best/safest way to shock - new IG liner

Jump to latest Follow Reply
D

dkocse

0
May 26, 2016
2
Southington, CT
Hello everyone:

I didn't see this posted, i am new to this site so if i missed it i apologize. We opened the pool to find a significant tear that required us to have a new liner installed. I want to make sure that we don't do anything to hurt the liner. My question is... will shock stain (or bleach) my liner? I thought it discolored our old liner when we may have added it and it sat at the bottom but that could have been there when we purchased the house. I saw some on this site do not like non-chlorine shock but i thought that would be the safer route. What is the best/safest way to "shock" and how do you apply it? I have always poured it in a bucket first and mixed it with water but i've seen a few people who seemed to know their stuff suggest adding it right into the skimmer basket. Thanks for any help.

Dan
 
Welcome to TFP!

We do not ever "shock" our pools. If you maintain adequate FC levels that are a function of your stabilizer, CYA, levels, then your pool will not get algae.

If you do have a problem with the water, then you follow the SLAM process, which was designed to be safe for your pool.
 
Welcome to the forum!

If you go to the Pool School section there is a chart that tells what your chlorine level should be at based on what your CYA (stabilizer). If you stay in the recommended ranges and pour it (as in liquid chlorine or bleach) in front of a return while the pump is running, it should not bleach out the liner.

Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Pool School - Handy Reference

It's more of a process of testing and adding only the things you really need, based on what's already in the water, and where you need it to be, using PoolMath, found here:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

The recommended levels can be found in the previously mentioned links.

A good test kit, that can measure chlorine levels above 5 and the CC's (basically chlorine that has been "used up") and the rest of the recommended criteria. That can be found here:
TFTestkits.net
 
In a direct answer to your question yes some "shock" products can damage or bleach your liner. There are almost more shock products out there than there are cars on the LA freeways so being more specific is not really possible.

If you follow the TFP method you will not need to shock your pool every week or so. And if something does go wrong and you need to SLAM you will have adequate stabilizer in the pool so the chlorine should not be a problem to the liner.
 
As jblizzle mentioned, mainstream pool store "shocking" is their solution for pool owners not maintaining enough free chlorine (which they don't even test for individually). They shock to try to makeup for negligence.

We don't ever let FC drop to the point where things can grow. We never fall behind. We never shock.

That being said, accidents happen, sometimes it's green when you open, or you help someone with a green pool or a pool is using too much FC per day, or it smells like chlorine. When any of these happen, we SLAM as described in pool school.

While some of us do use floater pucks on rare occasions, 99% of the chlorine we add comes from bleach or "chlorine liquid pool shock" which is really just 10% or 12.5% bleach LOL.

To prevent damage to liner or equipment, we use test kits that have the FAS-DPD chlorine test, that unlike all other testing methods, can distinguish free chlorine from combined chlorine. This difference is critical. Using this data and PoolMath calculator, in combination with CYA testing and the CYA chart, we know exactly how much FC to maintain, how much to add when, and we always add it after the pump has been running for 20 minutes, pour the measured amount in front of the return jet (filtered waste pumping back into pool fast) and we pour very slowly so it dilutes immediately and there never is a concentrated chemical touching the liner. We always leave pump running for 30 minutes after adding. If adding a lot of bleach or muriatic acid we always brush the bottom immediately after adding to stir the pool and help any of the higher density acid that might have sank to be completely incorporated and diluted. We take no chances, we suffer no damage.

Everything I just typed is either in pool school or in the forums and can be searched for using the site search for specific questions/techniques. I just had the time and felt generous. If you have any other questions, please do feel free to ask if you can't find the answer in pool school or using search. We are here to help. TFP is well documented with over 100,000 members, active with thousands of people online at the game time frequently, and I believe the greatest source of pool care knowledge on the internet including government publications.
 
Thank you for the welcome and for all of the great info. i will certainly keep searching the forums for more help. i've been on forums like this before and was fully expecting someone to bark at me for not providing enough detail or for not finding the info. on my own (and i did search) or something like that... thanks for making me want to stick around.
 
LOL no barking allowed at TFP! You will love it here! You are already head of the game with your location and signature fillled out! THANKS!

With a good test kit and a brush we can help you keep your pool clear and looking like a jewel :sun:

Kim:cat:
 
Welcome!

Two things will prevent liner bleaching when shocking
1) Don't shock. If you maintain the proper FC/CYA ratio you won't get algae so you'll never need to shock. That might be difficult where you live if the pool gets closed during the winter, but in my climate, the pool is open year round even if its too cold to get in, and over five years without green water.
2) Dilution. Dribble chemicals in front of the return stream and they disperse into nothingness before your eyes. You can actually see the yellow bleach cloud just expand and fade away. And a couple quick swipes with the pool brush will ensure nothing has a chance to puddle. It's much like adding cream to your coffee but on a gigantic scale. Stir it in, get some cross-currents going.

What chemicals to use and how to add them are explained in Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply