How Much Shock Do I Add To My Pool
To shock your pool, use 2 pounds of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water, which should raise your chlorine to 10.0 ppm. Depending on your pool, you can use Leslies Power Powder Plus or Leslies Chlor Brite. After shocking the pool, run the circulation system for at least 2 hours before adding an algaecide.25 2017 .
Get The Care Your Pool Needs From A Trusted Latham Dealer
In order to enjoy your pool for years to come, proper and attentive maintenance is important. If you have questions about maintaining your pool, contact your local Latham dealer.
While these resources can help guide you, enlisting the help of a pool professional can ensure that one of your largest backyard investments gets the care and protection it deserves.
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.
Recommended Reading: Northwest Cary Ymca Pool
Do I Need To Add Other Chemicals
After using a shock treatment, its best to give your pool a break from other chemicals and use it for a couple of days. Shock will drastically change the chemistry of your pool and youll need to wait to test your water. Its important to adjust your pools water after a shock treatment because it will help to maintain your water and deter further algae growth. To make sure your pool doesnt grow algae anymore, try to keep your water pH around 7.3 and your chlorine levels at 1 to 3 parts per million. If you take these steps, youll likely never see algae growth again.
Your Pool Water Is Cloudy
Cloudy pool water is an important symptom to treat as it can be a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria, it can also damage your pool and circulation system.
It is important to be aware of any signs of cloudy water as it can quickly escalate, it can even appear overnight. This can be due to any issues with the sanitising chemicals, the pool’s circulation system, the pool’s water chemistry and algae.
You May Like: Jones Beach Entrance Fee
Pool Shock: Shocking For Algae Removal
Welcome back to school, students! Summer is the perfect time to discuss algae and how to remove it by shocking the pool with Calcium Hypochlorite Ca2.
Chlorine is a Great Algaecide, I like to say. Faster kill rates and a more complete reaction than using algaecide or other oxidizers.
Cal Hypo is the perfect chlorine type to use to eradicate algae blooms powerful and economical.
Our discussion will focus on how much pool shock to use for complete algae removal, plus other tips on effective pool shocking.
Why You Need To Shock Your Pool
Whether you’re a brand new pool owner or a veteran, you need to be familiar with the process of shocking your pool.
Certain living organisms can still survive in your pool with its normal chlorine amounts. Others can become completely immune to it.
There are basically three reasons to shock your pool:
- 1
- Heavy rain can dilute your pool, leaving you with very low chlorine levels
Recommended Reading: Brown Iron In Pool Water
Whats Your Familys Comfort Level
There isnt an exact recommendation for how much chlorine should be added per day due to all of these different variables and personal circumstances.
However, generally speaking, if youre not comfortable with any amount of free chlorine in your water , it might be best to err on the side of caution and shock more than less.
When opening up a newly filled pool this season, keep these things in mind before jumping right into the water. By following these tips, you can generally rest assured that your pool is swimming-friendly and ready for its big debut.
How Much Shock Should I Put In My Pool To Open It
To shock your pool, use 2 pounds of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water, which should raise your chlorine to 10.0 ppm. Depending on your pool, you can use Leslies Power Powder Plus or Leslies Chlor Brite. After shocking the pool, run the circulation system for at least 2 hours before adding an algaecide.25 2017 .
Also Check: Why Is My Dolphin Pool Cleaner Floating
When To Shock Your Pool And How Often
Shocking your pool is not a one-time thing. It should be a regular part of your swimming pool maintenance routine. I recommend keeping a record or logbook near your pool to stay on top of this maintenance.
If you are operating on a weekly oxidizing and shocking schedule, you should alternate between a non-chlorine and chlorine shock each week. Following this system makes chlorine much more effective when it is implemented. Plus, it will lower the amount of chlorine required.
So what are some specific circumstances where you must shock the pool?
Rain and thunderstorms can contaminate the water with debris, dust, and excess rainwater. This is why you should always shock your pool after rain.
Algae outbreaks are also a key signal for pool shocking. When algae begin to appear, you should utilize a shock type with more chlorination to kill and remove the algae.
You should also make sure to shock your pool when you are opening and closing for the season. After you have balanced the other chemicals, shocking the pool will eliminate bacteria and make the water nice and clear.
It is also a good idea to shock the pool after hosting events where many people will enter the pool.
