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How To Shock Your Pool

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How Do You Know When To Shock A Pool

How To SHOCK a Swimming POOL | Swim University

When to shock a pool falls into two separate sections under what circumstances should you shock a pool and, if it needs to be shocked, the best time of day to shock a pool.

You should shock the pool after being unused for several months, when the weather has been extremely hot, or when it has rained a lot. If your chemicals are unbalanced or you see excessive algae growth, you should get the water ready to be shocked again to ensure a clean, sparkling pool.

There are many intricate things about shocking a pool that you will need to understand, with many people assuming that the process will always be the same. To have an always clean pool, you need to understand why a pool is being shocked and properly do it each time.

When The Pool Is Used Heavily Or Frequently

Chlorine levels reduce more quickly when many swimmers use a pool on a consistent basis. You should measure levels of free chlorine and chloramine after heavy swimming, especially in commercial or public pools, and shock the pool as required.

To find out what amount of free chlorine or any other chemical to add to a pool, I use this pool calculator to help me find the correct amount of chlorine to add. All you have to do is enter your chemical and pH readings.

Controlling the chlorine levels in saltwater pools is easier. All you need to do is raise the saltwater chlorine generator to boost free chlorine prior to and after heavy usage.

Chemicals Used As Pool Shock

For a pool that uses chlorine or bromine for daily chlorination, there a variety of EPA approved chemicals that can be used for shocking the pool. The best one for your pool may depend on your pool type, or if you have issues with hard water or high cyanuric acid levels.

Calcium Hypochlorite:Cal Hypo for short, is the most economical pool shock you can buy. It is available in 65% and 73% strength, pH level of 12, and is not stabilized.

Sodium Dichlor:Dichlor for short, is stabilized pool shock, with cyanuric acid as protection from the sun. 56% strength, with a nearly neutral pH level. Adds no calcium to the pool.

Potassium Monopersulfate:Non-Chlorine Shock for short, oxidizes pool water in a chlorine free formula that is not affected by sunlight, leaves no residue, and adds only oxygen.

Which pool shock to use? Most pools can use Cal Hypo, but for those in hard water areas, with concerns of growing calcium hardness levels, Sodium Dichlor or Non-Chlorine shock may be a better choice. Each pound of Cal Hypo will add 5-7 ppm to calcium hardness levels. Vinyl pools benefit from non-chlorine shock, which wont bleach or fade vinyl liners, and also dont cloud the water or leave behind a dusty residue. Pools with growing cyanuric acid levels may want to avoid Dichlor shock each pound adds a small amount of cyanuric acid.

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How To Shock A Pool With Chlorine

Before shocking a pool, be prepared with self-protection equipment. Dont use chemicals with your hands instead of using hand gloves. We also recommend wearing eyeglasses to avoid unwanted accidents. Besides, wear the dress you wont care if it will get damaged. Now, we are describing the shocking method step by step.

Step:1

Test the water of your pool. You should use a water test kit to perform this task. This step requires verifying the pH level of your pool water. Ensure the pH is within the range mentioned on the shock container.

Step:2

You have to add shock to water. Remember, first add the water to the bucket & then, add the shock. Warm water dissolves shock faster than cold water. So, keep that in mind during the time of making a mixture. It is prohibited to mix all the shock bags in one bucket.

Step:3

Use a wooden stick to dissolve the shock manually. As long as you think the shock isnt dissolved with the water, keep going.

Step:4

Circulate the water by turning on the pump. Then, carefully pick up the mixture & pour it inside of the pool. You have to pour slowly inside the pool. Some undissolved shock is present at the base of the bucket. In this circumstance, drown your bucket inside your pool water & provide it a slow wash. The residual shock will be mixed with the pool water immediately.

Step:5

Youre all done. Your pool is shocked successfully. Now, you can enjoy pleasant swimming.

When And How Often To Shock A Pool

How to Shock a Swimming Pool
  • |November 22, 2020

No one contests that pool shock is a highly effective method for sanitizing your pool.

But, how often to shock a pool is a hotly debated issue in the pool owner community.

Yet there are certain times when shocking is an absolute must when you have to get your pool water back in line.

