Keep in mind, skinny dipping only shocks the neighbors, not the pool.
Shocking your pool is putting high level of chlorine into your pool to sanitize it. Think of shock as a deep clean for your pool! SuperChlorination, or shock, kills bacteria and gets rid of sweat, oils, and urine (although we're sure that you live by the rule of keeping the "p" out of the "ool", your child's pool party guests may think differently.) General rule, is the more you use your pool the more often you should shock it.However, if there is a heavy storm and your pool collects a fair amount of debris, shocking is also recommend once your pool is cleaned out.
While most folks wait until there's something off with their water, shocking your pool on a semi-regular basis will help you avoid many water issues all together!
TIP: It is almost always recommended to shock your pool after the sun has gone down. The reason for this is that the sun will burn off some portion of the chlorine used making the shock more often than not, inefficient.
Types of Pool Shock:
Calcium Hypochlorite
- Typically the most inexpensive option
- Needs to be dissolved PRIOR to adding to your pool
- Wait time to swim: approximately 8 hours
Lithium Hypochlorite
- Dissolves quicker than Calcium Hypochlorite
- Can be added directly to your pool without pre-dissolving
- Wait time to swim: approximately 8 hours
Dichlor
- Check your brand, some allow you to add directly to the pool
- Wait time to swim: approximately 8 hours
- Can be used for both shock and regular chlorine use
Non-Chlorine Shock
- Inexpensive shock alternative
- Can be added directly to your pool without pre-dissolving
- Wait time: approximately 15 minutes
- No chlorine means that this type of shock will not kill algae
Safety First:
- Never mix different types of pool shocks
- Wear protective gear; gloves, eye protection, long sleeves
- Avoid breathing in fumes
Instructions:
- Don your safety gear! Don't worry, you still look great!
- Read through the instructions included with your brand of shock carefully! Charts/steps are usually included for how to determine how much of that type of shock will be recommended for your pool.
- If your brand requires you to dissolve the shock first, fill a bucket (5-gallon is typically a good choice) 3/4 full with warm water and add the shock slowly, stirring until the chemicals are fully dissolved.
- If your brand does not require your shock pre-dissolved, add one bag of shock at a time directly into your pool.
- Pour your shock around the parameter of your pool for a more even distribution. Slow and steady wins this race.
- Wash off any chlorine mixture that may have splashed on your liner above the waterline.
- All that's left to do is wait the recommended amount of time based on your brand/type of shock. Let the chemicals do the dirty work of cleaning everything up and you'll be back in your sparkling pool in no time!
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? You can always contact us at support@royalswimmingpools.com or choose the category below to see our most frequently asked questions for that topic: