Shocking is also known as super chlorinating. It's a way to keep pool water safe and clean by adding three to five times the normal amount of chlorine or other chemical sanitizer to the pool water to drastically raise the chlorine level for a short time. This will help to remove ineffective chlorine amounts, kills bacteria and anything organic in the pool, and boosts the availability of effective chlorine. Shocking the pool is an important regular maintenance step with which every pool owner should be familiar.
Timing the Shocking
1Shock the pool regularly. What determines "regular" will depend on a number of swimmers using the pool and the temperature of the pool water. The best indicator is to monitor the results of home chlorine tests; when the test results show that combined available chlorine and free available chlorine are below their recommended ranges, then it's time to shock the pool.
- Pool experts recommend shocking a pool at a minimum of once a month. If the water is warm (such as for a spa pool), twice a month minimum is recommended. However, some pool experts recommend shocking pools once a week, or more frequently, if the pool is used heavily, after large amounts of rain, or during extended periods of hot, sunny weather.
2Shock after the sun has gone down. This will prevent the sun's UV rays from affecting the chlorine or other chemical and ensures that the majority of the chemical is available to shock the pool.
1Dissolve the pool shock chemicals. This must be done before adding the pool shock chemicals to the swimming pool. All forms of pool shock chemicals are granular and should dissolve relatively quickly.
- Fill a 5-gallon/19 liter (5.0 US gal) bucket with water from the pool.
- Slowly pour the granular pool shock into the bucket of water.
- Never add water to a chemical; always add chemicals to water.
2Stir the bucket well. Agitate the water for one minute or more to dissolve the pool shock chemicals.
Adding the Pool Shock Chemicals
1With the filtration system running, slowly pour the bucket of dissolved shock directly in front of a return line fitting. You will see the water being carried out into the pool by the jet of water coming from the return line.
- Pour slowly enough that all of the water from your bucket is carried out into the pool and does not settle to the pool floor. Pouring slowly is also vital to prevent splashing on your skin, clothes and any surfaces, which can injure or stain, depending on what the splashes land on.
- Pour as close to the water's surface as possible.
2Refill with water. When you are pouring and get near the bottom of the bucket of dissolved shock water (down to about 1/4 left in the bucket), fill the bucket back up with water.
- Stir the bucket of water again for one minute or more, to dissolve left over shock granules at the bottom of the bucket, which did not dissolve the first time.
- Continue pouring until all the contents are used.
- If undissolved granules reach the pool floor bottom, stir them up with a pool cleaner.
3Do readings before re-entering the pool water. Swimming in water with too much chlorine is very dangerous. Wait until the water reads 3ppm or less.
Dose the pump need to be on when shocking?wikiHow ContributorYes, it does keeping the water moving will help spread the chlorine and kill the algae -- hence the term shock.
If I open a portal into the return line from the pump, won't the pressure from the pumping water force water to spray out of the line? How would I add shock "into the return line" this way?wikiHow ContributorDon't open anything - you pour the shock directly in the pool in front of the return so the stream carries it through the pool.
Is there a normal technique for shocking a pool?wikiHow ContributorDistribute the shock around the pool evenly in a bucket diluted with water. Or you can pour it directly in front of the return fitting.
Why can't I save my unused shock powder for next time if my pool is smaller than the bag?wikiHow ContributorIf the powder didn't get wet, it should be good to use. Store it in a cool, dry places, away from sunlight. It may be slightly less effective after being open, but it should last until the next treatment (especially if you're shocking the pool weekly or monthly).
Why is my water brown after using shock treatment?wikiHow ContributorYou likely have metal in the pool water (e.g. iron, manganese). Your pool store will have products to remove metal from the water and brown stain from the liner if it got stained.
Can I shock during the day if I close the pool cover?wikiHow ContributorAlthough you can, some chlorine will be destroyed by the sun's UV rays. You won't have the full effectiveness of the shock treatment. It would best if you do it under the shade followed by covering it. Covering the pool does help protect the chlorine for 2 days. It is best to do it at twilight hours in the evening.
How much does it cost for the supplies to shock a pool?wikiHow ContributorIf you maintain the pool yourself, about $30 a month average for chemicals.
How long do I have to wait after the shock treatment to use the pool?wikiHow ContributorThat depends whether you use a chlorine or non-chlorine shock. With a chlorine shock, you can swim in it about 4 hours later. For a non-chlorine shock, you just need to wait 15 minutes.
Should I have the filter in the pump when I shock the pool?wikiHow ContributorYes. The filter clears the contaminates from the water and keeps your water clear and blue.
If I am out of shock, can I use double chlorine to shock it?wikiHow ContributorShocking uses three to five times the normal amount, so double would not be sufficient.
- If you have a vinyl liner in your swimming pool, you cannot allow un-dissolved pool shock to settle to the floor, because this may bleach or stain your pool liner.
- Shock chemicals can also be released by a floating chemical dispenser or a mechanical feeder, rather than doing the shocking manually. Mechanical feeders require very exact proportions and only the chemicals the manufacturer says are suitable.
- Chlorine shock is simply un-stabilized chlorine which is exactly what chlorine bleach is that you buy from the supermarket. You can use this instead by working out the amounts for your pool (approx 4L of 5% hypochlorite chlorine bleach per 10000L of pool water) Make sure you buy unfragranced chlorine bleach, you want just pure hypochlorite.
- Check the pH range before shocking. It needs to be within the normal range before shocking, otherwise the extra chlorine can oxidize copper parts in the pool. If this happens, black stains will appear on the water surface.
- Bear in mind that it is better to add shock chemicals in small amounts at multiple locations across the pool rather than dumping in a large quantity and hoping it will disperse evenly.
- Always add chemicals to water. Do not add water to chemicals.
- The manufacturers of pool shock products suggest that you wear protective goggles and other safety equipment to prevent injury. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging closely.
In other languages:
Español: hacer el tratamiento de choque en una piscina, Deutsch: Ein Schwimmbad schockbehandeln, Italiano: Eseguire un Trattamento d'Urto nella Tua Piscina, Русский: шокировать бассейн, Português: Fazer um Tratamento de Choque na sua Piscina, Français: faire un traitement choc de votre piscine
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