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What Is A Pool Shock What Types Are There

A pool shock is a project of inputting chlorine or non-chlorine chemicals to your swimming pool to raise your level of free chlorine. When your free chlorine levels are too low, bacteria, algae, and chloramines begin to crowd your swimming pool and make it unsanitary. By shocking your pool consistently, you can create the right amount of chlorine that keeps your pool and family safe.

The typical chlorine smell that you experience around the pool does not mean that it has been cleaned. This odor exists when the chlorine in the pool gets combined with the nitrogen in oils, sweat, urine, and other bodily fluids. A potent smell of chlorine usually means that the water has been improperly treated, but it does not necessarily give you the signal when it is time to clean the pool.

So, what are the different kinds of pool shock? There are many different products that you can utilize, but here are the most popular and effective ones. For recommendations on specific pool shock products, read my guide on the best pool shock.

Home Pool Shocking : All You Need To Know To Start

Pool shock is a type of chlorine that is used to keep pool water clear and free of algae. It can be found in liquid or tablet form, but its important to know how much you need for your swimming pool before purchasing any.

In this blog post, we will explore what pool shock does and all the different types that are available so you can find the best one for your needs!

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Why Do You Need To Shock A Pool

Dont you want to swim in a crystal clear pool? The answer will be affirmative undoubtedly. Therefore, to remove contaminants from the pool, its the necessary step to shock a pool. You need to shock a pool to break apart combined chlorines. Combined chlorine is also known as chloramines.

It is harmful to pool water & so, it should be broken. If you shock a pool, additional chlorine will deal with combined chlorine. As a result, the situation of swimming in crystal clear water will be recreated.

Quick Dip: How To Shock Your Swimming Pool Using Liquid Chlorine

How to shock your pool

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

  • Know how many gallons of water your pool holds. Need assistance with this? Pentair has a handy online calculator that can tell you the volume of your pool.
  • Using your pool testing kit, check your current chlorine level. This is important if you are attempting to bring your chlorine level up to an exact level.
  • Choose your pool shock. Two of the most popular options we carry are
  • The Basic Method Shocking by Following the Label Instructions

    How to Superchlorinate your Pool with Liquid and Granular Chlorine

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    A Step By Step Guide For Pool Owners

    Regular shocking is something that every pool owner needs to be doing in order to maintain healthy swimming pool water, but shocking the pool isnt always a one-step solution. Sometimes you run into a few problems with your pool after the initial shock for the season, causing confusion as to exactly how much chlorine or any other product you are using to add. For this reason, it is important to know not only how to shock your pool for basic maintenance, but also what to do in cases where you have breakpoint chlorination occurring, or if you need a round of corrective chlorine-demand shocking.

    Is Pool Shock Different From Chlorine

    Before we discuss if a pool shock is similar or different to chlorine, let us first understand what chlorine means.

    The term chlorine has been used to describe the most common sanitizer in the world and sometimes it is used wrongly. If we talk about real chlorine, this one is in gas form. The one we use in pools is hypochlorous acid, which is derived from real chlorine and mixed with other chemicals to make it liquid or solid.

    To answer this question, pool shock is chlorine but they are also different because of their purpose. A pool shock is chlorine in high dosage which is used to quickly increase the chlorine levels of the pool while chlorine is used to maintain the chlorine level. It is important to use both because, without the pool shock, the pool will not reach the chlorine level to fully sanitize. If you dont use chlorine, the pool shock will dissipate immediately.

    We should also discuss what free chlorine, combined chlorine, total chlorine, and breakpoint chlorination means. Free chlorine or FC is the current chlorine level disinfecting your pool water. It is recommended to keep the FC level between 1 to 3 parts per million for the chlorine to be effective. On the other hand, combined chlorine or CC is the used chlorine. Its still present in the pool but isnt actively sanitizing anymore. The goal is to keep the CC levels less than 0.2 parts per million. The sum of FC and CC is simply the Total Chlorine or TC.

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    Test & Balance Your Water

    Before you add shock treatment, you need to test your pool water and balance its levels. The pH level should be between 7.2 and 7.6, with total alkalinity being between 80 and 120 ppm.

    Pool water testing is easy to do using test strips or liquid test kits. They give you quick and accurate readings regarding the chemical levels in the pool. Balancing the water can be done by adding more chemicals to raise or lower the pH level until it is neutral.

