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As a general guide: test water weekly with test strips, shock with stabilised chlorine weekly during swimming season, add algaecide every 3 months as a preventative, check and adjust pH and alkalinity fortnightly, and remove phosphates monthly. After storms, heavy rain, or heavy use — test and treat immediately. The All In One Bundle simplifies this to one weekly routine.

Pool stabilizer (also called cyanuric acid or CYA) protects chlorine from being burned off by UV rays. Without it, sunlight can destroy up to 90% of your chlorine in just a few hours. The ideal range is 30–50ppm. Too low and your chlorine disappears fast. Too high (above 80ppm) and your chlorine becomes less effective — this is called chlorine lock. For outdoor pools, it's essential. Not recommended for indoor pools.

Shock (chlorine-based) rapidly raises chlorine to a "kill level" — it destroys bacteria, oxidises organic matter, and breaks down algae cell walls. Algaecide specifically disrupts algae metabolism and prevents regrowth. They work differently and work best together: shock kills the active bloom, algaecide stops it coming back. Always shock first, then add algaecide 24 hours later once chlorine levels drop below 5ppm.

The ideal pool pH is 7.2–7.6. At this range, chlorine works at peak efficiency, water is comfortable on eyes and skin, and equipment corrosion is minimised. Above 7.8: chlorine effectiveness drops significantly and scale can form. Below 7.0: water becomes corrosive, irritating to swimmers, and can damage pool surfaces and equipment. Use pH Down (dry acid or liquid acid) to lower pH, and alkalinity increaser to raise it. Always adjust alkalinity before pH.

Cloudiness after adding chemicals is usually one of three things: (1) Dead algae particles — use a clarifier or flocculant to bind and remove them. (2) pH crash — stain remover and some chemicals lower pH significantly; rebalance and run the filter. (3) Over-dosing — too much of any chemical can temporarily cloud water; run the filter and let it clear. A crystal tablet in the skimmer basket is the easiest fix for mild cloudiness. For severe cases, a dose of flocculant and vacuuming to waste will clear it in 12–24 hours.

Metal stains (rust, iron, copper) require a different approach to organic stains. First, reduce chlorine to 0–1ppm — high chlorine prevents stain removers from working. Then adjust pH to around 7.0–7.2. Sprinkle our Stain Remover directly onto the stained area with the pump off and let it sit for 2–4 hours. Gently brush, then turn the pump back on. Follow up with our Metal Remover to chelate any remaining metals and prevent staining coming back. If your pool is regularly fed with bore water or town water with old pipes, run Metal Remover monthly as a preventative.

Heavy rain dilutes and unbalances pool water. After a storm: (1) Remove debris from the pool and skimmer basket. (2) Test your water — pH, chlorine, and alkalinity will likely all be off. (3) Adjust pH to 7.2–7.6 using pH Down or alkalinity up. (4) Shock with stabilised chlorine to restore sanitisation. (5) If the water is very dirty, add a flocculant and let particles settle for 12 hours, then vacuum to waste. (6) Add clarifier once the pool starts clearing. Our Storm & Flood Bundle covers all of this in one purchase.

High chlorine (above 5ppm) makes swimming uncomfortable and can interfere with stain treatments. The fastest way to bring it down is our Chlorine Remover — it neutralises excess chlorine without draining your pool. You can also wait for sunlight to naturally break chlorine down (faster if you remove the pool cover), or partially drain and refill with fresh water. Avoid using stain remover or algaecide until chlorine is below 2ppm — it reduces their effectiveness significantly.

Both clear cloudy water, but work differently. Clarifier binds tiny particles into slightly larger clumps that your filter can catch — the filter keeps running and removes them over 12–24 hours. It's the easy option for mild cloudiness. Flocculant causes all suspended particles to sink to the pool floor in a thick layer — you then vacuum it all out to waste. It's faster and more thorough, but requires more effort. Use clarifier for light cloudiness, flocculant for heavily contaminated water or after an algae bloom.

It depends on the chemical. As a general guide: Oxi Shock (chlorine-free) — swim after 15–30 minutes. Chlorine shock — wait until levels drop below 3ppm (usually 4–8 hours). Algaecide — wait 15–30 minutes after the pump has circulated it. pH adjusters and alkalinity — wait 30 minutes with pump running. Stain remover — wait until pH and chlorine are fully rebalanced and water is clear. When in doubt, test before you swim and ensure pH is 7.2–7.6 and chlorine is 1–3ppm.