Results for "oxidation"

Maintenance Medium 45 minutes 194 👍 0

How Pool Shock Works: Complete Chemistry Guide

Spent hundreds on every shock product available, followed instructions perfectly, even doubled doses — but my 20,000 gallon inground pool chemistry still makes zero sense to me. I know it raises chlorine levels temporarily, but what's the chemical process that's actually cleaning my water?

My pool gets a lot of use during summer - kids swimming daily, sunscreen, sweat, the occasional algae bloom if I'm not careful with maintenance. When I shock it, usually with calcium hypochlorite, the water clears up within 24 hours. But I'd love to understand the chemistry of how shock treatment breaks down contaminants and restores water quality. What exactly is happening at the molecular level when those chlorine levels spike?…more

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Algae Green Pool 89 👍 3

Why Is the Lincoln Reflecting Pool Green—and Why Not Shock It?

I saw the photos of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool gone bright green again, days after they finished a big renovation. I run my own backyard pool, and when mine goes green I shock the daylights out of it and it clears up in a couple of days. So why is the government out there pouring hydrogen peroxide and scraping algae by hand off a national monument? Why don't they just shock the thing like the rest of us do? What am I missing?…more

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Maintenance Easy 30 minutes 212 👍 0

Do I Need to Shock My Pool Every Week? Complete Guide

Called three pool stores about weekly shock treatments and they're all pushing $15 products, but is this actually necessary or just a sales pitch? My pool has been relatively clear lately and I've been pretty good about keeping up with daily chlorine levels. But then I had one algae outbreak earlier this season and now I'm paranoid about skipping the weekly shock treatment. Is weekly shocking really required, or are there specific situations when I actually need to do it? I want to maintain a healthy pool without going overboard on chemicals.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours (for bromine conversion); ongoing testing 15 min/session 41 👍 1

Salt Hot Tub + Chlorine Pool: Can They Coexist?

Looked at my chemical budget this month and my dual-system setup is eating through my patience faster than it should. I've got a saltwater hot tub running alongside a traditional chlorine pool, and I keep second-guessing whether the two systems are creating problems for each other. Sharing test kits, the occasional accidental splash of equipment — I'm not sure if cross-contamination is a real concern or if I'm overthinking it.

On top of that, I'm also wondering if switching it over to bromine might actually be cheaper and easier to maintain. I've heard bromine handles heat better, which makes sense for a spa. But I genuinely don't know if you can just dump bromine into a system that's been running chlorine, or whether there's a full drain-and-clean process involved.…more

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Maintenance Medium 30 minutes 348 👍 0

Do I Need to Shock My Pool Weekly? Complete Frequency Guide

According to my test strips, my pool's chlorine levels are doing something bizarre — dropping to zero right after shocking, then spiking without me adding anything. My pool store guy says I should shock every week no matter what, but that seems like overkill (and expensive!). My neighbor says he only shocks when there's a problem.

I've got a pretty standard setup and we use the pool regularly but not crazy amounts. The water looks fine most of the time. Am I supposed to be shocking weekly or can I get away with less? What actually determines when you need to shock?…more

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Algae Green Pool Medium 4-6 hours 1,275 👍 16

Can I Shock Pool After Adding Algaecide? Complete Guide

Spent all morning watching my pool turn green with algae patches and now I'm holding bottles of algaecide and shock with no clue which to use first. But I'm not sure about the timing - can I add both in the same day? Should I put the algaecide in first, or does it matter?

Also, if I can use both, how long should I wait between adding them? Don't want to mess up my water chemistry or waste expensive chemicals by doing this wrong!…more

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Salt Water Medium 45 minutes 1,131 👍 0

How Salt Water Pools Kill Bacteria - Chlorine Generation Process

Switched from a chlorine pool to saltwater last year and my pool store says I don't need to worry about bacteria anymore because the salt cell handles everything. That sounds too good to be true. How does a salt water pool actually kill bacteria compared to dumping chlorine tablets in?…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 1,038 👍 0

Can You Shock Pool After Adding Muriatic Acid? Safe Timing

Our 2019 Intex Easy Set just got muriatic acid to lower the pH but now we're wondering if we can shock it right away. I added some muriatic acid to my pool yesterday to bring down the pH (it was reading around 8.2). Now I'm wondering if I can go ahead and shock the pool today or if I need to wait? I don't want to create any dangerous chemical reactions or damage anything. The pool store guy mentioned something about waiting between chemicals but I can't remember exactly what he said. Should I test the water first or just wait a certain amount of time? Thanks for any help - still learning all this pool chemistry stuff!…more

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Salt Water Medium 8-24 hours 796 👍 23

Should I Turn Off Salt Cell When Shocking Pool? Complete Guide

Staring at my salt cell wondering if I need to turn it off before shocking my pool — can't afford a $200 service call right now.

