There are several types of products you can use to shock the pool. Typically, you will not use regular chlorine tablets as pool shock chlorine. Calcium Hypochlorite: Also referred to as cal hypo, this chemical is one of the least costly and most convenient ways to shock your pool.
Chlorine is a sanitizer, and (unless you use Baquacil products) is necessary for maintaining a clear and healthy pool. Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly.
Sodium hypochlorite (also known as liquid chlorine) is another frequently used option for shocking pool water. This is a common choice in pool shock because you can pour the solution directly into the pool without having to dissolve the chlorine in water beforehand.
Generally speaking, the dosage amount of pool shock is 1 lb. per 10,000 gallons, but consult the shock package label.
Calcium Hypochlorite (Granular Chlorine)
It's also one of the strongest shock treatments, coming with 68% calcium hypochlorite and is recommended for use in your pool only to kill algae when there is a breakout—and not for regular or daily chlorination of your pool to maintain free chlorine levels.
Shock-chlorination is an essential and effective method of cleaning the pool. But you need to have the pump circulating the water for this to be effective.
To superchlorinate, add AT LEAST 2.5 ounces (5 tablespoons, 75 grams) of chlorine for every 100 gallons (400 litres) of spa water or part thereof. Adding more is fine and never a bad idea.
SKIMMER NOTES: No. Chlorine and shock are not the same thing.
Shock has a more intense chemical strength than the traditional chlorine sanitizers, and it also differs in how you should apply it to your swimming pool. Short answer: No.
Can you put too much shock in a pool? SKIMMER NOTES: It's 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 you're safe to swim is to test your pool water and make sure free chlorine levels are between 1-4ppm for healthy swimming.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.
Common unscented household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) works well to shock a pool.
Unlike liquid chlorine solutions that are nothing more than chlorine mixed into water, chlorine tablets are typically composed of chlorine and a stabilizing component which is usually cyanuric acid or CYA.
Bleach is sodium hypochlorite and I was reading I can make my own bleach using a formula of 2 tablespoons of calcium hypochlorite (shock 70%) and 3 cups of water to make the concentrate. The add 8 drops of this concentrate to a gallon of water to create the standard 6% off the shelf bleach.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours. It is always best to test first!
It Should Not Be Done Together
This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM.
Non-chlorine is an oxidizer, meaning that it does a great job cleaning up oils and organic matter. However, it doesn't actually kill bacteria or algae—you need chlorine for that. Therefore, you always need to use non-chlorinated shock in conjunction with chlorine to keep your pool water healthy for swimming.
Algae will remain in your pool after shock if you've had insufficient chlorine and an overabundance of metal elements in the pool water. Therefore, to start the cleaning process. Remove all the debris from the pool with a leaf net and then let the smaller dirt fragments settle.
Brown pool water is often caused by metals (iron) becoming oxidized in the pool water. If you shocked your pool water and it turned brown you probably have metals. Oxidized iron usually turns a brown or rusty color in the water.
High doses of chlorine, like pool shock, can cause temporary cloudiness as it kills contaminants. High levels of pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness are more likely to cause cloudy water.
Chlorinated shocks have a pH closer to household cleaners. Because chlorine-free shocks have a lower pH than their chlorinated counterparts, swimming can resume just 15 minutes after the shock it added. It also will not bleach out pool liners, paint, or your swim trunks.
A pool filter should be run for a minimum of 6 hours after shocking a swimming pool. This is to allow the filter to clean the water and give the shock enough time to fully mix with the pool water. Running the filter after shocking for 24 hours to 7 days is necessary if the pool has a large amount of algae.
Avoid swimming in the pool after Super Chlorination. High levels of chlorine are toxic and the water should be tested prior to re-entering the pool following a shock treatment. No one should enter the pool until the chlorine level has returned to or lower then 3ppm (Parts Per Million).
Light Green or Teal Pool Water:
To double shock, you will need to add 2 pounds for every 10,000 gallons of water. For instance, if you pool is 20,000 gallons, you will add 4 pounds of shock.
When is it safe to go into a pool after it's shocked? In general, it's recommended that you wait up to 24 hours to hop into a pool after it's been shocked, depending on the size of the pool, Alan says.
Pool pumps typically disperse chlorine into the water for you, but it is possible to add chlorine without a pump. The easiest way to do this is with chlorine tablets. They go in a designated floating container and slowly dissolve while floating around the pool. You can also use inline chlorinators.