For pool startup, it's best to double shock your pool, meaning that you add two pounds of chlorine shock for every 10,000 gallons of water. After shocking a pool, aim to have chlorine at 10 ppm. After this routine, your pool should be good to go.
How much shock do I need to shock my pool? A simple ratio and a standard rule of thumb to follow when you shock your pool is to dissolve one pound of either calcium hypochlorite or sodium dichlor for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Often, it will look something like this. 12.5% Liquid Chlorine Pool Shock – Normal Dosage: 1 gallon of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Shock Dosage: 2 gallons of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Source: Champion Liquid Pool Shock instructions.
KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO SHOCK:
Shock your pool when you open it for the season to kill algae that has developed in the Spring. AFTER A PARTY OR HEAVY USE: People carry bacteria and chlorine levels can drop drastically when there are many active swimmers using a pool.
You cannot overshock a swimming pool or add too much. Adding too much shock or overshocking your pool will kill off algae. The negative of adding too much shock is it will upset the chemical balance of your pool.
It's pretty tough to over-shock your pool; shocking your pool two days in a row with the proper dosage for your pool volume shouldn't be a problem – and in fact, is sometimes even needed to rid your pool of algae and other contaminants.
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.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours.
Shocking your pool isn't necessary, although, it's not a bad idea either. If you get an extremely heavy rain fall, you could shock your pool for good measure. This will help fight off any contaminants that the rain may have brought to 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.
Typically for granular shock, you'll need one pound for every 10,000 to 13,500 gallons of pool water.
Super Shock can deliver 10 ppm per 10,000 gals, per 1 lb. bag, in good water conditions – you may need more. In many cases, the dosage listed on a bag of shock will be effective on blue and clear water, but if you have very cloudy or very green water, a 3x-6x treatment dosage is not unusual.
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.
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.
Shock Your Pool with Chlorine to Kill Algae
This is the main event in clearing a green pool—killing the algae. Pool shock contains a high level of chlorine that will kill the algae and sanitize the pool. For the best results, use a shock that contains at least 70% available chlorine, and shock the pool twice.
To dose water in a tank with 5 mg/L chlorine use: 40 millilitres of liquid pool chlorine or 170 millilitres of bleach, for every 1000 litres in the tank. Always test the residual chlorine level with a chlorine test strip.
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is naturally alkaline, with a pH of 8. When you add baking soda to your pool water, you will raise both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity.
Running your pool pump during a lightning or electrical storm should be avoided as a power surge or nearby lightning strike could damage your pump. However running your pump during is beneficial. The extra filtering will help clean out the impurities rain has introduced into your pool's water.
It is a fact that rain will decrease your Total Alkalinity level in the pool over time, requiring a pool owner to raise the alkalinity. Rainwater has a Total Alkalinity near zero. Heavy rains will dilute your pool alkalinity level, causing it to fall by 5-10 ppm a day.
Give the shock a good 12 to 24 hours to work it's magic. If the algae hasn't cleared up after 24-48 hours, clean and brush the pool and add another shock treatment.
What can happen if you go into a pool too soon after it's been shocked? There are a few potential issues. "Chlorine will react with water to produce an acid," Alan says. "The effects will be different depending on whether chlorine is inhaled or whether there is skin or eye contact."
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.
Pools can immediately turn green after shocking when they have metals like copper or iron in the water. These metals oxidize when exposed to high levels of chlorine which makes the pool water turn green. Metals in the water are caused by some algaecides and using well water.
Adding chlorine besides the shock can increase the chlorine content in the water which can make the entire shocking process useless. Hence, it is better if you don't use the shock and chlorine at the same time. The best time to add chlorine to the pool water is after you have shocked the pool.
Superchlorination, also known as shocking or chlorine shocking, is the process of adding several times more chlorine to the pool than is normally needed so that the chlorine can "burn" through resistant compounds, chemicals, oils and strong types of algae.