How Long After Putting Chlorine in a Pool Can You Swim in It?

Understanding proper swimming pool maintenance and care are essential to extending the lifespan of your pool and making the most of it over the years. One of the most important parts of swimming pool maintenance is keeping the water balanced. This means testing the condition of your pool water and adding chlorine or other chemicals from time to time. Going along with this maintenance, it’s important to know how long you should wait after adding pool chemicals before you can hop in and start enjoying your swimming pool again.

Why Do We Add Chlorine in Swimming Pools?

Liquid chlorine is a cleaning chemical that helps keep your pool water clean and safe to swim in. Chlorine is highly effective at disinfecting your pool to eliminate any bacteria or algae that may be growing in the water. From time to time, you’ll want to test the chlorine levels in your pool and add more of this sanitizer if its levels get too low. When regularly using your swimming pool, it’s best to check the chlorine levels at least twice a week to keep the water balanced.

When the chlorine level is low, you’ll need to add more to your pool system. After this process, experts recommend waiting at least four hours before entering your pool again. It’s always best to test the water beforehand so that you know the chlorine levels are safe.

Shocking Your Swimming Pool

In addition to regularly testing and maintaining chlorine levels within your swimming pool, another important part of pool maintenance is shocking the pool. This is typically recommended once a week or after heavy use if the pool water becomes cloudy, smelly, or foamy. Shocking the pool involves quickly raising the chlorine level to sanitize the pool water, and you may need to wait longer before entering the pool again after starting this process. Your pool shock package will likely have recommendations on how long to wait, but 24 hours is a good rule of thumb for this process.

Because of the long wait time, it’s recommended that you shock your pool in the evening. This also helps the chemicals function properly, as harsh UV rays can break down these chemicals before they’re able to do their job. After the shocking process is complete, you can always test the water to determine when the chemicals are at a safe level again.

Understanding Swimming Pool Maintenance

Swimming pool maintenance is essential for every swimming pool, as it helps keep the pool clean and safe to swim in. Adding chemicals on a regular basis, shocking the pool on occasion, and taking other maintenance steps will help keep your pool in prime condition and ready to use whenever you want to take a dip.

At Recreation Warehouse, not only do we offer and install a selection of above-ground and in-ground swimming pools, but we also offer swimming pool maintenance plans, packages, and training programs to help ensure your pool is properly maintained over the years. To learn more about our swimming pools and maintenance services, contact Recreation Warehouse today.