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How To Add Shock To Pool

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What Amount Of Chlorine Shock Do I Add In My Pool

How To Add Shock To A Swimming Pool-Simple and Easy

Liquid chlorine or sodium hypochlorite is always around 12.5% chlorine. Regular bleach is less stronger compared to sodium hypochlorite and is always around 8%you will need to use a lot of it, as compared to sodium hypo.

For regular pool sanitization and clearing cloudy water, the right amount of liquid chlorine to add to your pool will depend on your pool size and the percentage of chlorine you are using. For instance, 10 fluid ounces of 12.5% HASA Sani-Clor or Chloro Guard will provide enough liquid chlorine to raise FC on 10,000 gallons of pool water by 1 ppm.

However, if you have severely cloudy pool water with the following signswon’t clear easily after adding a lot of chlorine, high combined chlorine levels , or very low free chlorine and cyanuric acid levelsyou might be having ammonia in your pool, and you need extra work to clear stubborn cloudy pool water caused by ammonia.

For algae treatment, I always recommend using calcium hypochlorite, which is stronger and always comes with around 60% chlorine concentration. To kill algae, you need to triple shock your swimming pool using calcium hypo. For instance, for sanitising a pool using cal hypo , 1 pound of In The Swim cal hypo should work for a 10,000-gallon pool. As such, since you need to triple shock the pool in case of algae breakout, you will need 3 pounds of calcium hypochlorite chlorine shock to kill green, black, and yellow algae in a 10,000-gallon pool.

What Is A Pool Shock

So, what is pool shock, exactly? “Shocking refers to the process of adding chlorine or non-chlorine pool chemicals to the water in order to raise the “free chlorine level. The goal is to raise this level to a point where contaminants such as algae, chloramines and bacteria are destroyed.

A pool that smells strongly of pool chlorine doesn’t mean that it’s clean. In fact, a clean pool will be almost odor-free. Strong chlorine smell is a sign of improperly treated water. The odor actually comes from chloramines, also known as combined chlorine. Chloramines form when the chlorine in the pool mixes with the nitrogen in sweat, oils and urine. However, smell alone does not dictate when you should shock your pool.

In general, you should shock your pool when:

  • Algae begins to grow in your pool.
  • The free chlorine level of your pool measures zero.
  • The chloramines or combined chlorine level rises above 0.5 parts per million .

Second Step: Do The Water Test

If your pool is green, but chlorine is high, dont be too concerned. The most important test to take if your pools still green after shocking is the pH level. Buy a kit or a test strip and test the pH because it will indicate whether you need to add other chemicals.

A high pH means your water is alkaline and cloudy, especially after the shock. In this case, add hydrochloric acid to the water to neutralize the basic water elements. Ideally, the pH levels should be low. Even with salt water pools, testing its chemical balance is just as important.

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Filters Pumps Hoses And Pool Covers

When you do shock your pool it is easy to forget about all of the other equipment that gets dirty and can act as a breeding ground for bacteria.

You should keep your pool pumps running as this will help to circulate the shock, not just around the pool, but through all of the pipes, pump and filter.

Dont forget the pool cover. Put the cover on for at least ten minutes so that the shock can work away at germs that are on the cover. It is a good idea then to remove the cover so that the shock does not dissolve it.

Always remember to clean anything that is used in the pool too. Things such as childrens toys, floats, nets, poles etc. Anything that enters the water should be regularly super chlorinated or shocked to kill bacteria that will be present.

What Happens If You Swim In A Shocked Pool

woman adding shock to pool

The chemicals added to the pool to shock it can be dangerous to the skin, eyes and other parts of the body if they come into contact with your body. Chlorine chemicals can damage the eyes as theyll irritate them once in contact.

Always have first aid for any painful or itchy areas after using a shocked pool to avoid further injuries.

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Light Green Pool Water

If you have a light green pool, you need to shock your pool in order to kill the algae.

Algae feeds off high pH. Chlorine isn’t as effective when your pH is high. Youll need to lower your pH using hydrochloric acid. Start with around 1L to 2L. Be careful when adding it to the pool, ensuring it doesn’t splash up on you as it is highly toxic and dangerous. If your pool is vinyl lined, only add 1L every 24 hours, as it’s more sensitive to harsh chemicals.

You also need to shock your pool with chlorine. Add 2 cups of granulated chlorine or 3 tubs of 15L chlorine . If your pool is salt water chlorinated, add 2 to 4 bags of salt and turn your chlorinator to 100% for a couple of days to really boost that chlorine and get that water sanitised. Your salt levels should be sitting at around 5000ppm , with each 20kg bag of salt equating to 500ppm.

Note: Keep the pump running for at least 24 hours when shocking the pool to make sure all of the water is properly circulated around the pool!

*We recommend only using stabilised chlorine if absolutely necessary. Preferably, you should be using non-stabilised chlorine and adding in your stabiliser separately to avoid a chlorine lock .

