Shocking is certainly a must when it comes to keeping your pool clean and healthy. But once shock is in there, how much do you really need to wait before you can take a dive? It’s a question many pool owners have — and the answer varies depending on your chlorine levels and pool maintenance habits (whether you clean manually or use a robot pool cleaner, pool vacuum or skimmer).
Now let’s go down to the post-shock fundamentals and the arbitrary timing by safety.
Understanding the Post-shock Time Lag
After you have shocked your pool, in general, you will want to wait 24 hours to get in your pool. But the true barometer is the chlorine. Before anyone goes in, you should test your water and ensure your free chlorine falls below 5 ppm.
In the meantime, run your pool booster pump and filter system to keep the water moving. This allows chemicals to mix completely and aids in the dissipation of any excess chlorine.
The Importance of Water Circulation After Shocking.
The quicker that chemicals are distributed, the sooner you can get in the pool. Run your filter system non-stop for 8–12 hours and if possible, operate your robot pool cleaner or pool vacuum robot to agitate the water and pick up any of the materials, such as dead algae.
Smart systems such as the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra, Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro, and Beatbot AquaSense 2 are popular among so many users for deep cleaning and effective debris sucking. Not only do these pool cleaning robot models aerate the water, but they also provide a highly targeted scrub on your pools walls and floors.
Don’t Forget to Check the Water
Test your water chemistry before your swimming pool robot cleaner. In addition to chlorine levels, test your pH balance and alkalinity to make sure your water won’t pose a danger and be adequately treated.
If chlorine levels are above 5 ppm, keep your pump running and allow your pool more time to settle in. A maytronics pool cleaner or wall climbing pool cleaner will assist to eliminate extra debris that may inhibit chlorine evaporation.
Handling Algae After Shocking
If you “shocked” your pool to kill algae, wait until the algae turns white or gray (a sign it’s dead) and vacuum it. Have an algae pool vacuum clean it or simply allow your robotic pool cleaner to complete it. Some are thinking: will a pool robot get rid of algae? — and the answer is yes, provided the algae is no longer alive.
For tough stains or algae that has adhered to tiling or plaster you may want to find out how to acid wash a pool surface, or worse, how to drain an inground pool without a pump to get a thorough clean.
Last Minute Pool Safety and Cleanliness Ideas
Clean your skimmer baskets
Vacuum pool walls and floor
Back wash your filter(s).
Hose down pool toys or equipment before letting them back into water
A good vacuum cleaner for pool or intelligent robot pool cleaner makes the pool maintenance easy and effective.
Conclusion
Shock is the best way to clean a pool, but patience is indispensable. Never re-enter the pool until the chlorine level returns to normal (below 5 ppm). In the meantime, let your automatic pool cleaner do the dirty work — picking up debris, dead algae, and tiny particles, so you can splash in perfectly healthy water. For a top-of-the-line cleaning, opt for automatic movements like the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro, Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra, or the Beatbot AquaSense 2.
