You'll find the answers to many of your questions right here. If you have a question about DuPont™ Oxone® pool and spa oxidizer that is not covered here, please contact us or ask your professional pool and spa dealer. And, for definitions of many of the terms related to pool care, you can check out the Glossary.

The basics: Oxone® and how to use it
1. What is Oxone®?
2. What is shock treatment and why is it necessary?
3. What is non-chlorine shock?
4. Are all non-chlorine oxidizers the same?
5. Should I use an oxidizing agent regularly?
6. What are the benefits of oxidizing regularly with Oxone®?
7. How do I use Oxone®? How much do I use? How often?

Why Oxone®?
1. Why is Oxone® the right choice for outdoor pools?
2. Why is Oxone® the right choice for indoor pools?
3. Why is Oxone® the right choice for spas?
4. Why is Oxone® the right choice for initial oxidizing
    treatments when pools are opened in the spring?
5. Why is Oxone® the right choice for winterizing treatments?

Oxone® and chlorine
1. Is Oxone® a replacement for chlorine?
2. Are Oxone® and chlorine compatible in pool and spa water?
3. How does Oxone® work with chlorine sanitizers?
4. Is Oxone® a better oxidizer than chlorine?
5. What are chloramines?
6. What is breakpoint chlorination?
7. Does breakpoint chlorination reduce chloramines?
8. Does Oxone® reduce chloramines?
9. When should I shock with chlorine?

Oxone®, bromine and mineral systems
1. Why are bromine sanitizers used for indoor pools and spas?
2. How does Oxone® work with bromine sanitizers?
3. How does Oxone® work with mineral systems?

Oxone® and pool chemistry
1. Does Oxone® interfere with water testing?
2. Does Oxone® affect pH?
3. Does Oxone® affect total alkalinity?
4. Does Oxone® affect calcium hardness?
5. Does Oxone® affect cyanuric acid?

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The basics: Oxone® and how to use products containing it

1. What is Oxone®?
DuPont™ Oxone® pool and spa oxidizer is an oxygen-based, chlorine-free powder that eliminates nonmicrobial contaminants (perspiration, urine, sunscreen, dust and pollen) from the water in swimming pools and spas. These contaminants cause water to become cloudy and create a heavy demand on sanitizing chemicals in the pool, reducing their efficiency.



2. What is shock treatment and why is it necessary?
According to the NSPI (National Spa and Pool Institute), shock treatment is the practice of adding significant amounts of an oxidizing chemical to water to destroy inorganic and organic contaminants. Traditional chlorine shock treatments are usually employed after problems occur in the pool and spa water.

3. What is non-chlorine shock?
A non-chlorine oxidizing agent such as Oxone® eliminates organic contaminants without raising chlorine levels or producing the harsh, irritating combined chlorine compounds known as chloramines. When done on a weekly basis, this type of shocking or oxidation is known as preventive shock treatment.

4. Are all non-chlorine oxidizers the same?
No, they are not. DuPont™ Oxone® pool and spa oxidizer has been proven highly effective in eliminating nonmicrobial contaminants and enhancing the efficiency of sanitizing chemicals.



5. Should I use an oxidizing agent regularly?
Yes. Regular, preventive oxidizing eliminates nonmicrobial contaminants that cause cloudy pool water. In a typical backyard pool, oxidizing is usually needed once a week. Consider factors such as bather use and weather to determine the right schedule for your pool.

6. What are the benefits of oxidizing regularly with products containing Oxone®?
Oxone® enhances the efficiency of your sanitizer by eliminating nonmicrobial contaminants. It restores sparkle and clarity to the water without producing irritating chloramines or unpleasant odors. Products containing Oxone® are gentle on pool surfaces — Oxone® will not bleach or fade vinyl liners or paint — and will not damage filtering equipment.

