You need to shock your pool in order to maintain the right chemical balance in your water so all is well for your water and for the people using your pool on a day-to-day basis. But can you shock your pool when the pump is not running?
If your pump is not running, you can shock your pool, but it is going to require more work from you than it would if your pump was functioning. To shock your pool without the pump running, simply add the shock per its directions and manually stir the water to ensure even distribution.
Adding shock to a pool when the pump is not running is not ideal, but it is possible. Continue reading to understand why your pool needs to be shocked, how to shock your pool when the pump is not running, and know when your pool is in need of shock.
Why Do You Need Shock in Your Pool?
Picture this: You have had a summer full of parties, holidays, birthdays, barbeques, and “just because” days. There have been dozens upon dozens of people in and out of your pool on a weekly basis. Your pool has seen it all; it has met the inlaws, it knows your daughter’s best friends, it’s been with your son through every pool dunk imaginable. It has been an incredible summer, but with all those people comes bather waste.
Shock helps to get rid of bather waste, bacteria, algae, and other contaminants. Shocking your pool is the process of adding chlorine or non-chlorine chemicals to your pool in order to raise “free chlorine” levels to a point that they are able to expel any unwanted components in your pool’s water.
I know, that is the most disgusting term to hear as a pool owner. Bather waste? It’s disgusting and no one wants to think about it, but it exists. The people in your pool shed off their waste and it ends up in your pool. No one wants that hanging around and no one wants to have a summer filled with pool parties that have last week’s get together still remaining in the water.
Outside of user waste, there are other residents in your water that are not all that welcomed. There are other bacteria present in your water as well as algae. These are things that can contribute to the color of your water, the clearness of it, and even the smell! I know, again, disgusting.
You do not want this stuff in your water, and that is what shock is for. It is like the miracle drug for your pool water and is a necessary component of clean water. It is able to effectively destroy contaminates within a matter of hours and you can then be on your way swimming in fresh water without a care in the world.
How to Shock a Pool Without the Pump Running
Now that you know the necessity of shock, let’s move on to how to add it when your pump is not running. Pumps work hard and, over time, it is inevitable that they will go out and a replacement or replacement parts will be needed. When this happens, your pool water will stop circulating and this is bad news for its overall health. This is when bacteria and algae start to breed and you can end up with a big mess under the surface.
To add shock to your pool, consider the following steps:
- Acquire the correct amount of shock for your pool. To shock your pool, you are first going to need shock. I know, it’s obvious, but I have to cover all of the bases here! Make sure that you have the correct amount for your size pool and for the pH levels in your pool.
- Mix the shock with water in a bucket. Once you have the shock, add it along with water in a bucket and give it a good stir. By doing this, you ensure that all of the shock has dissolved and there will be no chunks in your pool. This helps for an even distribution throughout your water.
- Steadily and carefully pour the shock mixture into the pool. Once you have the shock mixed well, pour it steadily into the pool and keep yourself distanced from its pour, that stuff is uber concentrated!
- Circulate the water to replace the movement of the non-running pump. Now that you have it poured, you are going to have to get a bit creative. Since your pump is no longer running, this means there is no force in your water that is helping to keep the water circulated.
Some people don’t even think of this part of the pump: that it pushes the water out in order to keep your water in motion. This is an extremely important part of the equation when it comes to adding chemicals and especially when it comes to adding shock: your water must circulate in order to avoid any type of concentration of chemicals or pockets of chemicals in the water.
When this happens, that means that the chemical did not disperse evenly throughout the water which can mean an unbalanced pH level in your pool as well as potentially harmful water for swimmers.
To avoid this from happening when your pump is off, you are going to have to manually stir the water around. Using your hands will not offer enough force to really distribute the shock, so grab your skimmer and either start to push the water in a stationary position or drag the skimmer all around the perimeter of your pool.
- Ensure that the shock mixture reaches all portions of the pool. You want to make sure that you reach all points of the pool, so once you have the outer edges of the pool stirred, move to the middle. Extend your skimmer as long as you need it and bring the skimmer back and forth in a bit of a sweeping motion.
Mix the area up well then maybe do a once-over for the rest of the pool and you should be good to go. The biggest thing to remember is that you want to get every bit of that shock into every inch of your water. This may take time, some serious bicep effort, and a little sweat, but it is the only way that shocking your pool while the pump is off will work.
When to Use Pool Shock
Shock is a must-have when it comes to maintaining your pool, but there are proper times to add it. Really, there are three major reasons to add shock to your pool and they are quite obvious. If you are unsure if shock is needed, simply go through this list below to see if any apply to your pool’s current state. Whether your pump is running or not, shock can always be added at this moment and will help to get your pool back to 100%!
It is time to use pool shock when you see a buildup of chloramines, contaminates, cloudy water, bather waste, and algae. Consistently test your water to know that it is maintaining a chemical balance providing safe conditions for users to swim.
Let’s take a closer look at three of the main culprits that will indicate that it is time to use pool shock.
Chloramines, Contaminates, and Cloudy Water
Cloudy water is going to be your most obvious culprit here when it comes to knowing if your pool is in need of shock. Outside of cloudy water though, you need to pay attention to your nose. If you smell a big whiff of chlorine when you are around your pool, this means that your chloramine levels are off and need to be broken apart – shock is what helps to accomplish this. If you can see it or smell it, test your water and get that shock in!
Bather Waste
Again, the title is disgusting, but it is a very true reality for your pool! People are in and out of your pool constantly and they always leave something behind: bather waste. Skin cells and other bacteria build up in your pool due to those using it and it needs to be removed after your pool has seen heavy use. Outside of this, storms and long winters can do some real damage to your water. Shock helps to rid your pool of all the gunk from people and the outdoors.
Algae
Algae happen, and its arch-nemesis is chlorine shock. Algaecide helps to keep the growth of algae under control, but you want to kill what already exists in your water and get it long gone. Shock helps to knock algae’s lights out and can tackle even the biggest of algae blooms with a little time and effort. No one likes a green, red, pink, or yellow pool (oh yea, all these algae colors exist!), so grab the shock and turn your pool into an algae-free zone!