What can I use in place of shock?

Author: Prof. Crystal Wintheiser MD  |  Last update: Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Common unscented household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) works well to shock a pool.

Can you substitute bleach for shock?

Bleach is safe and the only chemical you should be using in your pool unless cleaning pool tile with baking soda. So yes, you can use bleach to keep your pool water chemistry balanced.

Is shock and bleach the same thing?

At a 12.5% concentrate, liquid pool shock is approximately 2x's stronger than Clorox bleach. The recommends 5 tablespoons of regular bleach per gallon of water to properly disinfect a surface. When using liquid pool shock, dilute it at a rate of 2.5 to 3 tablespoons per gallon of water.

Can I use chlorine instead of shock?

Chlorine tabs (placed in a chlorinator, floater, or skimmer basket) maintain a chlorine residual in the water. You do need to use both tabs and shock. Without tabs, the chlorine shock will dissipate quickly out of the water; without shock, the chlorine level will not get high enough to fully sanitize the water.

Can I use liquid chlorine in my pool?

Liquid chlorine is one of the safest means of sanitizing your swimming pool, without worrying about putting excess (since each gallon contains a measured quantity) in your pool. It's a non-inflammable liquid, thus extremely safe to use.

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Is powder chlorine same as shock?

The true difference amongst chlorine does not lie in the form it comes in, but rather from being either unstabilized or stabilized. Liquid chlorine and powdered shock have the same active chemical that work to clean your pool, the difference is in the way that you use them.

What can I use to shock my pool?

Calcium Hypochlorite: Also referred to as cal hypo, this chemical is one of the least costly and most convenient ways to shock your pool. It's usually sold in granular form.

Can you put bleach in a vinyl pool?

High concentrations of chlorine (above 1.5 ppm) will attack the liner and bleach it, thus damaging it. Any level below this range will weaken its ability to kill off bacteria.

Can I shock my hot tub with bleach?

Bleach as a hot tub shock

Bleach is our #1 choice if you want to bathe chemical free faster. We love this because it is designed to evaporate quickly which means it will do the job and leave. Choose non-scented and without additives. Household bleach will raise the pH level because it has a very high pH of 13.

How much bleach equals a bag of shock?

One pound of 65% Cal-Hypo is equivalent to 117 fluid ounces (0.91 gallons) of 8.25% bleach. One pound of non-chlorine shock (43% MPS) is "equivalent" to 36 fluid ounces (0.28 gallons) of 8.25% bleach, but non-chlorine shock is not the same as chlorine.

Will bleach clear a green pool?

Green algae, unlike its black counterpart, is a true algae; it isn't resistant to chlorine, so you can control it by shocking the pool. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on expensive pool chemicals, you can shock with household bleach.

What can I use instead of chlorine in my pool?

There are alternatives to chlorine including bromine, ionizers, and ozonators, though with each you'll still need to use some chlorine. A fourth alternative is PHMB, which doesn't require the use of any chlorine. All four have drawbacks, including cost.

What does baking soda do to pool water?

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. Many commercial pool products for raising alkalinity utilize baking soda as their main active ingredient.

Can I use liquid bleach in my above ground pool?

Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends on the formulation. The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite (and available chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as you'll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.

How do you shock a pool with bleach?

Add the bleach to the pool during the late afternoon or early evening. Pour it in along the edge of the pool as you walk around the perimeter -- never pour it into the skimmer. Circulate the water for several hours after adding the bleach, to be sure it gets completely mixed.

What does muriatic acid do to a pool?

Along with balancing the pH levels of your pool water, muriatic acid is strong enough to kill mold, remove rust stains, get rid of calcium deposits, and clean the surfaces of your pool.

Can you shock a pool without the pump running?

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.

How do you make liquid chlorine?

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.

What is sanitizer for pool?

Sanitizers are used to kill bacteria and inhibit the growth of viruses, algae and other organic contaminants that enter your pool water by way of wind, rain, dust and swimmers. The most common pool water sanitizer is chlorine.

Is liquid pool shock the same as liquid chlorine?

Are chlorine and shock the same thing? 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.

How do you super chlorinate a pool?

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.

How do you shock a small pool?

How to Shock a Pool
  1. Check pH level and adjust if needed to a low-range pH of 7.1-7.3.
  2. Clean the pool to remove leaves and debris, remove pool cleaner.
  3. Determine how much shock is needed to fix the situation.
  4. Add shock directly to the pool, vinyl pools should pre-dissolve chlorine shock.

Is liquid chlorine better than granules?

Liquid chlorine may be a good choice if you have a large pool, but the costs associated with it, and the available chlorine per pound could mean that chlorine granules are the better option. In the end, both liquid chlorine and chlorine granules will do their job and keep your pool clean and clear.

Can you use bleach as chlorine in a pool?

Household bleach, Clorox and liquid chlorine can all be used to sanitize a pool. They are all types of chlorine. Household bleaches such as Clorox usually contain about 5-6% available chlorine, about half that of pool liquid chlorine.

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