Is shocking necessary.........
- Thread starter 94ukgrad
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Sorry about the incorrect attribution and I've edited my post with a correction. I should have gone back and checked the post rather than go from memory (which is obviously faultykenmar said:Hey, that was me, not Jason
).
labhaven
0
I'm a new pool owner this year. I found this site before the pool was installed and decided BBB was the way to go for me. I shocked once the first week the pool was in (first week of May) to get the water cleared up. Since then, I've used my TFP test kit daily, the pool calculator and followed the guidance on this website. My water stays sparkling clean and I don't have to shock. I've stopped bothering to go to the pool store to confirm my numbers on the tests. When they test my water and tell me my numbers are right where they should be...and then say I should shock within a couple days, I ask why. They look at me like I'm asking a stupid question and then ask when the last time I shocked was. I tell them May 7th and they get this dazed and confused look and tell me I should be shocking weekly. I ask again, why should I be shocking the pool, you just handed me my test results that you hand wrote "perfect pool" with a smiley face and said "I haven't had one of these in a long time". I just chuckle and leave it at that. :-D
precab said:
Looks like precab has been scared away by all the negative responses to his learned advice -- he hasn't been back since the 22nd.
Funny that this was his second and LAST post submitted only 15 minutes after he joined the site. I'm thinkin' perhaps an 'intheswim' rep???
This is an important point that apparently is not well recognized in the pool industry. More people should read this post.
I really hope (and expect) that I will be able to avoid shocking and just keep the FC at a reasonable level by adjusting the salt cell output.
One question: Do you generally see that the shocking also can be avoided after heavy bather load, say 6-10 kids an entire afternoon?
I would think I could still maintain a reasonable FC level by cranking up the salt cell, but I guess the real limitation is really breaking down the chloramines, right? Are we relying 100% on UV from the sun or does the salt cell break down chloramines when they pass?
I really hope (and expect) that I will be able to avoid shocking and just keep the FC at a reasonable level by adjusting the salt cell output.
One question: Do you generally see that the shocking also can be avoided after heavy bather load, say 6-10 kids an entire afternoon?
I would think I could still maintain a reasonable FC level by cranking up the salt cell, but I guess the real limitation is really breaking down the chloramines, right? Are we relying 100% on UV from the sun or does the salt cell break down chloramines when they pass?
friendswoodnewbie said:
I haven't noticed that I would have to shock per se, but what I would do is raise the FC a little above baseline, say 1 to 2 ppm, prior to the swimmers arriving. Then, after the party is over, I will check the FC and top it off again if needed at that point. As far as needing to raise it to shock level though, I haven't had to do that.
Perfect. That was what I was hoping for.
I can't wait to get started and I actually look forward to getting to 'know' the pool, i.e. learning how I can keep the numbers in check just by adding acid and adjusting the salt cell to the desired output (okay, perhaps a bit more after serious dilution/heavy rainfall but that would be very infrequent).
I can't wait to get started and I actually look forward to getting to 'know' the pool, i.e. learning how I can keep the numbers in check just by adding acid and adjusting the salt cell to the desired output (okay, perhaps a bit more after serious dilution/heavy rainfall but that would be very infrequent).
Yes, you will get to the point where you know what your water does and are able to predict with some accuracy as to what it needs and when to maintain it. I used to keep records on testing values and such, but now, I don't really need to do that any more.
Some of us have added a bigger chart to the top of the TF100 to record not just test data but chem additions and other comments. I keep those in a file so that I can go back and review when the chlorine consumption got higher.
It won't take long, however, for you to develop an eye for the pool. When it is just a bit dull, you know you need to test and see what is up, before you get any algae started. Daylight, rain, usage, pollen, leaves, filter run times all can affect the pool, not to mention what happens when you get lazy and stop testing or adding chlorine for awhile like over the winter.
I tend to forget about testing for weeks at a time over the winter if we haven't used the spa. In mid February I will notice the pool is a little dull and if a few days of normal chlorine is not enough I will shock once to get the sparkle back.
It won't take long, however, for you to develop an eye for the pool. When it is just a bit dull, you know you need to test and see what is up, before you get any algae started. Daylight, rain, usage, pollen, leaves, filter run times all can affect the pool, not to mention what happens when you get lazy and stop testing or adding chlorine for awhile like over the winter.
I tend to forget about testing for weeks at a time over the winter if we haven't used the spa. In mid February I will notice the pool is a little dull and if a few days of normal chlorine is not enough I will shock once to get the sparkle back.
You need to forget about the idea that it takes a certain chlorine level to break down chloramines. So long as there is ANY measurable FC at all, then oxidation of bather waste, including chloramines, will happen. It's just that at lower FC/CYA ratios, such oxidation will occur more slowly. What is most important is to have sufficient FC so that it doesn't dip too low so that algae could start to grow. So normally one would raise the FC ahead of known high bather load to anticipate such load and ensure that the chlorine level won't drop too far. If one has an SWG that is well oversized, then one could turn up the on-time and it may be enough to keep up with the increased demand. If not, then one can manually add additional chlorine.friendswoodnewbie said:
As for after a high bather load, it's really up to you. So long as the FC level isn't dipping too low, you can just leave it and the chloramines will eventually get taken care of. If you want to get rid of them faster or you've got organics clouding your water and you want to get it clear faster, then you can shock to a higher chlorine level to speed things up, but it's really a personal preference. The water is safe so long as there is measurable FC and assuming it isn't so clouded as to obscure seeing the bottom of the pool with reasonable visibility.
So you are saying that as long as I have a reasonable FC, the chloramines will get broken down even though it may take some time after heavy bather load, right? Does UV light not really matter, then or does it just speed up the breaking down of CC's?
It is really good to hear that bather waste can simply be handled by maintaining FC (unless some serious waste happened I guess
)
That is certainly not an experience it is easy to find online on various 'professional pool sites' but it certainly makes sense. I will definitely keep a detailed log of test results and add comments such as heavy rain, many kids etc once we get started.
Still a few weeks to go......patience....and then suddenly.....
It is really good to hear that bather waste can simply be handled by maintaining FC (unless some serious waste happened I guess
)That is certainly not an experience it is easy to find online on various 'professional pool sites' but it certainly makes sense. I will definitely keep a detailed log of test results and add comments such as heavy rain, many kids etc once we get started.
Still a few weeks to go......patience....and then suddenly.....
Yes, you've got that right -- reasonable FC breaks down chloramines with no need for shocking. UV does help to break down chloramines so if you have the choice of covering your pool vs. exposing it to sunlight it would be better to expose it to sunlight. This allows some chloramines to outgas and exposes the rest to UV and also exposes chlorine itself to UV. Though the latter breaks down some chlorine, it creates free radicals including hydroxyl radicals in this process and they can then attack all sorts of organic compounds in radical chain reactions more effectively than chlorine alone. UV from sunlight is one of the reasons that outdoor pools tend to have better quality more easily obtained than with indoor pools.friendswoodnewbie said:
A technical discussion of the oxidization of urea has been moved to this topic in the Deep End. JasonLion