Results for "chlorine target"

Salt Water Medium 30 minutes 291 👍 0

Do Salt Water Pools Need Chlorine? Complete Chemistry Guide

This house came with a salt water pool system that the previous owner left in complete disarray, and I'm totally clueless about maintaining it. The pool store told me that salt water pools are "chlorine-free" which is why I made the investment, but now I'm reading conflicting information online.

Do I actually still need to buy and add chlorine to my salt water pool? I thought the salt system was supposed to handle all of that automatically. I'm worried I might be missing something important for keeping the water safe for my kids.…more

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Winterizing Medium 4-8 hours 1,126 👍 0

Can I Cover Pool After Shocking? When It's Safe to Cover

Staring at my pool Saturday morning with shock treatment planned — should I have the cover staged and ready to throw back on or do I need to wait?
The guy at the pool store mentioned something about waiting before putting the cover back on, but I honestly didn't catch all the details - there was so much information!

I'm worried about covering it too soon and maybe damaging the cover or something. How long should I wait after shocking before it's safe to put the cover back on? Is there a specific chlorine level I should be looking for? Any guidance would be really appreciated!…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 15 minutes 1,175 👍 73

What Free Chlorine Level Should You Maintain?

Found myself staring at my test kit at 11pm trying to figure out if my chlorine reading is even close to where it should be. It's late and I want to get a dose in tonight if I'm off, but I genuinely don't know what number I'm shooting for. My pool has stabilizer in it and I've been guessing at a target for months.

Is there a universal number everyone aims for, or does it actually vary based on something? I keep seeing different ranges thrown around online and I can't figure out which one applies to my situation.…more

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Salt Water Easy 5 minutes 357 👍 0

Do Salt Water Pools Have Chlorine? Yes - Here's Why

Already asked my neighbor about her "chlorine-free" saltwater pool, but mine definitely has chlorine — what am I missing here? I have a 20,000 gallon inground pool and I'm considering converting to a salt water system because I thought it meant no more dealing with chlorine chemicals. My neighbor has been telling me that salt water pools are "chlorine-free" and that's why they're gentler on skin and eyes.

But when I was talking to a pool supply store, the guy mentioned something about salt water pools still having chlorine, just generated differently? I'm confused because if there's still chlorine involved, what's the actual difference? I've been manually adding liquid chlorine to my pool for years and my levels typically run around 2-3 ppm, but I'm tired of the constant chemical additions and storage issues.

Can someone explain whether salt water pools actually contain chlorine or not? And if they do, how does that work with the salt system?…more

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Salt Water Medium 45 minutes 311 👍 0

Do Saltwater Pools Need Chlorine? The Complete Truth

About two weeks into this rental with my first saltwater pool and the generator's been running constantly but the water stays green no matter what I do. I've thrown every chemical I can think of at this thing - algaecide, shock, clarifier - and nothing's working.

Do saltwater pools actually need regular chlorine added, or am I missing something else? I thought the whole point was that the salt system makes its own chlorine automatically. My levels seem off but I'm not sure if I should be manually adding chlorine to a saltwater pool or if that defeats the purpose entirely.…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 257 👍 0

Do Pools Need Chlorine? Essential Pool Sanitizer Guide

Between my neighbor claiming pools don't need chlorine with proper balance, the pool store insisting it's essential, and YouTube giving conflicting advice, I'm completely lost.

Are there other options besides chlorine? I've heard people mention saltwater pools and UV systems - do those work just as well? I want to keep my family safe but also don't want to over-complicate things as a beginner. What's the most reliable way to keep pool water clean and safe?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 30 minutes 281 👍 0

Do Indoor Pools Need Cyanuric Acid? Pool Stabilizer Guide

Standing in front of my indoor pool with a tight budget — is cyanuric acid actually necessary or can I skip this $30+ expense the pool store keeps pushing? Last time I was there, they insisted I needed cyanuric acid for my indoor pool and tried to upsell me on their "premium stabilizer package" for like $60.

My pool is completely indoors with no direct sunlight hitting it. I've been managing fine without CYA so far, but I'm wondering if there's actually a legitimate reason to use it? I'm all for DIY pool maintenance and cutting out unnecessary expenses, but I also don't want to mess up my water chemistry if stabilizer actually serves a purpose indoors.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 4-6 hours 1,382 👍 19

Can I Shock Pool After Adding Baking Soda? Complete Guide

Noticed my neighbor's pool stays crystal clear when he adds baking soda then shocks immediately, but mine turns cloudy every time — what's his secret? I added baking soda to raise my alkalinity this morning, but now I'm wondering about timing.