7. How do I use products containing Oxone®? How much do I use? How often?
Products containing Oxone® are easy to use: simply sprinkle them uniformly over the water surface, with the filter running, to ensure complete mixing and circulation. For appropriate dosage for your pool or spa, refer to the instructions on the product label.

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Why Oxone®?

1. Why is Oxone® the right choice for outdoor pools?
A heavy storm can blow excessive dirt, pollen and debris into an outdoor pool. A treatment with products containing Oxone® eliminates these contaminants thoroughly and rapidly, restoring your pool to its usual clean and sparkling condition, so you and your family can enjoy using it again without a lengthy wait.

2. Why is Oxone® the right choice for indoor pools?
Odors and eye irritation from high-chlorine shock doses and persistent chloramine residuals are magnified in indoor pools. Because these residuals are trapped within the pool area and do not dissipate, they can cause poor air quality. Chlorine-free Oxone® does not produce chloramines or their related odors and irritants. This means the water and air quality remain pleasant and enjoyable while you and your family avoid burning eyes and the unpleasant smell associated with chlorine.

3. Why is Oxone® the right choice for spas?
Treating your spa after each use with products containing Oxone® ensures that any nonmicrobial contaminants (perspiration, urine, cosmetics or sunscreens, etc.) are eliminated. Oxone® also regenerates bromine, the sanitizer most commonly used in spas, extending its disinfecting activity.



4. Why are products containing Oxone® the right choice for initial oxidizing treatments when pools are opened in the spring?
Because they give your pool the right start for the season. When you remove the cover, just add a double dose — two one-pound bags per 10,000 gallons — of Oxone® along with your initial sanitizer treatment. Then resume your regular weekly treatment schedule to enjoy clear, sparkling water all summer long.

5. Why are products containing Oxone® the right choice for winterizing treatments?
Over the course of the winter, as products containing Oxone® eliminate contaminants, they also minimize the demand on the chlorine remaining in the pool. At the same time, they oxidize chloride ions very gradually, slowly increasing the amount of free chlorine within the pool water. Also, since Oxone® will not bleach or fade pool surfaces or the winter cover, products containing Oxone® help these last longer.

Follow the instructions on the product label for winterizing with products containing Oxone®. Then, when you open the pool in the spring, the water will look clear and require only minimal start-up maintenance.

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Oxone® and chlorine

1. Is Oxone® a replacement for chlorine?
Not at all. Chlorine sanitizes the water and protects bathers against disease and infection. Using an EPA-registered sanitizer like chlorine is critical to maintaining pool water. Oxone® is an oxidizer that works in conjunction with the sanitizer to eliminate nonmicrobial contaminants and improve sanitizer efficiency.

2. Are Oxone® and chlorine compatible in pool and spa water?
Yes. In fact, because products containing Oxone® enhance the efficiency of sanitizing agents, they actually make chlorine work better and last longer in your pool. However, remember that you should always add each pool chemical to the water separately. Never mix any pool chemical with another one.

3. How does Oxone® work with chlorine sanitizers?
By eliminating nonmicrobial contaminants and reducing the demand on the sanitizer, products containing Oxone® allow the chlorine to sanitize pool water more efficiently.

4. Is Oxone® a better oxidizer than chlorine?
No, but it is more appropriate for pools and spas. Products containing Oxone® give you the positive benefits of oxidation without the drawbacks of high chlorine doses: reducing sanitizer efficiency, not eliminating all wastes and forming chloramines that produce unpleasant odors, irritate bathers' eyes and prevent you from using the pool for a lengthy period of time.

Products containing Oxone® eliminate contaminants rapidly while enhancing sanitizer efficiency, produce no irritating or odor-causing compounds, and allow you to enjoy the pool again within a very short time.

5. What are chloramines?
Chlorine reacts readily with many contaminants in pool water (perspiration, urine and other wastes) to produce foul-smelling and eye-irritating combined-chlorine compounds. These are called chloramines.

6. What is breakpoint chlorination?
It is the process of using a very high dose of chlorine to destroy ammonia. It is sometimes also known as superchlorination.

