Shocking a pool is a great way to kill and clean algae. You will get the pleasure of swimming in crystal clear pool water. The process breaks up chlorine and contaminants. The pool’s filtration system plays an integral role in the process.
Some pool owners wonder if it’s possible to shock the pool without turning on the filtration system. To understand that, it’s important to examine the shocking process.
How Does Pool Shocking Work?
To start the process, you will need a good chlorine shock. Determine the amount of shock and pour it into the water. Leave the shock in the water for a while to do its work. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Usually, it’s recommended to leave the solution overnight.
Test the chlorine level of the water. It must return to normal before anyone jumps to swim.
The last step is to run the filtration system. Now that shocking has killed germs, algae, and contaminants, it’s time to remove them from the pool water. For that, you will need your pool filter. You must run the pump for at least 24 hours to remove all algae from the water.
Shocking A Pool Without A Working Pump?
Shocking a pool without a working pump is not very useful. Even if it works, your pool will get algae in a few days again. It’s a major task to make all the chemicals mix together uniformly without a pump.
You may add chlorine and mix the water manually by using a leaf net or a pole. Anything that gets the water moving may work. The only problem is it’s impossible to clear the water without filtration. The bits of dead algae will stay in the pool hence, algae might grow again.
Importance Of Pool Shocking
Every pool owner must be familiar with the process of shocking. Even if the chlorine level of your pool is normal, certain organisms could survive in the pool. There are 3 major reasons to shock your pool:
- The sun breaks the chlorine level making it lose up to 5 ppm per day.
- Swimmers bring contaminants like sweat, bacteria, and chemicals from hair products, makeup products, perfumes, and lotions. The normal chlorine level cannot fight all of them.
- Heavy rain dilutes the pool and reduces the chlorine level.
When To Shock A Pool?
Most people shock swimming pools when they see overgrown algae or the pool water starts getting cloudy. At this point, pool cleaning can take a lot more work. This kind of contamination requires vacuuming and scrubbing.
Make it mandatory upon yourself to shock your pool once a week. This will help avoid algae overgrowth. Other times to shock your pool include:
- When the chlorine level drops below 3ppm
- Before using the pool for the season
- Before covering the pool for the winter
- After heavy wind or rain
- When spotting algae for the first time
- After heavy pool usage
Summing Up
Pool shocking is a decisive part of pool maintenance. When shocking the pool, it’s absolutely mandatory to run the pump. If you don’t, pieces of algae will settle down the pool and build up again quickly.
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