The reason for this is because you require much less stabiliser than you do chlorine.This issue can be avoided as a whole by installing a chlorinator if you don’t already have one.”

How Long Do You Have To Wait To Swim After You Shock A Pool

Before you can swim in the pool, wait for the amount of time recommended on the packageusually at least eight hours for chlorine-based shock treatments. You only have to wait as little as 15 minutes if you use non-chlorinated shock treatments.

To be safe, it’s best to measure the amount of free chlorine in your pool to make sure it is 3 ppm or slightly less before swimming. It is dangerous to swim in a pool with high chlorine concentration. If necessary, you can use chlorine reduction reagents.

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Can I Just Drop Pool Shock Right In

As long as you have shock that doesnt require pre-dissolving, adding pool shock to your pool is unbelievably easy. All you have to do is walk slowly around the perimeter of your pool and pour it straight in.

If you have a type of sodium hypochlorite that requires pre-dissolving, add each pound to a five pound bucket of water and give it a mix and some time before adding it to your pool.

In either case, if you have an outdoor pool remember to apply pool shock at dusk or at night, or the sun will burn out the compound that makes it effective. True to its name, pool shock for pools is usually unstabilized. If youre adding pool shock to your hot tub, any time will do.

Unless youre using a non-chlorine shock, youll want to wait eight hours after using shock before you jump back into the pool. If youre a night swimmer, go you. Just add pool shock in after youre done for the day.

Shocking your above-ground pool? Make sure its circulated properly with a high-powered pump like the Copper Force Above Ground Pool Pump, which has three options for horsepower and an ultra-cool operation. According to customer Doug Paar, The pump is very quiet and has good pressure. I would recommend.

Check Your Swimming Pools Chlorine Levels

How to shock your pool

For this step, make sure to follow the instructions provided with your kit or test strips. If your CC reading is 0.5 ppm or higher, its time to shock your pool. Its also a good idea to shock your swimming pool:

  • After pool parties or heavy use
  • After heavy rains, high-speed winds, thunderstorms, or other extreme weather
  • Every 1 to 2 weeks
  • If you notice visible algae or a strong chlorine smell

Step Three

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How To Shock A Pool

Before we discuss how to shock a pool, lets explain why and when to do it. Shocking a pool is part of regular maintenance during the warmer months. It is also done throughout the entire year, just less often during cooler months. Pool owners and pool service professionals shock a pool to super-chlorinate the water. Shocking a swimming pool will destroy bacteria, algae and organic waste that regular chlorination may have missed.

How To Shock A Swimming Pool

When the summer months finally come around and it is time to prepare your pool, shocking is an inevitable process. Shocking your swimming pool will eliminate the accumulation of chloramines. It will also help kill bacteria and algae that have built up over time. Are you not quite sure where to start? In this article, Ill guide you through the process of shocking your pool with confidence.

Lets get right into it with the steps you need to take to shock your pool successfully. If youre a little more unfamiliar with the shocking process, skip down and read about how shocking works, types of shock, when to shock, and other tips.

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Advantages Of Chlorine Pool Shock

  • Cheapest pool shocks yet very effective.
  • Easy to get in pool stores.
  • Quick-release of constituents during reaction with the water.
  • Begins impact immediately after introduction.
  • Destroys organic contaminants.
  • Work best for chloramines and ammonium.
  • Disinfect bacteria and algae in the swimming pool easier.

Can You Shock A Saltwater Pool

How To Add Shock To A Swimming Pool

Yes, you can shock a saltwater swimming pool. In fact, not only is it possible to shock a saltwater pool its a smart idea if you want to get the most out of your investment. For example, you will need to shock your saltwater pool if it becomes contaminated by algae. That being said, your saltwater pools adjustable chlorine generator should generally produce enough chlorine to control contaminants.

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When Pool Water Temperature Rises

Bacteria and other organisms such as algae thrive in warm water. In addition, the amount of free chlorine decreases with rising temperatures.

Most pools are kept at a comfortable level of 86-88 °F. The temperature should be lowered to a range of 78-84 °F if there are a lot of swimmers or if the pool is used for athletic activities. You can use a pool thermometer to measure water temperature.

If the temperature rises above the recommended levels, you should shock your pool.

When The Free Chlorine Level Goes Below 3 Ppm

The quantity of free chlorine in the water should be 3 ppm, which is also what the total chlorine level should be around. The combined chlorine level should always be maintained below 0.5 ppmor at 0.0 ppm, if possible.

  • Free chlorine is the chlorine content that is unused, or “free” to do its job: cleaning and disinfecting your pool.
  • Combined chlorine, or chloramine, is the result of the chlorine’s sanitizing action. Chloramine is formed from the combination of free chlorine and sweat, body oils, and urine, creating the infamous “pool smell” that people often attribute to chlorine. High levels of combined chlorine means there is less free chlorine to kill bacteria, parasites, and algae.
  • Total chlorine is the sum of the free chlorine and combined chlorine contents.

