(Newswire.net — April 2, 2019) — Pool shocking is a cleaning method that involves adding 3-5 times the standard chlorine amount to your pool. This water treatment method is designed to keep your pool water safe and clean. Shocking is not a daily routine as it drastically raises the level of chlorine in your pool within a very short period. There are plenty of times when you have to shock your pool, such as after a terrible storm, but if you consistently monitor and test the pool chemical levels, then you don’t have to shock your pool often. Many pool owners still grapple with the question — how long after shocking a pool can you swim?
How Long After Shocking a Pool Can You Swim?
It’s generally safe to swim after you’ve tested the pool and the chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours. However, there are plenty of other factors to bear in mind.
How Dirty is the Pool?
Most pool balancing chemicals (such as calcium hardness, alkalinity and pH) typically dissolve into the pool water within about an hour of adding them, after which it should be safe to swim. Shocking, however, takes time to adjust the pool water, which means you have to wait longer before it’s safe to swim.
Start by assessing how dirty or bad your pool is. For instance, a pool that’s recovering from a rainy day requires much less time and maintenance compared to one that’s close to turning into a swamp. Similarly, if your pool requires treatment for algae, then it is in a class of its own. Getting rid of algal blooms can take weeks. Shocking will usually involve adding 3-5 times the standard dosage, but serious conditions require much higher doses of about 5-10 times the normal amounts.
Such high doses of chlorine help to break down organic waste, combined chlorine and other contaminants, to bring the levels of free chlorine back to acceptable levels. The chemicals and condition in every pool vary, which makes it somewhat challenging to specify specific times frames that work for every other swimming pool.
The Type of Shock You’re Using
The kind of shock you use also determines the length of time you have to wait before it’s safe to swim. Two of the most common types of shock are shocks with chlorine and those without chlorine. The major difference between these types of shocks lies in the levels of concentration of the active ingredients. Shocks with chlorine will usually take a longer while to react than those without chlorine, which translates to longer waiting periods.
Bottom Line
Your best bet is to monitor the chemicals in your pool. It’s evident that there are plenty of factors that affect the chemicals that are already in your pool and determine how long it’s safe to jump back into the pool. So, if you’re still wondering how long after shocking a pool can you swim? Then the short answer is that you can swim after checking that the free chlorine levels are okay and the water is clear.