Shock your pool! The name seems scary at first if you are a new owner of the pool. However, shocking your pool keeps the pool clean and fresh to swim comfortably.
If you want to expand your knowledge regarding how to shock a pool with chlorine, then you are in the right place. There is a correct way to shock your pool if you want to get the best outcome.
Abnormal pool shocking apparently leads to getting green hair from chlorine, which is unhygienic and unhealthy. We will provide you with the primary factors and details that may help you accomplish the critical maintenance task.
What is pool shocking and Why it is important
Contents
The term ‘Pool shocking’ introduces the process of adding a high quantity of chlorine in order to eliminate any living organisms. You can also call it ‘Superchlorination.’
Chlorine is the most effective chemical that people apply for disinfecting pool water for approximately 100 years. It is also a cost-efficient and safe way to sterilize your pool. If you can apply the appropriate concentration, it will oxidize perfectly while sanitizing the water and keep your pool clean.
Pools are also shocked to remove visible algae, unwanted bacteria, and excess bather waste. By shocking the pool regularly, you can avoid the trouble of cleansing algae and ammonia.
When to shock your pool with liquid chlorine?
When the chlorine level is less than 0.5 ppm, you should use chlorine shock.
If you smell the chlorine from your swimming pool, it is an indicator of irregular chlorine levels.
Swimmers constantly bring in pollutants such as sweat, bacteria, cosmetics, and so on. The normal chlorine level of water can not withstand these contaminants, and that’s why algae build up. If you own any commercial swimming pool, you should use liquid chlorine to shock your pool.
Heavy rain can mess up the chlorine level by diluting pool water. It lowers the pH level of water, which is harmful. Check your pool’s pH level before you start shocking your pool.
If you have recently had any party or any event around your pool, then consider shocking your pool with liquid chlorine.
The types of chlorine shocks
There are three types of chlorine that you can use to shock your pool which are:
- Calcium Hypochlorite shock: Calcium hypochlorite is a solid bleaching agent that can disinfect pool water amazingly. Generally, it comes in powdered form, but you can also find it in a tablet’s shape. No matter what form of calcium hypochlorite you are using, liquefy the chemical properly into no less than five gallons of water before pouring it into the pool water.
- Sodium hypochlorite shock: Sodium hypochlorite is also referred to as liquid chlorine. People like sodium hypochlorite pool shock because you can directly pour it into the swimming pool water. Therefore, the user doesn’t have to face any trouble in diluting the chlorine in the water in advance. This shock does not leave your pool look as cloudy as other granular chlorine shock does.
- Sodium dichlor shock: Sodium dichlor is another frequently used option that is available in granular form. It is similar to calcium hypochlorite composition but people prefer sodium dichlor as it contains cyanuric acid. Cyanuric acid acts as a protection from the sunlight and maintains a neutral pH level in the pool water.
Understanding Chlorine Level
When you are testing your pool’s chlorine level before shocking, you must understand the classification. Maintaining a proper chlorine level not only makes your pool healthy to swim in but also keeps it safe. The safe chlorine level is between 1-3 ppm, and any higher will cause the swimmers itches and other health issues.
Free available chlorine- The portion of desirable chlorine level available in chlorinated water that has not reacted with organisms. It can disinfect the water. Shocking the pool increases the free available chlorine level to 5-10 ppm.
Combined Chlorine- It refers to the portion of chlorine that has reacted with the chloramines such as ammonia, summer waste, nitrogen, etc. The general reason for shocking a pool is to control the combined chlorine level.
Total Chlorine- The total amount of free available chlorine and combined chlorine.
How to shock a pool with liquid chlorine
Liquid chlorine or sodium hypochlorite is a hazardous metal though it is 4 t 6 times powerful than other cleaning agents. As it is not stabilized, you have to apply it at night so that sun rays can not burn it. If you are wondering how to shock a pool with liquid chlorine correctly, then go after the following steps:
Use pool test kits
Using a pool test kit to understand the current pH level and chemical balance is foremost. It is not that much important for regular maintenance. But when you plan to shock your pool, get a read on the chemical balance as you should know the exact ppm. Otherwise, the chlorine shock will not be as effective as it should be.
Figuring out the volume
It is an essential step to find out how much liquid chlorine to add to the pool. It is recommended for liquid chlorine or sodium hypochlorite with 12.5% chlorine to add 10 ounces for a 10,000-gallon water pool.
Prepare the treatment
Ensure that the water is at a normal level and your pool’s alkalinity is between 80–120 ppm, and pH is between 7.2–7.6. Go through the manufacturer’s instructions carefully on the package. You can add sodium hypochlorite directly into your pool. But if you want to dissolve it more, fill a container with 19 liters of lukewarm water before pouring.
Shock your pool
Leave the chlorine in the water so that it can get enough time to filtrate the water. It is ideal for shocking your pool at night. Run the filtration pump for at least 24 hours to cleanse the contaminants. A shocking pool will not permanently eliminate algae and bacteria, so you should consider using a filtrate pump.
Again test before swimming
After shocking your pool, determine the new chlorine level by using test kits. It should be approximately 12-14 ppm. Make sure it is stable because if it drops more than one ppm, it will not be able to kill contaminates. Wait for the free chlorine level to drop to a safe chlorine level between 1 – 3 ppm.
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FAQs
How to shock above ground pool with liquid chlorine
If you own a ground pool, you are aware that water can turn green with algae very quickly. You have to measure the right proportion as too little chlorine will not be effective, and too much is harmful. Experts suggest about 1 lb. of sodium hypochlorite for every 10,000 gallons of water in an above-ground pool.
How much liquid chlorine shocks a pool with algae?
Make sure the shock is at least 1.5L per 10,000L. The chlorine level should be 30 ppm to balance the pool health. However, the ratio can fluctuate depending on the pool size. You better consider the pool size while adding chlorine for effective filtration. Algae will undoubtedly hamper your pool health. You can remove all bacterias and algae with liquid chlorine shock treatment.
Is liquid chlorine the same as a shock?
Although shock and chlorine both do pool water sanitation, they carry some key differences. Shock has comparatively better chemical strength to sanitize your pool water. Besides, liquid chlorine is more affordable and gets mixed easily in water. In contrast, shock treatment needs a particular time to dissolve properly.
How do you super shock a pool with liquid chlorine?
Super shocking your pool with liquid chlorine is super easy. You’ve to use 1 lb of liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons of water. Pour the entire bottle and turn on the pool filter pump for at leastt 24 hours. Try to do the whole procedure at night to avoid sunlight.
To wrap up
All types of chlorine will disinfect your pool, but liquid chlorine shock is the strongest among them. How to shock a pool with liquid chlorine may seem a difficult task for you for the first time. But we can assume that you have gathered pretty much knowledge regarding this and understood the procedure. Each step is vital to maintain as you have to understand the measurement correctly. If you can follow the instructions accurately, you must get clean, fresh pool water to get back swimming fast. Now, as you know the ins and outs of the liquid chlorine shock, keep your pool safe and hygienic. Enjoy a sparkling pool with accurate pH and alkalinity levels throughout the year.