Simple questions on shocking...

[Strawfoot]

Janet,

Thank you for your very courteous reply. I did neglect to add my CC reading, which in the case of my pool is zero. I have not had a discernible CC reading since I've opened the pool this spring.

I was simply concerned about the heavy bather load from my recent party. The "algae" I spoke of may or may not be algae. It just seems in some areas, mainly hard to brush places like step crevices, there was some very slight light brown to yellowish discolorations. Not really spots, but more like smudges. I've been told this may not necessarily be algae, but could also be some sort of stain from the trees of foliage in the area.

I did end up pouring two gallons of bleach into the pool, which brought the FC up to about 7-8 ppm, and ran the filter a lot. The water is sparkling and I've noticed a slight difference in some of the smudge areas, which really weren't that noticeable in the first place.

I suppose I am just trying to stay ahead of the game. I'll keep reading and researching, in the meanwhile my pool is beautiful.


Mike
Arlington, TX

[aylad]

I was simply concerned about the heavy bather load from my recent party.

Most of the folks on this forum will tell you that there's no need to shock unless you have a CC of .5 or greater. I personally tend to stay on the conservative side of things and shock my pool after I've had a big bather load, because in my own pool I have seen both beginnings of algae AND the aftereffects of large groups of kids in my pool (that have been in the water for extended periods of time with no bathroom breaks), and in both situations my CC was zero. It only costs a few bucks to shock it, and I personally would rather shock it too many times than not enough.

Just my $0.2, for what it's worth!

Janet

[KurtV]

Mike,
You can also do a little prophylactic "near-shocking" before pool parties or other high chlorine demand events. In your pool, adding 1.5 -2.25 gallons of 6% bleach (2-3 3 quart jugs) will increase your free chlorine by 3.3 to 5 ppm which, in conjunction with your normal SWG production, will probably be enough to handle all the stuff that 15 or 20 bathers introduce and still leave you enough residual to keep the algae at bay until your SWG catches up the next day.

Also, most SWG manufacturers recommend 60-80 ppm CYA. I'd bring it into that range unless yours recommends something different.

Lastly, if your brown patches are leaf stains, shocking the pool will usually get rid of them. I get those in my negative edge trough from oak leaves and acorns and a jug or two of bleach in there for a couple of days erases the stains.