. When using it make sure you do not dump the whole stock at once. Introduce it gradually.
How to Shock your pool?
When your pool’s filter is running you can pour the chlorine(shock) around the perimeter of your pool. Make sure you get nothing on your clothes as chlorine is very corrosive. It is the main cleaning component in bleach and your clothes will also get bleached if you are not careful.
After you shock your pool you should not use it for a day or two at least. This allows the chemical to run through the system and would not cause irritation when you use it later. Your chlorine will come with recommendations on the label and following those can help out a lot.
When to shock the pool?
The best time to shock your pool is at night. Just let the filter keep running when you are adding chlorine to the pool. If you decide to shock the pool on a sunny day then it will be ineffective.
Never shock your pool when people are still using it, it can be extremely dangerous for the people in the pool. Keeping the filter running makes sure that the chlorine is distributed evenly across the pool. This helps to get an even concentration all around the pool.
How often does one need to shock the pool?
The pool’s water chemistry is delicate and can be disturbed even by the slightest of changes. You should shock your pool on a weekly basis but if that is not possible you should then do it every fortnight. This way it gets regular maintenance and you get a fully functional pool.
If you use your pool a lot then you may want to shock your pool more often. Shocking the pool helps clean it and remove anything that might not belong in the pool. You should shock your pool more often if it is larger than 10,000 gallons.
This way you can ensure that your pool is clean no matter how much you use it.
How to tell if your pool needs a shock?
If you do not shock your fibreglass pool cairns every week or so there are some telltale signs that your pool needs more chlorine. If you see a green tint in your pool, it could be either algae or bacteria, this means that the pool needs a shock.
It is also good practice to add more chlorine to the pool after heavy use like after a party. When it gets extremely sunny or windy you should shock your pool then too. This is because the rate of evaporation increases in such conditions which leads to a chemical imbalance.
In most cases, you should also shock your pool if it has been raining heavily in recent times. Too much rainwater in the system can increase the pH of the pool and also add other contaminants.
Your pool would also need to be shocked if there is too much chlorine in it. This is because chloramines cause irritation in the eyes and skin and not the chlorine itself. Shocking the pool balances the chlorine level and reduces irritation.
You should also shock your pool before closing it. If you do not intend to use the pool for a bit of time it is best to shock it beforehand. Close your pool with clean water so that there are fewer problems down the road.
If your pool’s Ph drop below that is also a sign that your pool needs to be shocked. Acidity increasing in the pool can harm the people in it and also causes the metal in and around the pool to corrode too.
In the end
Shocking your pool is a great and quick way to get rid of all the organic matter in your pool. Chlorine acts as a cleaning agent and disinfects your pool. It is best used on a regular basis for the best results. Your fiberglass pool is a tough and rugged pool that will last you a long time if it is well taken care of.
Shocking your pool after heavy use and rains is a great way to take care of it. Not only does it make your pool clean it also gets your filter to work for the betterment of the pool.
We understand that new pool owners might have a lot of questions regarding pool maintenance procedures. We will be more than happy to answer all your questions and clear all your doubts. You can ask the neighbors and more experienced pool owners in your area as to how they shock their pools.
If you require professional pool cleaning services we will be more than happy to step in and do it for you. Pool cleaning is a tedious job and there is no reason that you should take the burden upon yourself. Hire us and let go of all your troubles regarding the pool. Our experts will be more than willing to maintain your pool and give it the thorough clean that it deserves.
Contact us for all your pool-related needs.