Most test strips available on the market only measure free chlorine, but you also need to know values of total and/or combined chlorine before shocking your pool.

I use the Lamotte ColorQ Pro 11digital pool water test kit. I like this equipment since it is accurate, easy to use, and measures other pool chemicals and properties such as pH, bromine, cyanuric acid, and calcium hardness.

Important: Improper maintenance of pool chemistryespecially pH and cyanuric acid levelschanges the efficacy of chlorine, so make sure you use accurate equipment and frequently check your pool water’s chemistry.

If you find that the free chlorine level is lower than 3 ppm, it is time to shock your pool.

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Are Chlorine And Shock The Same Thing

While pool shock usually contains chlorine, shock and chlorine are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably. By increasing free chlorine levels, shock treatments help quickly sanitize your pool, rapidly destroying bacteria, algae, chloramines, and other contaminants.

Other chlorine products, such as 3 chlorine tablets, contain lower concentrations of chlorine. Because they are weaker and less concentrated, chlorine tablets need to be used more frequently than pool shock. They also serve a different purpose, maintaining steady chlorine levels rather than destroying contaminants. However, both should be used for optimal results.

When To Shock Your Pool

How To SHOCK a Swimming POOL | Swim University

Most people only decide to shock their swimming pools when they see an overgrowth of algae or they start getting cloudy pool water, but by this time, cleaning your pool could take a lot more work.

So if you stay on top of this chore by shocking your pool once a week, you may be able to avoid an algae overgrowth.

This kind of contamination often requires way more scrubbing, vacuuming and sometimes even draining than you will ever want to do.

BUTin case you are like the rest of us and occasionally put things off, here are the times when you should shock your pool even if you dont feel like it:

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How To Shock Your Swimming Pool

If youve recently installed a pool in your backyard or purchased a home that has a pool, youre probably familiar with the term pool shocking. Shocking your pool is one type of pool maintenance that youll need to perform to keep your pool water clean among vacuuming your pool, keeping your filter clean, checking total alkalinity, and more. Its crucial to understand why shocking a pool is important, how it works, and how often it should be done.

Frequency Of Pool Shocking

The frequency of pool shocking depends highly on how much you use your pool. As a general rule of thumb, shocking every two weeks is considered good practice. Theres no harm in doing it every month or so but thats usually not recommended, especially if people are using your pool daily.

Besides shocking for regular maintenance and upkeep, there are other times when you should consider shocking your pool:

  • When the water temperature rises above recommended levels
  • After heavy rains
  • When the free chlorine goes below recommended levels
  • When the pool water is used frequently or heavily
  • During extended periods of hot weather

Bottom Line

Keeping your pool in its best condition may seem like an arduous and time-consuming process, but all you need is regular pool maintenance. Shocking will help you to avoid bigger messes and headaches down the road. When it comes to shocking and when the best time of day to shock pool is, be sure to do it frequently, when the sun has set and ensure the pool is safe for swimming before jumping back in.

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How Does Pool Shock Work

When you shock the pool you are adding additional chemicals that will support the existing chlorine in the killing and oxidation of pool user and other organic wastes.

As the pool is used these wastes accumulate and, if they are allowed to get to high levels, they can cause a wide range of problems for your pool and bathers.

Things such as red eyes and itchy skin, algae growth and smelly water that smells as if it has too much chlorine are all signs that the pool is dirty and needs attention

That smell of chlorine is actually a sign that there is not enough free chlorine in the water to deal with bacteria.

Shocking the pool addresses this shortage. When your pool is well maintained and properly chlorinated, it should smell fresh and have sparkling, attractive water.

Using Sodium Hypochlorite In Your Pool

Super Shock! Treatment

Sodium hypochlorite liquid chlorine is the best option to use in a saltwater pool system, especially when you need to boost law chlorine levels in your water. Use it in the treatment of water in swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs. When introduced into a swimming pool or hot tub, it is immediately available to destroy algae, bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms due to its fast action.

To use Sodium Hypochlorite liquid chlorine effectively, measure the right amount for your pool and pour it evenly around.

Note that not all liquid chlorines come with sodium hypochlorite as the main ingredient, as some are made of calcium hypochlorite. You should take keen interest to know ingredients any liquid chlorine is made of.

For instance, Chlorox and In The Swim liquid chlorine are made of high percentage calcium hypochlorite, and you should not use them for regular chlorination, as this will raise calcium hardness, but can only be used when fighting green, black, and yellow algae in your pool.

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What Is Shock Dosing

Shock dosing your swimming pool involves adding large quantities of sanitising chemicals, such as chlorine, to your pool. These quantities can reach as high as ten times the normal dose.

The short term rise in chlorine will help break down any organic waste such as bacteria and other contaminants such as algae, slime and loss of water clarity or quality.

For more information, take a look at our guide to swimming pool shock treatments.

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