What is swimming pool shock?
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What is swimming pool shock?
March 08/2020

Swimming pool shock is used to help eliminate dead and decaying bacteria in the water. Once the product is added to the water, a reaction occurs which gases the dead bacteria off into the air. Swimming pool shock can either be a chlorine based shock or a non-chlorine based shock.

Chlorine Based Shocks
When you shock your pool weekly, you are more than likely using a chlorine based shock. This type of shock must be added at night after the sun has gone down, because it is not sunlight stabilized and will burn off too quickly if done during the day. If we never shocked the pool on a regular basis, the bacteria that was killed by the chlorine in the pool would fester again and would re-grow. The swimming pool water may become cloudy, hazy or have an off odor to it if you are not shocking frequently enough.

Non Chlorine Based Shocks
Another type of shock that can be used is a potassium based shock (or non-chlorine shock). This type of shock can be added during the day or at night and will still work just as effectively. Another benefit of a non-chlorine shock is that you can get back in the pool within just 15 mins of adding it! That is just one reason why people love having some non chlorine shock on hand at all times. If you are having a large pool party and the water gets a little hazy, you can have everyone jump out for a 15 min break, add the pool shock, and jump back in 15 minutes later!

How often should I shock my swimming pool?
It is recommended to shock your pool on a weekly basis, regardless of the amount of usage. It is also important to always keep the chlorine and pH level in the correct ranges at all times, to prevent the growth of bacteria and algae’s. A single 1 lb bag of shock usually covers 10,000 gallons of swimming pool water, as long as your water is not super cloudy, which would indicate a bacteria has already multiplied and therefore would require additional shock to clear.

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