Turn Off Your Filter System
Another important step is to be sure to turn off your filter system. It doesnt matter if your filter is a sand filter, cartridge filter, or D.E. filter you need to turn it off before filling up your pool.
You dont want the dirt from the bottom of your pool being sucked right into your pump, which can cause severe damage.
Recommended Reading: Fastest Way To Heat Above Ground Pool
The Optimal Shocking Frequency
Most pool owners will shock once every 1 to 2 weeks this is ideally what you should be aiming for with your pool maintenance schedule.
Youll come across various thoughts on this topic. Some people say you must shock once a week, while others are fine shocking once a month!
Its also important to understand that you cant overshock.
The worst thing that will happen is the pools chlorine level will be temporarily spiked and then naturally burn off after a few hours of sun exposure. Another downside to overshocking is that youll just be wasting your money.
However you do need to be aware of the must shock scenarios that will steer you off your regular shocking schedule.
Quick Dip: How To Shock Your Swimming Pool Using Liquid Chlorine
Shocking your pool water is one of the keys to keeping your pool sparkling and ready to swim in. Failing to shock your pool water can lead to algae and bacteria build-up. This creates a swimming pool that is not only uninviting, but hazardous to pool patrons as well. Just because your water is clear, does not mean it is safe to swim in! This is why a high-quality pool testing set from LaMotte or Taylor is an essential part of every pool operators kit!
Shocking a pool with liquid chlorine or a granular pool shock kills or inactivates pathogens and algae. Shocking will also oxidize other unwanted materials inhabiting the pool water. By raising the chlorine level in the pool to the correct level, and holding it there for the prescribed amount of time, this effectively disinfects the water. This article covers shocking your pool with two of the most popular shock products on the market today sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite .
Preparing to Shock Your Pool
The Basic Method Shocking by Following the Label Instructions
How to Superchlorinate your Pool with Liquid and Granular Chlorine
Also Check: When Will Chlorine Prices Go Down
How Often Should You Shock Your Pool
The frequency of pool shocking isnt set in stone, and it really only needs to be done when your water starts going haywire.
Some things youll be able to visually see , but most water pollutants will be invisible.
There are some pool owners who like to shock once a week to keep the water its cleanest, while others will do it on a 3-week or monthly cycle.
Shocking frequency also depends on how much use the pool is getting, and what kind of weather its being subjected to. Heavy rainfall and storms can disrupt the pool waters chemical makeup by introducing backyard debris and air pollutants like dust and pollen spores into the water.
Likewise, an increase in the number of people using the pool will bring in more organic bacteria, resulting in a chlorine level decrease. If you have a pool party, youll most likely have to shock the pool once its over.
Youll also want to apply shock treatment when opening the pool, and closing it down for the season.
On opening, after youve balanced its pH level, shocking will sanitize and oxidize the pool, restoring its clear water. On closing, pool shock is used as a disinfectant to prepare the pool for the winter months.
Also of note, if you were wondering, you cant overshock a pool. The worst that will happen is the water has an abundance of chlorine for a few hours. Once the sun comes out, it will quickly destroy the chlorine and bring the pool back to a level that is safe for swimmers.
Shocking For Algae Removal
Its a generally accepted notion that 30 ppm of chlorine residual will kill all algae. Assuming that your pool is clean, and you have adjusted the pH, you can now add the granular chlorine to the pool.
Most pool shock packages will list directions to add 1 lb. of shock per 10,000 gallons of pool water. That may be fine for normal conditions, but if you have a severe algae attack, a triple shock is needed. 1 bag will get reach 7-9 ppm, but for 30 ppm, you need 3, 4 or sometimes even 5+ lbs per 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Shock it until the water turns Blue-ish, said Davy Merino, our blog editor. Thats what I do. A fine technique you do want to add shock to the pool until the water loses the green color, and turns a blue-ish gray color.
Heres a chart that can be used with our Pool Shock and Super Pool Shock products. The numbers indicate the amount of shock, in pounds. You may need more to see the blue color begin to return to the pool.
How much shock is needed to achieve 30 ppm will vary depending on the available chlorine percentage of the shock you are using. For example, if using In The Swim Super Shock, its a 73% cal hypo shock, but HTH Shock -N-Swim is only 45% cal hypo so youd use more or less, depending on the shock potency.
Read Also: Venetian 10th Floor Pool
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.
