When to add Chlorine Tablets after Shocking the Pool

Pool shocking is a process where a high amount of chlorine is applied to the pool water so that the contaminants and other microorganisms present in the pool water can be finished all at once.

But the question arises that when to add chlorine tablets after shocking the pool. Experts recommend that you can again apply chlorine tablets to your pool water once the high concentration of chlorine is dissipated in the water and has done its job. Usually, this might take 2-3 days or more.

The timing of adding chlorine to the pool water also depends on some factors after shocking the pool. Not only the pool size but also the chemical condition and other parameters come into consideration while calculating the time.

Do not be tense about when to add chlorine tablets after shock or how soon to add chlorine after shock. We have got your back and let us go on a short tour to minimize your queries.

Table of Contents

What is Pool Shocking?

The term pool shocking indicates the rapid and high dose of chlorine addition to increase the chlorine content in the pool water. Other oxidizing agents can also be used for oxidizing the pool water.

Generally, shocking of a pool is done when the pool water becomes so cloudy that the water can cause various diseases to our body system. An outbreak of algae or other contaminations is one of the reasons behind this process.

Human body fluid or other contaminant pollutes the pool water. That is why shocking a pool is necessary. Though chlorine is a chemical in itself, proper guidelines must be followed to avoid any health hazards afterward.

When to Add Chlorine Tablets After Shocking?

Shocking of the pool is chlorinating the pool water with a heavy dose of water to dispel the contaminations by oxidizing.

So again when you are going to add regular chlorine tablets for daily water maintenance, there are some factors or parameters that need to be kept in consideration.

Usually, experts recommend adding chlorine tablets again after properly testing the pool water. The heavy dose in the pool water must come down to the normal level which is considered 1-4 ppm.

The heavily dosed chlorine in your pool water might take around 24 to 48 hours or several weeks to come down to the normal level depending upon the-

Pool size.
Level of contamination.
Amount of chlorine.
The pH level of the water.
The condition of the weather.

There might be more factors affecting this segment.

What if Chlorine Tablets are Applied too soon after Shocking?

As the chlorine tablets also contain stabilized chlorines, this will increase the chlorine content in the pool water to a higher value which might not be good news for the swimmers.

An excessive amount of chlorine in the pool water might result in

Irritation against skin
Burning eye
Damaging pool equipment
Discoloring swimsuits
Damaging hair
Harsh odor

You might not want to face these types of situations that might affect your health as well as your property.

So, it is wise and recommended as well to wait till a certain period which is assumed around 24 to 48 hours depending upon the pool size to properly dissipate all the chlorine applied in a very high dose to shock the pool.

After the complete dissipation of those chlorines, you can add chlorine tablets to a dispenser for regular maintenance of your pool water.

Can You Add Chlorine and Shock at the Same Time?

As per the guidelines discussed above, it is not suggested to add chlorine and shock at the same time.

While shocking the pool, a very high amount of chlorine is added to the water which requires around 24-48 hours to dissolve properly and do the work.

But if you add chlorine while shocking the pool, that might create toxic chemical products that might affect your skin and respiratory system as well. A very high amount of chlorine reacting with the stable chlorine creates many unstable chemicals (such as chlorine gas) that you might not be willing to inhale or come in contact with.

Can You Use Shock Instead of Chlorine?

No, you can not use shock instead of chlorine.

Shock treatment for pool water is mainly done to rapidly increase the chlorine level by dosing a high amount of chlorine in pool water to kill microorganisms and remove other contaminants from the pool water.

Whereas chlorine is applied in the pool water to maintain the sanity of pool water. Gradually growing algae and other microorganisms can be resolved by the application of regular stabilized chlorine in the pool water.

So, it is very easy to comprehend that shock can not replace chlorine. Because the very high dose of chlorine can remove contaminants from your pool water when they are at a high number but chlorine is generally used to maintain the regular sanity of the pool water.

So, it is not suggested to use shock instead of chlorine due to its high amount of chlorine. The pool water might affect our skin and might face other health-related hazards.

How to Maintain the Pool after the Shock?

After the shock of your pool, you might follow this guideline:

First, test the pool water with a pool water testing kit.

Check the chemical condition of the pool water (pH level, chlorine level, COD, alkalinity, etc).

Then clean the pool. The sidewalls and the bottom of the pool need to be cleaned in order to remove the debris after the shock.

After cleaning the pool walls, run the pool filtration system. It is recommended to run around 8-12 hours to circulate the water properly and take away the remaining contaminations.

Then again check the pool water. If the chlorine level is lowered compared to the standard level, then add some chlorine to the pool and take action to balance the chemical condition of the pool water if other chemicals are still present at an alarming level.

Now you need to check the water level of your pool. If not at the standard level, then add.

It is all done, now you need to monitor the condition of your pool for a few hours. Take a look at chlorine level, pH level, the concentration of dissolved chemicals, growth of algae, etc.

We hope that these might be good enough to go. But if you still feel hesitant then you can follow the guideline on the manufacturer’s website or other manuals provided by them.

Closure

In conclusion, we can say that your pool water must be tested before you go through any kind of pool water treatment because all the water is not in the same condition. Your pool water might need different treatment than others depending upon the chemical and weather condition.

Monitor and test your pool water regularly and if the shock is needed then go for it. But do not shock and chlorine your pool at the same time as that might create hazardous chemical byproducts from the reaction of those two.

You can apply chlorine again after testing the condition of the pool water. The time period generally takes around 2-3 days depending upon the factors mentioned above.

To maintain the condition of your pool water and happy swimming.