The chemical shelf, Zebulon
Pool chemicals: salt, chlorine, shock, clarifier and algaecides
Salt, chlorine, shock, clarifier and algaecides on the shelf.
Salt, chlorine and shock do different jobs
Chlorine is the everyday sanitizer. It works continuously to keep bacteria and algae from taking hold. On a saltwater pool, salt is the raw material: a salt system turns dissolved salt into chlorine, so the salt level has to sit where the system expects it.
Shock is a heavier, one-time dose of oxidizer. It burns off the used-up chlorine and organic matter that make a pool smell and sting, and it's the reset after a crowded weekend, a storm or the first sign of algae. It isn't a replacement for everyday sanitizer.
Elite Pool Store at 6337 US-19 in Zebulon carries salt, chlorine and shock. Not sure which one your water needs? Start with the free water test, then ask at the counter.
Chlorine tablets, granular shock and coarse pool salt in a bucket lid
Clarifier and algaecide, for water that is clean but not clear or turning green
Clarifier clumps tiny particles, too small for the filter to hold, into larger ones the filter can catch. It helps water that tests fine but looks hazy, and it works alongside a clean filter, not instead of one.
Algaecide is for algae. Some products help keep it from starting and others help clear a bloom, but none of them replaces sanitizer. If low sanitizer let the algae in, algaecide alone treats the symptom and the green comes back.
Cloudy and green look alike from the deck and have different fixes, which is exactly what a reading sorts out. Bring a sample, or call (470) 945-4340 if you're unsure what you're looking at.
Storing and adding chemicals safely
Never mix products. Chlorine products reacting with each other, or with other chemicals, can give off dangerous gas or heat. Keep every chemical in its original container with the label on, don't top one bucket off from another, and use a clean, dry scoop for each product.
Add chemical to water, never water to chemical. Pour slowly, away from your face, with the wind at your back, and wear gloves and eye protection. Follow the label for amounts, because the label is the dose, not a rule of thumb from a neighbor.
Store everything closed, dry and cool, apart from each other, and out of reach of children and pets. Pool chemicals and fuel, fertilizer or lawn products don't share a shelf.
Elite Pool Store, 6337 US-19, Zebulon. Call (470) 945-4340.