How Shocking Your Pool Works
You May Like: Aria Las Vegas Pool Cabana
How Do I Find The Right Shock For My Pool
There are four major types of pool shock, but my top recommendation is to use calcium hypochlorite, which is the most popular and for good reason: its effective, and its the most affordable shock on the market. Unfortunately, its usually pretty labor intensivesince its slower to break down, you generally have to pre-dissolve each pound in a five-pound bucket of water first. My solution? Skip that process entirely by using calcium hypochlorite that you can add directly to your pool, without pre-dissolvingand thank your lucky stars it exists!
What Is Shocking A Pool And Why Should You Do It
Shocking a pool, also known as pool chlorination, is adding chlorine in swimming pool water to sanitize itgetting rid of chloramine , contaminants, bacteria, preventing algae, ammonia, and other living organisms from thriving in your pool.
Chlorinating a swimming pool is a very important and necessary part of pool maintenance.
Every pool owner should at least understand how to do it, how frequently, what amount of chlorine to add, and which chlorine shock to use in a pool.
Moreover, the cornerstone of keeping free chlorine active all the time is keeping it in proper balance with cyanuric acid.
The higher the cyanuric acid level in your water, the more your free chlorine will be ineffective, and the more chlorine you will use in your pool.
Confirm on Trouble Free Pool’s Chlorine/CYA Chart to know the correct amount of chlorine to add at a given level of cyanuric acid.
By regularly adding chlorine shock to your water, you completely avoid the hassle of SLAMing your pool to clear algae and ammonia.
To have a trouble-free pool throughout the summer, I always recommend the use of non-stabilized chlorine known as sodium hypochlorite with a 12.5% chlorine concentration for pool sanitization.
You can also use sodium hypochlorite with a 10% chlorine concentration, but not a regular household bleach that comes with low chlorine concentration of 8% and below.
Don’t Miss: Cooper Ymca Pool Schedule
Bleach Vs Pool Shock To Disinfect
Bleach is a product that can often be hard to find on stores shelves. So, the question Is there any difference between swimming Pool Shock bleach, and can they both be used to pool shock? You can use pool shock as an alternative to bleach, but you need to dilute it first before using it.
is a chemical compound that is used to kill bacteria and viruses. Bleach is an example of chlorine. Pool shock is a product that contains chlorine. To make sure your pool is safe, use a pool shock that contains chlorine. A typical amount of chlorine in pool shock is about 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water. You should dilute pool shock by adding about 2.5 to 3 teaspoons per gallon of water.
stores sell chlorine tablets that contain other chemicals. These chemicals make chlorine last longer, but they also reduce its effectiveness. Stabilizing the bleach reduces the amount of chlorine available to kill bacteria. This means less effective cleaning.
is a chemical that cleans up dirt and germs. It is a cleaning agent that kills bacteria. It is usually found in swimming pools. Bleach is made out of chlorine. Chlorine is an element that is poisonous to humans. It is dangerous to swim in pools with too much chlorine. A lot of people use bleach as a disinfectant in their homes. It is also used to clean toilets and sinks.
Can You Put Too Much Shock In A Pool
SKIMMER NOTES: Its unlikely but it could happen. It would take a lot of shock to really make the water unsafe for swimming. The best way to make sure youre safe to swim is to test your pool water and make sure free chlorine levels are between 1-4ppm for healthy swimming.
Can you put too much shock into your swimming pool? Lets say you have an all-hands-on-deck sort of approach to pool care at your house, so, after yesterdays torrential downpour, your significant other shocks the pool overnight. But you dont know that, so after dinner the following day, you cruise out to the pool chemical cart, slap on your safety gloves and eradicate any rain-born disturbances with another round of pool shock.
Is the summer ruined? Will the children swim again?
Heres the deal. Its pretty tough to over-shock your pool shocking your pool two days in a row with the proper dosage for your pool volume shouldnt be a problem and in fact, is sometimes even needed to rid your pool of algae and other contaminants.
BUT you dont want to raise the chlorine to an extreme level in your pool unless its absolutely needed.
As a reminder, you want your free available chlorine to fall between 1 and 4 parts per million .
So what do I do if I put too much shock in my swimming pool?
What happens if you DO put too much chlorine in a swimming pool?
For more on shock, check out our article on What is shock?
Also Check: Building An Inground Pool
