Are You Contemplating Whether You Should Vacuum the Pool Before Shocking or Not?
Here’s everything you need to know about should you vacuum pool before shocking.
Many aspects of maintaining your pool can lead you to have crystal clear water. Two very important aspects of pool maintenance that will aid you to have a clean pool are vacuuming and shock.
Shocking your pool means adding chemicals to your pool like chlorine. The reason to shock your pool is to keep your pool clean and kill an excessive amount of bacteria present in the pool water. The bacteria in your pool can make your pool a cloudy appearance.
What is Pool Shocking?
Fortunately, If you look at the name, shocking kind of sounds a lot like something to do with electricity or, god forbid, electrocution. But Thankfully, Shocking your pool is just a simple cleaning method that involves the usage of chemicals to reduce chloramine and kill all the toxic bacterias from your pool.
Chloramines are responsible for the pool chemical smell often associated with pools and can lead to irritation in the eyes, nose, and skin of bathers. Chlorine addition to your pool water will help you make your pool look pretty again, and make sure to kill all of those harmful bacterias and those disgusting algae. The usage of chlorine will remove the cloudiness from your pool.
You should shock your pool when it’s open and closed as well as after heavy rainfalls and whenever the water becomes cloudy and dirty. The proper diagnosis of when to shock your pool can be determined by how often it gets used. Therefore the shock usage can be calculated as per how much you use your pool or how dirty it gets.
Vacuum Before Shocking, the Only Right Way
It is advised to all of the pool owners to make sure to thoroughly vacuum the pool before using chlorine or any other shocking element to clear up your dirty and cloudy pool. The reason to vacuum before shocking is that the dirt and other particles that have sunk down to the bottom of the pool are contributing to the cloudiness and dirt of the pool.
To ensure the maximum effectiveness of your shock chemicals and your treatment, it is advised to vacuum your pool first. The result will be magnificently good. The reason everyone is super keen on making sure you vacuum your pool first is that the process of vacuuming help in reducing all the visible dirt and filth right from the bottom of the pool
You should also make your while vacuuming to clear up and pick up all the visible dirt from the very bottom of the pool. Also, make sure to skim the top of the pool for leaves, dirt, and small bugs.
Shock Treatment
The shock treatment, first of all, should be handled with care and must be added directly to the surface of the water. Moreover, the size of your pool matters a lot when you are determining the quantity of your shock usage.
One shock treatment can usually clean up as much as 7,000 gallons. Let’s say your pool has the capacity to hold as much as 21 thousand gallons; you will need a minimum of three doses of shock treatment to clean up that much.
Types Of Shock
Chlorine shock comes in two different forms. There is a liquid one and a granulated one that is pre-dissolved.
- The liquid shock is ready to be applied to the surface level of water and will not destroy vinyl pool liners.
- The crushed form, however, must be mixed in a bucket first, added to the water. Applying shock in the crushed form directly to your pool water can be damaged.
Pool Care Mistakes You Must Be Making
Waiting for better weather then rainfall to add chlorine
I personally think that laying of the cleaning work is a better option during a rainstorm. Cleaning during rainstorms can only cause you trouble. And cleaning after the rainstorm is even worse. We suggest waiting and keeping the cleaning on hold for a couple of weeks
Not keeping your pool filter clean
It is advised to regularly clean your pool filter and rinse them out periodically two times a week.
Keeping the algae alive while cleaning
If your pool has algae, whether it’s green, brown mustard, don’t care and KILL it, relax this doesn’t make you a murderer, and your pool will thank you!
Vacuuming after shocking
Vacuuming after the shock treatment is not only terrible for your pool, but the chemical in your pool can also seriously damage your vacuum. Besides, it’s much better to clean the visible dirt and algae out of the pool by vacuuming first and then performing the shock treatment. You can vacuum your pool again but only after 24 hours of the shock treatment to clear up the remaining specks of dirt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I run a filter when shocking the pool?
Well, yes, you should. The process of shocking does kill any algae or germs, but it does not necessarily mean it will remove them. In order to get rid of these germs, you need a filtration system. Always ensure to run the filtration system for a minimum of 24hours.
When is the best time to shock the pool?
The ideal time to vacuum the pool is in the evening. This is actually beneficial because the rays of the sun can not affect the effectiveness of chlorine. If chlorine gets dissolved quickly, it will not remove contaminants and clear the water.
Bottom Line
The swimming area is the most loved part of the house, where all the fun happens. Cleaning and regular maintenance play a vital role in this. One of the basic steps in this process is shocking the pool. However, vacuuming is imperative before adding chemicals. Therefore, every time you think of shocking, consider vacuuming before starting the process.
