- [Announcer] Wondering how much shock to add to your pool?
In general, you'll wanna add one pound of chlorine shock
for every 10,000 gallons of water in your pool,
but if you're experiencing issues, like green water,
you'll need to add more.
So here's a quick guide on figuring out
how much shock to add to your pool.
Let's dive in.
(fast-paced music)
(water splashes)
Real quick, if you want more help taking care of your pool,
be sure to grab our free Pool Care Cheat Sheet
at SwimUniversity.com/CheatSheet.
It's totally free
and will help keep your pool
clean and clear all season long.
First, what happens when you add shock to your water?
Shocking a pool is the process
of adding a highly concentrated dose of chlorine
to quickly raise the levels of free chlorine in your water,
and that high concentration kills things
like algae and bacteria and helps break up chloramines.
Chloramines are also known as combined chlorine.
Combined chlorine happens when free chlorine in your water
gets used up after combining with contaminants.
Using a chlorine shock, like Cal Hypo or Dichlor shock,
once a week will help kill contaminants
and break up any chloramine buildup.
You can also use a non-chlorine shock
to get rid of chloramines in your pool,
but it won't kill algae growth.
If you have any more questions
about what type of shock is right for your pool,
be sure to check out our other video.
So how much shock should you add to your pool?
A standard dose of chlorine shock
is one pound of shock per 10,000 gallons of water,
but always double check the product label
before adding it to your pool.
The goal is to quickly raise your free chlorine levels
to at least 10 parts per million or higher.
This will increase your free chlorine
and decrease your combined chlorine.
Your free available chlorine levels
should be between one and three parts per million,
with three parts per million being ideal.
Your combined chlorine levels
should be no more than 0.5 parts per million
or as close to zero as possible.
If you need help understanding
how to calculate and test for your combined chlorine,
check out our other videos.
Now, if your combined chlorine levels are a lot higher,
like three parts per million,
you'll wanna add a double dose of shock.
Regular weekly shocking
can keep your free and combined chlorine levels
in the right place.
Just be sure to balance your pH and alkalinity
before shocking your water,
so the shock can work more effectively.
And always test your chlorine levels
before and after shocking.
But how much shock should you add to kill algae?
Shocking your pool with a double, triple,
or even quadruple dose of shock
is the most effective treatment for algae.
If you have light green or teal green pool water,
this is early stage algae growth,
so you'll need to double shock your pool
with two pounds of shock per 10,000 gallons.
If you have darker green water or significant algae growth,
you'll want to triple shock your pool
with three pounds of shock per 10,000 gallons.
Finally, if you have black, green, or extreme algae growth,
you'll need to quadruple shock your pool
with four pounds of shock per 10,000 gallons.
Remember, only a chlorine-based shock will kill algae.
A non-chlorine shock
can help refresh your free chlorine levels,
but it won't actively combat an algae problem.
An algaecide won't work
to kill a significant algae issue either.
It's more effective at preventing algae
from happening in the first place.
If you need more help getting rid of algae in your pool,
be sure to check out our other step-by-step video.
Can a pool be shocked too much?
It is definitely possible to add too much shock,
especially, if you have a smaller pool.
It can take much longer for chlorine levels
to drop back down to a safe range if you have less water.
So be sure to test your levels after shocking
and do not use the pool
until the chlorine has dropped back down
to a safer range of about three parts per million.
Finally, can you use bleach or liquid chlorine
to shock a pool?
While you can technically use liquid chlorine
or bleach to shock your water,
you'll have to use a lot more.
Remember, your goal is
to quickly raise your free chlorine levels
to 10 parts per million or higher,
so regardless of which type of chlorine that you use,
test your water before and after using
a super concentrated dose.
And that's it.
If you need more help with pool maintenance,
be sure to grab our free Pool Care Cheat Sheet
at SwimUniversity.com/CheatSheet.
And if you found this video helpful,
leave a comment, hit the like button, and subscribe
for more pool maintenance tutorials throughout the season.
That's it.
Thanks again and happy swimming.