Most of the time your pool needs to be shocked due to CHLORAMINES which is Combined Chlorine <CAC> – it is hypochlorous acid combined with nitrogen compounds such as ammonia in a very strong bond. Chloramines are formed many ways but the most unwanted is when chlorine in your pool tries to destroy “PHOSPHATES” that are in your pool water, the more of one bad thing you have the more the other you get. With this said there should be a treatment in place for phosphate removal if you get chloramines often. Chloramines are very nasty characters and cause the largest single miss-understood problem in private pool water maintenance. They are the source of most eye irritation and mucous membrane irritation in swimmers, not to mention the vexatious and obnoxious “CHLORINE ODOR” complaint we so often hear about. CAC is a bad actor and has no place in a maintained swimming pool.
During the swimming season you will have to shock treat and oxidize the ammonia and nitrogen compounds from the water, which you should do every week to ten days.
Why O2 shock?
SHOCKING is the term used to “burn-out” or oxidize all or part of the ammonia combined with chlorine forming chloramines. The addition of 10 to 15 ppm (10 times the approximate daily chlorine use) will sometimes destroy all or part of the chloramines. Since you do not want to swim in water with this much chlorine, you should use a NON- CHLORINE method to accomplish SHOCKING of the swimming pool. Also using this method allows you to swim immediately after shocking. Downtown Pools carries a product by the name of O2 Shock in stock. NON-Chlorine shock is a complex formula of oxygen bearing and clarifying compounds. NON-Chlorine shock contains no chlorine or calcium, is nonflammable, and does not affect the Ph of pool water. NON-Chlorine shock agglomerates fine organic particles and minerals for removal by your filtration system. NON-Chlorine shock is an odorless, long lasting oxidizer that oxidizes organic compounds and contaminants that have a chlorine demand. This assures you free, effective chlorine by destroying the compounds that combine with chlorine and cause combined chlorine(chloramines). These chloramines cause eye burn, unpleasant odors and skin irritation. NON-Chlorine shock contains neither calcium, as found in calcium hypochlorite <Super Shock IT> or liquid shocks. With NON-Chlorine shock you will not experience the temporary calcium cloudiness nor the salty taste that can sometimes occur after chlorine shock treatments. If you have an indoor pool you should not use chlorine as a shock in any form as this will cause a buildup in the water causing a very high amount of eye irritating fumes, Only use an oxidizer shock in a double size dose to remove the chlorine build up a minimum of twice a month.