How to shock your swimming pool

In places like San Diego, where the temperature can be warm and comfortable throughout the year, pool maintenance is an imperative part of overall homeownership and can be essential if you want to enjoy the benefits of fun in the sun all year round.

While most pool owners know a thing or two about cleaning their pools and balancing the chemicals contained in water to ensure that everything runs effectively, performing tasks that aren’t routine, especially when it comes to sanitizing water and removing hard-to-reach debris, can be very challenging for pool owners.

A shock treatment to your pool water can be an ideal way to remove dirt, contaminants and other particles from the water and make using your pool a more pleasant experience, but pool owners should leave this important task to a San Diego pool service, since they can ensure that this is done properly and benefits your pool in unique ways.

What is a shock treatment?
A shock treatment is a process that kills bacteria as well as contaminants like sweat, saliva, skin cells, body lotions, deodorants, soil and urine that may be introduced into pool water through swimming and other activities.

Shock treatments can be non-chlorine or chlorine-based, and by doing this in a chlorine environment, all you or a pool professional will need to do is increase chemical levels in the water. Potassium monopersulfate, which is used in non-chlorine shock treatments, isn’t effective for removing bacteria, but it can oxidize – or attack – any lingering contaminants.

When to shock
How can you determine when the best time to perform a shock treatment is? If your pool is already chlorinated, you can pick up a test to determine the total levels within your water. Based on the reading, if your total level of chlorine is higher than the amount of free chlorine detected in your water, it may be time to introduce this treatment into your maintenance routine.

Other scenarios where you may want to perform a shock treatment include after a heavy rainstorm, a change in the water or a period of time when your pool was used regularly, like after a party or even as the seasons change.