Should the salt chlorine generator be turned off while administering shock treatment, or can it continue running?

I want to ensure I'm following correct procedures to avoid any potential equipment damage or interference with the shock's effectiveness. What's the standard protocol for salt cell operation during chemical shock applications?…more

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Above Ground Medium 2-3 days 493 👍 0

Can You Paint Above Ground Pool? Complete Guide & Best Methods

Called it—after all that rain last week, my above ground pool looks even more rusty and faded than before, practically mocking me from the backyard. It's become such an eyesore that I'm embarrassed to have people over. I've been researching pool painting but getting mixed information online - some say it works great, others say it's a waste of time and money.

My pool is one of those standard metal frame ones, probably about 15 years old with some rust spots and serious fading. I'm willing to put in the work if it'll actually make a difference, but I need to know if this is even feasible or if I'm just setting myself up for disappointment. What type of paint works on these things, and do I need special prep work?…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 15 minutes 475 👍 0

Does a Chlorine Pool Clean You? Sanitizing Effects Explained

Pulled every trick in the book — tested water chemistry, scrubbed surfaces, shocked twice — but still can't figure out if my 20,000 gallon chlorinated pool actually cleans me. My family swims regularly, and I've been wondering about the actual cleaning effects of chlorinated water on our bodies. I know chlorine is designed to kill bacteria and sanitize the pool water, but does it provide any real sanitizing benefits to swimmers?

Specifically, I'm curious whether the chlorine concentration in properly maintained pools is sufficient to kill germs and bacteria on our skin while we swim. My kids often come out of the pool and think they don't need to shower because "the pool cleaned them," but I'm not sure if that's actually true. Does chlorinated pool water provide genuine sanitizing effects on the human body, or do we still need regular soap and water for proper hygiene after swimming?…more

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Above Ground Easy 30 minutes 378 👍 1

Can You Clean Above Ground Pool with Bleach? Complete Guide

Halfway through pool season my 24-foot round above ground pool has disgusting algae buildup, murky water, AND I'm hemorrhaging money on expensive chemicals. I noticed that regular household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite just like pool chlorine, and it's often cheaper at the grocery store.

I've been using liquid pool chlorine from the pool store, but with how much I go through during peak season, the costs really add up. My pool stays pretty balanced - typically around 7.2-7.4 pH and 1.5-3.0 ppm chlorine when I test weekly. Can I substitute regular unscented household bleach for pool chlorine to clean and sanitize my above ground pool? If so, are there any differences in dosing or effectiveness I should know about?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours initial treatment 341 👍 1

Can You Shock Pool With Liquid Chlorine? Complete Guide

Replaced my pool's chlorine tablets with liquid this season — planning to shock my 10,000 gallon pool Saturday, what supplies do I need ready? Have liquid chlorine on hand but not sure if it's effective for shocking or if I need granular shock instead.

How much liquid chlorine would I need to properly shock? Want to raise chlorine levels by about 10ppm.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 30 minutes 326 👍 0

Does Pool Stabilizer Go Away? Understanding CYA Depletion

This is the third time this season my cyanuric acid levels have mysteriously dropped after being perfect all spring and I'm done guessing what's happening. Now I'm opening for this year and my CYA is reading lower than where I left it. Do I really need to keep adding stabilizer every year, or did I mess up my test somehow?

I thought once you get your stabilizer levels right, you're basically set for life. But apparently that's not the case? Just want to make sure I'm not throwing money at chemicals I don't actually need.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium varies by treatment method 305 👍 0

Can I Use Pool Chlorine Tablets in My Well? Safety Risks

Opened my well disinfection system this morning to find it's eating through expensive treatment bottles way faster than it should, while I've got pool chlorine tablets collecting dust.

Seems like such a waste when I already have pool chlorine tablets at home. Can't I just drop a few of those trichlor tablets down my well to disinfect the water? I'm looking for a simple DIY solution that doesn't involve buying more overpriced chemicals.…more

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