Can I go ahead and shock the pool right away, or do I need to wait? I don't want to waste the shock treatment or mess up my water chemistry. The pool store guy mentioned something about waiting but then tried to upsell me on their "premium" shock system. Just looking for straight answers on proper timing and whether I should test anything specific before shocking.…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 2-4 hours 1,486 👍 0

Do You Need to Shock Pool After Filling? Complete Guide

Staring at my freshly filled pool with a bucket of shock in hand — is it safe to dump this in right away, or could it damage anything? We just finished filling our 18x36 inground pool after having some liner work done this spring. The water came from our well and looks crystal clear, but I'm wondering if I need to shock it before my family starts swimming? A neighbor mentioned something about always shocking after a fresh fill, but I'm not sure if that's necessary since the water looks fine. What's the proper procedure here? I have test strips but haven't checked the chemistry yet - wanted to get some advice first on whether shocking is a must-do step.…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 264 👍 0

Do You Need Pool Chemicals? Essential Chemicals for Safe Water

Last weekend I grabbed my pool testing kit and decided to handle the chemistry myself — just need to figure out which chemicals are actually essential versus marketing hype. My neighbor swears by minimal chemical use while the pool store keeps pushing different products on me.

What chemicals do you ACTUALLY need to keep a pool safe for swimming? I don't want to over-treat my water with unnecessary stuff, but I also don't want anyone getting sick. Just looking for the bare minimum essentials that are truly required for safe, swimmable water.…more

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Maintenance Medium 2-4 hours initial, 1-3 days total 289 👍 1

How to Shock Your Pool: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

I'm wondering why my pool shock manual says to add it directly to the water when every online guide insists on dissolving it first. The pool store told me I need to shock it regularly, but I'm honestly not sure what that means or how to do it properly. I don't want to mess anything up!

I have a 20,000 gallon pool and I've been testing the water with strips, but I'm not entirely sure what numbers I should be looking for when it comes to shocking. Should I just dump chlorine in, or is there a specific process I need to follow? Also, does timing matter - like is there a best time of day to do this?

Any step-by-step guidance would be really appreciated. I want to make sure I'm doing this right and keeping the water safe for my family.…more

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Maintenance Easy 30 minutes 962 👍 0

Can You Clean Pool with Bleach? Safe Methods & Alternatives

Every pool maintenance manual I've read says never use household bleach, but my neighbor's been using it for years at half the cost of liquid chlorine. The pool store sells liquid chlorine but it's pretty expensive, and I noticed it's basically the same ingredient as regular household bleach.

Can I save money by using bleach from the grocery store instead? If so, how much would I need to add? My pool is about 10,000 gallons. I want to make sure I'm doing this safely and not damaging anything. Any guidance from experienced pool owners would be really appreciated!…more

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Maintenance Easy 8-24 hours 295 👍 0

How Long After Pool Shock Can You Swim? Safety Guide

Turned my pool into a crystal-clear paradise with shock treatment and now I'm armed with test strips, ready to master the perfect timing for safe swimming. I'm worried about letting them swim too soon and want to make sure the chemical levels are completely safe.

How long should I wait before it's okay for them to swim again? I have a test kit but I'm not sure what the chlorine levels should be at before I give them the green light. I'd rather be overly cautious when it comes to their safety.…more

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Maintenance Medium 2-4 hours 308 👍 1

Do I Need to Shock My Pool in Winter? Complete Guide

Between the musty, swamp-like stench seeping through my pool cover and that weird chemical smell hitting me every time I walk by, I'm wondering if I should still be shocking it this winter.

I have a 20,000 gallon inground pool that I keep open year-round here in the Southeast, but I've heard conflicting advice about whether I need to shock as often in winter as I do in summer.

Right now my water temperature is around 55°F and my free chlorine levels have been holding steady at about 2.5 ppm. During summer I was shocking every two weeks religiously, but with the cooler temps and less usage, I'm wondering if I can scale back. Does the type of pool setup (open vs closed for winter) make a difference in shocking frequency? And should I be adjusting based on water temperature or just stick to my summer routine?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours 488 👍 0

Can You Shock Pool With High pH? Complete Chemistry Guide

This might be a stupid question but I'm literally at the pool store about to buy shock for my high pH pool — am I wasting my money? My pool is looking a bit cloudy and I know I need to shock it, but when I tested the water, the pH came back really high - like 7.8 or maybe even higher.

The guy at the pool store mentioned something about pH affecting chlorine, but I didn't really understand what he meant. Can I go ahead and shock the pool anyway, or do I absolutely need to get that pH down first? If I have to lower it first, how long do I need to wait? I'm worried about the water getting worse while I'm trying to fix the pH.…more

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