Pool shocking is very important to maintain water quality. This prevents the development of harmful bacteria that can affect humans. Since most shocking substances contain chlorine, how long after shocking pool can you swim becomes an important question.
After shocking a pool, it is recommended to wait at least 12 hours before using it. This time directly depends on the substances used. If you have used non-chlorine shocking, you can use the pool for 15 to 20 minutes. For greater confidence, limit pool use for 24 hours after shock it.
How Long After Shocking Pool Can You Swim
| Type of Shock | The Average Time Before Using a Pool | Best Time Before Using a Pool |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium Hypochlorite | 8 – 12 hours | 24 hours |
| Sodium Di-Chlorite | 6 – 9 hours | 16 hours |
| Non-Chlorine Shock | 15 – 20 minutes | 1 hour |
If you are not sure how long you should not use the pool after shocking it, then you should pay attention to the description of the substance used. Each manufacturer writes the composition on the product packaging and the method of use.
Different Types of Shock Products
If you take a closer look at the table, you will immediately understand that the composition of the substance used affects how long after the shocking pool can you swim. There are many varieties of shocks, but most of them can be attributed to three groups.
Calcium Hypochlorite Shock
The most popular are Cal-hypo shocks. They contain a large amount of free chlorine, which evaporates rather quickly when exposed to open sunlight.
Since this shock is unstabilized, it is quickly burned by ultraviolet rays. To avoid this one resorted to adding cyanuric acid to the pool. With the right use of most Cal-hypo shocks, you should be able to swim in the pool after 8 to 12 hours.
This is quite a long period, but you can do shocking in the evening and use the pool in the morning. While this will be sufficient in most cases, you can wait 24 hours before using the pool. A day will be enough for the filters to remove all used chlorine from the water.
Cal-hypo shocking is usually used before and at the end of the season. Also, such strong shocking can be used if signs of algae appear in the pool. Cal-hypo shock can increase the PH level in the water. Before using the pool, it is worth taking measurements, and if necessary, bringing the PH level back to normal.
Sodium Di-Chloride Shock
Di-chloride is a stabilized version of slowly dissolving chlorine. Because of its formula, Di-chloride is less susceptible to sun fading, allowing the water in your frame pool to maintain proper chlorine levels longer.
After using Di-chloride shock, it is recommended to wait 6-9 hours before using the pool. As with Cal-hypo, you can shock it in the evening when the pool is not in use.
Di-chloride is available in various chlorine ranges from 15% to 99%. Row long after shocking pool can you swim depends on the use of different types of Di-chloride shocks. The best option would be to get this information from the manufacturer of the product. Also, for greater confidence, you can extend the time to use the pool up to 12 -16 hours.
Non-Chlorine Shock
Monopersulfate shock is one of the most popular types of non-chlorine shocks. If the top priority is how long after shocking pool can you swim, then you should pay attention to this shock. After using non-chlorine shocks to clean your pool, you only need to wait 15 to 20 minutes to continue swimming.
Non-chlorine shocks are used more as an auxiliary cleaning method. They oxidize the water and interact with the chlorine present in it to remove impurities. This shock method is recommended for intensive use of the pool or after heavy rainfall.
Non-chlorine shocks will help remove contaminants from the water without altering the cyanuric acid level. Although this method does not affect the chlorine level in the water, you can still wait one hour before using the pool to be sure. This time will be quite enough for all the chemical reactions in the water to pass.
When Need to Shock the Pool
There are several reasons for swimming pool shocking. First of all, this is the disinfection of water and the destruction of bacteria, as well as the prevention of the appearance of various types of algae.
If, in the case of algae, you can see them appearing in the pool, then in the case of bacteria, you can only guess about their presence. Let’s take a look at some tips on when to carry out pool shocking in more detail.
- The First Use of the Season
- Shock After Intensive Use
- Shock Pool After Extreme Weather
- When You See Signs of Algae
- When Preparing for Winter
The First Use Pool of the Season
In most regions, the use of the pool is seasonal and is not used during the cold season. Over the long months, remaining bacteria and other microorganisms can develop in the water. To avoid negative effects, it is recommended to carry out a pool shock before the start of the season.
For the first time in a year, it is recommended to use intense chlorine-containing shock, it can be either Calhypo or Di-chlorine. Since this is only the beginning of the season, the preparation of the pool takes place significantly before using it, which means you do not have to worry about how long after shocking the pool can you swim.
Shock After Intensive Use
Intensive use of the pool can lead to pollution. Hair, pieces of dead skin, sweat, and other human fluids can cause bacteria to grow in your pool.
Therefore, to avoid the development of pathogens, it is recommended to carry out a pool shock every two weeks with its daily use. Non-chlorine agents can be used for routine shocking.
This shocking will allow you to use the pool in literally an hour, which is very convenient on hot summer days. It is also worth noting that since this method does not contain chlorine, it is advisable to check the residual active chlorine level in your pool. If it is very low then it is worth doing Cal-hypo or Di-chloride shocks.
Shock Pool After Extreme Weather
Extreme weather can be another source of pollution in the pool. Strong winds can fill the pool with dust and debris, and rainwater can contain many bacteria.
After extreme weather, it is worth cleaning the pool and measuring the chlorine level. If it is very low, then it is necessary to carry out a pool shock. This will restore the chlorine balance in the pool, which will prevent the development of microorganisms.
Remember that after using each of the shock products, it is required to wait a while before using the pool.
When you See Signs of Algae
When algae start to form in your pool, it’s hard not to notice. This means that there is active chlorine in the water for protection. To get rid of the algae, an intense shock using Hypo-chlorite or di-chloride is necessary.
Chlorination will kill all algae and cleanse your pool. After intensive shocking, check the PH level of the water and wait 24 hours before using the pool.
When Preparing for Winter
When preparing the pool for winter, it is worth taking care of the quality of the water. Since you will not be using the pool for several months, microorganisms and algae may develop in the water during this time.
So that you do not have to change the water and carry out a complete cleaning of the pool at the beginning of the next season, it is worth taking care of it in time. Use chlorine shock products before closing the pool for the winter.
This will preserve the quality of the pool water. How to properly take care of a pool in the winter season, you can find out in our article “How to Take Care of a Pool in the Winter Right”.
