The label says, "Go swimming in minutes after shocking!"  Sounds like a great deal,  but do you know exactly how this product works?  Or when to use it correctly?  Here's a few tips about buying shock treatment for your swimming pool.

First of all, in order for a non-chlorine shock to work efficiently, there has to be some type of chlorine reading already present in your pool.  In almost all instances, this reading would be the tied-up chlorine reading.  For those of you unfamiliar with this term, please see CHLORINE: KNOW YOUR WARRIORS for a brief explanation.

The basic concept behind a non-chlorine shock is to release tied-up chlorine and therefore throw it into the free chlorine category without sky-rocketing a pool's chlorine level.  This, in turn, allows swimmers to use the pool without waiting long periods of time until a safe chlorine level can be achieved. 

Using a non-chlorine shock is ideal between regular chlorine shocks.  If you shock your pool every Wednesday, continue to do so but for those cloudy pool days in between ... test your water for the presence of tied-up chlorine.

If you use test strips to test your water, here's an easy way to determine when and if you should use a non-chlorine shock! 

If your total chlorine color patch is darker than your free chlorine color patch; you could use a non-chlorine shock OR numerically speaking, when your total chlorine reading is greater than your free chlorine numerical reading; you could use a non-chlorine shock.

Please be aware that non-chlorine shocks cannot and should not replace regular weekly chlorine shocks.  Weekly chlorine shocks are very important in maintaining healthy swimming pools.  Non-chlorine shocks definitely have their advantages, but chlorine shocks are also very, very essential for good pool maintenance. 

Happy Swimming!!!

For more swimming pool tips please see  CHLORINE & BUDGETS, SPARKLING LIQUID ICE and CHLORINE: KNOW YOUR WARRIORS.