The Importance Of Chlorine For Regularly ‘Shocking’ Your Swimming Pool

by Liz Seyi Digital marketing manager

One of the most frequently mentioned aspects of swimming pool maintenance is the addition of shock chlorine to the pool to ward off the growth of algae in the water. But how do algae become such a problem in the first place, and what does dedicated swimming pool chlorine do to help?

Algae are microscopic plant life that tend to thrive in warm and sunny conditions, which helps to make them especially prevalent in poorly maintained outdoor swimming pools.

No one wishes to be about to welcome their friends or relatives to take a look at their gorgeous, sparkling clear pool, only to be greeted with a horrendous green mess in the water when they arrive.

Chlorine vs algae

Almost anyone in the UK who has owned an outdoor swimming pool will be familiar with the problem of algae. Even if you invest in the highest-quality filtration system and keep a close eye on the chlorine levels in your pool, algae spores can still make their way into the water, often via dirt from swimmers or the rain.

Even maintaining your pool’s free chlorine levels between one and three parts per million (ppm) won’t kill all of the algae spores that could conceivably get into your pool.

The truth is that over time, in the absence of any swimming pool chlorine being used to ‘shock’ the water, the lingering algae spores will accumulate and develop into the algae blooms that manifest visually as that all-too-familiar ‘green mess’.

This is why the addition of shock chlorine to your pool covers once a fortnight – increasing to once a week during the summer – is so crucial. Such a treatment super-chlorinates the pool, and when the water’s chlorine level is heightened to between eight and 10 ppm, you can expect any remaining algae spores in the water to be obliterated.

The only thing you’ll then need to remember is to allow your pool’s chlorine level to fall back into the recommended range before you take to the water again.

You don’t need to look elsewhere for shock chlorine

The Chlorine Shock granules that we have available at Pool Warehouse can cater to all of your requirements for ‘shock’ swimming pool chlorine, being ideal for use in your pool after a heavy bathing load, at either end of the season or simply if your pool’s chlorine level seems low.

Naturally, it’s also a great product to add to your pool if that dreaded cloudiness is becoming apparent in the water.

Spend more than £70 on one order at Pool Warehouse, and you can also enjoy the free delivery of your goods to a UK mainland address on a Next Working Day Service. It’s just one more reason why we should be your sole go-to source of well-priced and dependable swimming pool chlorine.