Shocking or super-chlorinating a pool is simply a process of adding chlorine in the pool in excess to kill the buildup of chloramines as well as anything that could be floating in your pool and doesn’t belong there. Chloramines are, they are anything that gets in the pool when chlorine disinfectants mix with oils, and sweat from people swimming in your pool. Shocking a pool purges it of contaminants, kills bacteria, as well as any other organism in the water, and it’s the responsibility of every pool owner to know the most opportune time to do it, and of course, how to do it. Many pool owners shock their pools only when they see pool algae, but you don’t have to wait for that because shocking it from time to time keeps your pool clean. So, when is the best time of day to shock pool? This article will go into detail of when to do so and how to do it.

How to Shock a Swimming Pool - Keeping Your Pool Clean

Before knowing what the best time of day to shock a pool is, it’s important to know how to actually shock one. Below are the steps to take:

1. Examine the volume of your pool to understand how much shocking you’ll need to do. As a rule of thumb, 1-2 pounds of shock would be perfect for every 10,000 gallons of water in a pool.

2. Ensure the water in the pool should be at its normal level.

3. Ensure the pH of the pool should fall between 7.2 to 7.6 with alkalinity ranging from 80 to 120 ppm.

4. Decide which shock treatment to use – chlorine or non-chlorine.

5. Depending on the shock treatment you choose, prepare it as per the instruction on the package.

6. If the type of treatment requires to be dissolved in water first, fill a bucket with 19 liters (5 gallons) of warm water.

7. Add it to the water while stirring. For effectiveness, adding shock to the water makes it easier to dissolve.

8. Pour it uniformly around the pool and in case you find any shock at the bottom of the bucket that has not dissolved, add some water, stir and pour it into your pool.

9. Shocking kills algae and germs but doesn’t get rid of them. Running the filtration pump for 24 hours clears the contaminant and ensures your pool is clean.

10. If the pool is still cloudy or green, adjust the chemical levels, then scrub and manually remove any debris within your sight.

What’s the Best Time of Day to Shock Pool?

Now that you know how to shock your pool, let’s get down to business and discuss the best time of the day to shock it. The most appropriate time is without a shadow of doubt, late in the evening when the sun is going down. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can dissolve the chlorine very fast before it gets a chance to attach and oxidize, thereby reducing its effectiveness and shocking when the sun is going down enhances the effectiveness of chlorine. To make it even more effective, you can shock at night and leave it overnight as this will give chlorine time to work. If you must shock during the day, pool maintenance pros at Ironman Pool Care say to ensure you use a chlorine stabilizer like cyanuric acid which will definitely prolong chlorines life.

In Conclusion

Many pool owners decide to shock their pool when the pool water becomes cloudy or when they see an overgrowth of algae and cleaning consumes time and energy. Given that you now know how to shock your pool and the best time of day to shock pool, you should shock it on a regular basis and keep the pool water clear and clean.