    Stabilized Vs Unstabilized Chlorine

    How to Shock Your Swimming Pool

    Stabilized chlorine is used in automatic chlorinators that are best used for daily sanitizing, as they last longer. This form of chlorine often comes in tabs or granular form. Floating chlorinators use tabs and will distribute the chlorine over a select period of time while automated chlorinators allow the chlorine to mix into the pool water at a slower pace. Automated chlorinators typically come in the form of a bucket.

    Unstabilized chlorine is used for weekly shock treatments. It is also used to give pools a large dose of chlorine to quickly and efficiently sanitize after heavy pool use or extreme weather. Unstabilized chlorine provides quick, powerful, high chlorine concentration. This format has also proven helpful in controlling algae, destroying organic contaminants and restoring pool water clarity. After using unstabilized chlorine your chlorine levels will be quite high but, your pool will be safe to swim in by the next day.

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    Should I Add Chlorine To A Saltwater Pool

    Before I changed my non-saltwater pool to saltwater two years ago, I used to shock regularly.

    Basically, a chlorine-based pool needs more maintenance than a saltwater pool. Unless there is an algae outbreak or a build-up of contaminants such as oil and soil, a saltwater pool does not need much treatment. This is because saltwater pools use chlorine generators to produce a chlorine compound similar to the chlorine in shock treatments.

    Chlorine generators can be adjusted to increase the amount of chlorine in the pool, for instance, before heavy usage. However, this technically isn’t shocking. It is just a way to maintain chlorine at the recommended level.

    This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

    When Do I Need To Shock My Pool

    On average it is recommended that a pool owner shock their pool at least once a week during peak swimming season. However, it should be noted that the need to shock your pool should really be dictated by how often and how many bathers use your pool in direct correlation to weather conditions such as long periods of sun or rain.

    As a general guide, you should shock your pool when:

    • Algae begins to grow in your pool
    • The free chlorine level of your pool measures zero
    • The combined chlorine level rises above 0.5

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    Gather The Proper Safety Gear Products And Tools

    Since you are working with concentrated chemicals, you will need to wear protective gloves and glasses to avoid accidental contact with eyes and skin. You should also wear clothes you dont care about, as any contact may either bleach them or burn holes in them. Other than safety gear, you will also need to get a 5 gallon plastic bucket, your pool shock packets , and a stirring stick.

    Sodium Dichlor Pool Shock

    How Often Should You SHOCK Your POOL? | Swim University

    Dichlor is a popular pool chlorine formulation, but its a bit less common in pool shock products.

    However, it is somewhat more versatile, in that the same dichlor product can generally be used for either everyday pool chlorination or for shocking your pool — provided you add the right amount for each type of treatment!

    Dichlor is a bit easier to use than calcium hypochlorite, since you should be able to add the product directly to your pool without diluting it in water first. It is a longer-acting treatment, so you should give dichlor pool shock treatments at least eight hours to do their job and clean up your pool.

    The downside of dichlor, besides its long wait time, is that it can raise the cyanuric acid level in your pool, which might push it above normal ranges and make your pool shock less effective.

    Here are some popular dichlor products, some of which may be branded as everyday pool treatments — remember, it can do both!

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    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!

    Does Shocking Your Pool Kill Algae

    While shocking your pool water normally clears up algae growth, it sometimes doesnt fully eliminate a severe algae problem. In that case, its helpful to add an algaecide to your pool water after the initial shock treatment to kill any remaining algae cells.

    Most commercially sold algaecides are copper-based and work by disrupting the algaes natural cellular processes. For a DIY alternative to expensive name-brand algaecide products, try making it at home.

    • ½ cup of baking soda
    • ½ cup of Borax
    • 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach

    To get rid of algae on bottom of pool, blend the baking soda and Borax in a small container, then pour in just enough bleach to create a thick paste. Spread it on your pool brush and thoroughly scrub all surfaces.

    The chlorine in the bleach kills algae and bacteria. The Borax and baking soda eliminate stains and loosen algae roots from the walls and floor. Baking soda also slightly increases the pH of your pool water, so be sure to test the pH afterward.

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    Why Shock Treatment Your Swimming Pool

    Super chlorinating a pool is part of the normal maintenance routine. Shock will kill bacteria, algae and eliminate the build-up of chloramines in the water. Many pool owners fail to shock their pool on a regular basis running the risk of their pool turning green, cloudy or having unbalanced water that begins to damage pool surfaces and equipment.

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