7. Does breakpoint chlorination reduce chloramines?
Breakpoint chlorination can remove free ammonia and monochloramine from water supplies, but it has a number of drawbacks.

First, it can be difficult to calculate the correct dosage needed to reach breakpoint accurately, and there is no guarantee that you will eliminate all combined chlorine compounds. And if you don't reach breakpoint, you may not eliminate any of them.

Second, the presence of organic nitrogen compounds in pool and spa water will interfere with the effectiveness of the breakpoint process and limit its ability to reduce combined chlorine levels to zero.

Third, corrective shocking with chlorine may keep you from using the pool or spa for a lengthy period of time due to excessively high chlorine levels.

8. Does Oxone® reduce chloramines?
Products containing Oxone® prevent chloramines from forming by oxidizing contaminants. Regular oxidizing with Oxone® keeps contaminant levels to a minimum, so the water remains clear and sparkling, allowing you to enjoy longer periods of uninterrupted swim time. And because Oxone® is chlorine-free, you don't have to worry about high chlorine levels; chloramines; unpleasant odors; or burning, irritated eyes.

9. When should I shock with chlorine?
If you use products containing Oxone® regularly and follow a recommended pool care program, you shouldn't need to conduct chlorine shocking at all. If your pool has been left untended for a long period of time, if chlorine residuals have not been maintained, or if algae growth is significant, it may be necessary to use chlorine shocking to kill algae and restore water quality.

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Oxone®, bromine and mineral systems

1. Why are bromine sanitizers used for indoor pools and spas?
Bromine sanitizers generally do not produce the unpleasant odors or skin and eye irritation associated with the chloramines that form at high chlorine concentrations.

2. How do products containing Oxone® work with bromine sanitizers?
Products containing Oxone® are effective oxidizers when used in conjunction with all bromine sanitizers. As an added benefit, products containing Oxone® regenerate bromine, extending its sanitizing activity.

3. How does Oxone® work with mineral systems?
In a mineral system, products containing Oxone® act in the same way as they do in other systems, oxidizing and eliminating nonmicrobial contaminants. However, DuPont recommends the use of mineral systems only in conjunction with an EPA-registered sanitizer such as chlorine or bromine.

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Oxone® and pool chemistry

1. Do products containing Oxone® interfere with water testing?
Products containing Oxone® do not interfere with your ability to measure free chlorine (FC) in DPD testing. However, the presence of Oxone® in the water can produce a false high reading for combined chlorine (CC) if you use the standard DPD (N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine) test immediately after an oxidizing treatment. For this reason, it is recommended that you either wait at least eight hours after an Oxone® treatment to test for CC, or use a test kit with reagents that eliminate Oxone® interference. Check the glossary for a list of these specially designed kits.

2. Does Oxone® affect pH?
Because Oxone® is acidic, products containing it can lower pH. If you use an alkaline sanitizer such as calcium hypochlorite, Oxone® helps offset
the upward drift of the pH level. For a neutral sanitizer such as dichlor, Oxone® lowers pH slowly. To adjust the pH level, add one pound of sodium bicarbonate for every four pounds of Oxone®. Some Oxone® products are preblended to have a neutral pH. These products should not affect pH or alkalinity.

3. Does Oxone® affect total alkalinity?
Because Oxone® is acidic, products containing it will lower alkalinity. It helps offset the upward drift of pH when an alkaline sanitizer (calcium hypochlorite) is used, and lowers alkalinity slightly when a neutral sanitizer (dichlor) is used.

4. Does Oxone® affect calcium hardness?
No, it does not, so it doesn't contribute to scale formation, which can occur if calcium levels are too high.

5. Does Oxone® affect cyanuric acid?
Oxone® does not raise cyanuric acid stabilizer levels, so it does not contribute to slowing down chlorine sanitizing activity, which can happen if cyanuric acid levels are too high.

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