How Much Bleach Should I Add To My Pool
So, how much bleach to add to the pool? First, you need to know how much bleach to use. To do so, you need to know the chlorine levels of the pool. Get yourself a chlorine testing pool kit and follow the manufacturers instructions.
You want to have a chlorine level of 1-3ppm so you can make sure that your water is safe for swimmers and free from contamination.
Clorox is considered to be the most common bleach product that is used for pools. It has a 5.7% concentration, so if you have a 5,000-gallon pool, you will be using 3 cups or 24 oz to raise the chlorine levels.
If you do not know how many gallons your pool holds, just multiply the length, , and finally and you will have an estimated volume. If you have a round pool multiply that volume by 5.9, if you have an oval pool multiply by 6.7 and for a rectangular pool multiply by 7.5 gallons. The final result will be an estimate of how much water your pool holds.
If you need to calculate how much bleach or Clorox you need to shock your pool, you will have to use 1/2 gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the chlorine levels by 5 ppm. If you are just trying to raise the chlorine level by 2.5 ppm, then you will have to use as much as a ¼ gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water. Use this basic math to figure out how much ppm you have to raise your pool by and go from there. Make sure to continually test the pool water.
Test The Ph Of Pool Water
Test The pH Of Pool Water
The first step is to test the pH of your pool water with a pH meter and to add sodium bisulfate to lower it if its too high. Keep in mind that if pH is above 7.8, chlorine quickly loses its effectiveness. Ideally, the pH level should be in the range of 7.2 and 7.8. If you dont have it, you can order your pH Meter Here.
Add The Bleach To The Pool
Add The Bleach To The Pool
Now that you have completed the previous steps, you just need to add the bleach to the pool. Do this during the late afternoon or early evening. The best way to do this is to walk by the pool and gently pour it out . Dont forget to circulate the water for several hours after you add the bleach so that the bleach gets mixed with water completely.
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How Much Bleach Should I Apply To My Pool
The quantity of bleach to be applied to a pool is not always specific however, to be sure, carry out a test on your pool for the chlorine level. The purpose of applying bleach in the first place is to increase the chlorine level to 1-3ppm, so your pool is free from contaminants.
Your pools chlorine level should be adequate so as to avoid getting eye irritation when swimming. The concentration level of most bleaches used is usually around 5.7% concentrated. It is also necessary that you know the quantity of water in your pool before applying bleach.
Does Liquid Chlorine Raise Ph

A: No. It does not raise pH. When dissolved in water, liquid chlorine enables Hypochlorous acid and Sodium hydroxide , which helps the level rise. However, when the Hypochlorous is deflated by UV, it births hydrochloric acid . The rate of this HCl is almost the same as the amount of NaOH therefore, any net effect on pH is nearly nothing or completely zero.
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How Much Bleach To Add
So how much bleach per gallon pool? For that, you must first know how much bleach is actually required. This is determined by testing the chlorine level of the water. Get yourself a chlorine testing kit for that.
The ideal chlorine level is between 1 to 2 ppm. This ensures the water is free from contamination and safe for the swimmers.
To calculate how much bleach you need for shocking your pool, use half-gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water for raising the chlorine levels by 5 ppm. If you want to raise the chlorine level by 2.5 ppm, ¼ gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water should be enough. Do the math to calculate how much ppm is required for your pool and go from there. Keep testing the water for chlorine levels in between.
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How Much Bleach Do You Need For A 10000 Gallon Pool
So, how much bleach do you put in a 10,000-gallon pool? To shock a pool with Clorox or bleach, you will need to use ½ gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the level of chlorine to 5 ppm. To raise the chlorine level for just 2.5 ppm, it is recommended to use as much as ¼ gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water.
What Is Bleach And How Does It Help
Bleach is a chlorine-based agent that disinfects and cleans. It is used in swimming pools, as well as other places like hospitals or schools to clean surfaces and equipment.
Bleach kills bacteria by oxidizing it, killing germs and rendering other nasty bacteria inert.
Pool chlorine usually comes in a solid-state like tablets, powder, or granules, but can also come in liquid form as bleach does. Both chlorine and bleach dissolve in water to release a hypochlorite ion. This little ion is a bit finicky, however, and will only transform into hypochlorous acid if the pH in your pool water is just right.
You can read more about bleach here.
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Clorox Bleach Vs Pool Shock To Disinfect
Bleach is a product that can sometimes be hard to find on store shelves. So, the question Is there some difference between swimming Pool Shock and Clorox bleach, and can they be used to pool shock? You can use pool shock instead of Clorox bleach, but make sure to dilute it first.
The chlorine that is in the bleach is actually sodium hypochlorite. Swimming pool shock usually has 12% sodium hypochlorite compared to 6-8% of Clorox bleach.
With a 12% concentrate, the liquid pool shock is around 2 times stronger than Clorox bleach. The CDC suggests 5 tablespoons of normal bleach per one gallon of water to normally disinfect a surface. Therefore, when you are using a liquid pool shock, try to dilute it at a rate of around 2.5 to 3 tablespoons per gallon of water.
Using Bleach To Shock Your Pool
Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite , but at a lower concentration. The level of sodium hypochlorite in bleach is between 5% and 6%, while chlorine is between 10% to 15%.
What that means is that you would need twice the amount of bleach as normal chlorine. And to ensure that the bleach doesnt get degraded by the sun, you should add it late in the afternoon.
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How Much Clorox Do We Put In My Pool
The Clorox amount you use will vary due to some factors like your swimming pools size, the level of cyanuric acid, how fast the Clorox bleach is consumed under the temperature, and the amount of contaminants.
To accurately calculate the needed amount of Clorox, you can take advantage of these two apps PoolMath and Pool Pal. Your job is to enter the statistics the apps require, and they can give you an ideal Clorox ppm for different cleaning purposes and spots of the pool.
After utilizing the Clorox, you have to keep track of the cleaning result regularly to make sure that the product is functioning well. There are many test kits that can give you the right measurement, like the Taylor K-2006, XtremepowerUS 71101, and so many more.
To Make 1 Gallon Of Bleach From Pool Shock

