Fresh Water Pool Chemical question?
I just got a house with a pool, There was a test kit in the garage so I did the test and the ph was 7.2, chlorine was 2 to 2.5 and the acid test was also 7.2 and the pool was not running for 5 days. It looks like I need to add a little acid but will I also need to shock the water before we swim in it? also the chlorine was a little high can i shock it without adding chlorine ?
Hi. As poolman says, your levels are nearly right, just increase the chlorine level to 3.0-3.5ppm and try to keep it there. I would only ‘shock dose’ the pool if the chlorine level kept dropping rapidly or a Dipslide test showed a high bacteriological level. Then take it to 10ppm and allow to drop.
Chlorine ‘gases off’ (reduces) all the time in a pool (especialy a heated pool) so you have to monitor it daily, particulrly if you are using the pool. As the chlorine works to ‘kill’ the oils etc on your skin it depletes rapidly, so if you plan to use the pool a lot I would recomend installing an automatic dosing system.
Another idea would be to enroll on a pool maintenance course, you could try asking your chemical supplier if he knows of a local company that would train you.
Presentation 3 re-opening swimming pool ready for 2010 summer