- 11 Tablespoons of ~ 70% Calcium Hypochlorite
- 1 Gallon of water
You might be wondering why the seemingly odd amount of solution for my initial formula . It was the basis for my testing:
It started with a document titled TB MED 577 from the United States Department of the Army. Sanitary Control and Surveillance of Field Water Supplies.
In it, while referencing tables I-1 and I-2, , the 1-1/2 cups comes from a note regarding dissolving an amount of Calcium Hypochlorite in a half canteen cup of water. Their reference was canteen cups. So thats where I started
I began with the data from those two tables and then interpolated the amount of Calcium Hypochlorite necessary for the equivalent amount of Regular Bleach one would use to disinfect water.
Long story short, the direct math from their tables worked out be about 2 teaspoons Calcium Hypochlorite per 1-1/2 cups water. However my real world chemistry lab tests revealed that 3 teaspoons of high test Calcium Hypochlorite is closer to matching regular bleach with a 6% concentration of sodium hypochlorite.
This also matches with some of what I found while searching the internet in general.
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Can You Add Liquid Chlorine During The Day
Liquid chlorine is not stabilized and will burn off quickly in sunlight. Therefore, it should be administered in the evening, after the sun has set. Hold jug of liquid chlorine as far away from your body and as far into the pool as is comfortable and safe.
Dont Wait Shock Your Pool Now
Most people prefer to use bleach for pools instead of chlorine for shocking. This is because it dissolves properly and does not include any fillers usually found in chlorine products. There are two ways to add bleach to your pool this is either with the use of a liquidator or doing it manually.
You can use liquid bleach to shock your pool, and it also clears your pool water. One mistake most people make when shocking their pools is not using the right quantity of bleach. It should not be less, and it shouldnt be added in excess. If you apply it perfectly to your pool water, it makes your pool safe for swimming.
It is important to test your pools chlorine level before applying bleach and measure the pool water volume. Follow this process and you wont have any safety issues with your swimming pool.
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Sodium Hypochlorite: The Basic Facts
- Clear yellow liquid with a chlorine odor
- A solution containing water, hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide and a trace amount of sodium chloride
- Strong bleaching agent
- Effective sanitizer for most pathogens
- Prevents and kills algae
- Oxidizes ammonia and swimmers’ waste
- Provides a measurable chlorine residual in the water
How To Use Clorox In Your Swimming Pool
Before guiding you to use Clorox in your swimming pool, we would like to remind you of the four main features of this bleach:
- Eliminate living microorganisms
- Prevent diseases related to microorganisms
- Wipeout swimmer waste and ammonia
- Destroy algae
Next, you need to prepare a good test kit, and you can rely on the two brands we have mentioned above. The level of Clorox will vary according to the swimming pool size, the chlorine level you want to rise, and the amount of Clorox bleach you want to add to your pool. Yet, to simplify the measurement of Clorox bleach needed to gain the chlorine level you want, follow this calculation:
Gallon of bleach |
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My Revised Ratios On How To Purify Water Using 825% Bleach
Like I mentioned above, the more concentrated bleach is 57% more concentrated than the original 5.25% bleach. Also considering that the numbers above also work for the 6-6.25% bleach as well, this makes it slightly difficult to make exact conversions but well do our best. A few notes before getting to the guidelines:
The guidelines on how to purify water with bleach :
Can You Use Bleach Instead Of Chlorine
Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: it depends on the formulation.
The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as youll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.
Youll also want a formulation with no fragrances or other chemicals. You shouldnt be dyeing your pool water or making it smell like a summer breeze.
Many online retailers include label information for chemical products like bleach, so you can check both the chlorine concentration and for the presence of any other chemicals and/or additives before buying.
If you want to keep extra bleach around for future treatments, make sure you store it in a cool, dry place indoors. Dont leave your bleach jugs outside!
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Computing The Amount Of Bleach To Use
Now you can know the gallons of bleach you would need to shock your pool as follows: use 0.5 gallons of Clorox per 10K gallons of water to increase the level of chlorine by 5 ppm.
If you want to raise the level of chlorine by 2.5 ppm, then you would need ¼ gallon of the product per 10K gallons of water. You can use the above math to determine how much gallons you would need to use and ensure you continue to test the water.
Why Add Bleach To Your Pool

Bleach is commonly used for laundry in homes and serves to remove tough stains on clothes. You also need chlorine and bleach to do the same thing in your pool these two agents are an essential part of pool maintenance.
The hypochlorous acid released by the bleach in your pool kills all the contaminants in it. Although very little bleach is needed when removing stains on clothes, youll need a little more when treating your pool to get the same effect chlorine gives. Avoid using scented bleach for your pool as this only adds to the contaminants.
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Reasons Why You Should Avoid Disinfecting Your Pool With Bleach Instead Of Chlorine
So stop disinfecting your pool with bleach right now and choose a safe, efficient and economical solution like the iopool system instead.