Why Shock Your Pool?

Shocking your pool is a great way to bring things back into balance. You’ll enjoy the pleasures of swimming in crystal clear pool water by regularly maintaining and shocking your pool. Shocking your pool breaks up combined chlorine (chlorine + contaminants).

Understanding Chlorine
​When testing your pool’s chlorine level, it is important to first understand how chlorine is classified.

• Free Chlorine: The desirable chlorine available to sanitize or disinfect the water.
• Combined Chlorine: Undesirable, bad-smelling chloramines that form when not enough free chlorine is present to overcome the chlorine demand. This causes red, burning eyes and nose irritation.
• Total Chlorine: The total amount which includes both free and combined chlorine.

How Shocking your Pool Works

1. Contaminants can get into pools and combine with chlorine. If the free chlorine level is not concentrated enough, it can cause the contaminant to become inert without fully removing it.
2. Combined chlorine (or chloramines) are ineffective in breaking down harmful bacteria and undesirable organisms. Shocking a pool elevates the free chlorine level to 5-10 ppm.
3. Elevated levels of free chlorine break up combined chlorine.
4. Once your pool has been shocked, the water will be clean, clear, and safe for your family to enjoy.

Shocking your Pool FAQ
When is it time to shock your pool?

• Every couple of weeks during the swimming season.
• When your pool is outside of the recommended free chlorine levels of 1-3 ppm. Shocking your pool will raise the chlorine level.

What about a salt pool?
​Yes, even salt pools need a little help once in a while. Saltwater pools utilize a chlorine generator to convert salt into chlorine. You can adjust the generator to increase the level of chlorine produced to counteract higher chlorine demands caused by contaminants. However, even saltwater pools need to be shocked when the generator cannot keep up with a heavy load of contamination.

When should you shock your pool? 
Regular pool maintenance is essential for healthy, efficient, and economical pool operation. For best results, experts recommend shocking your pool when these circumstances occur:

• Sun Down – You’ll want to shock your pool in the evening when the sun has gone down (with the pump on)' This gives your pool plenty of time during the night to free the chlorine and clean the water. In the morning, you should be able to enjoy your pool. If you shock your pool during the day, the sun’s UV rays will dissolve the chlorine.
• Party! – The big annual neighborhood pool party (actually, any party) will take its toll on your pool water. All those active bodies carry bacteria and the pool’s chlorine has a hard time keeping up. Free chlorine levels drop dramatically after times of heavy use, so bring it back up to normal levels by shocking your pool.
• Stormy Weather – Spring and summer bring periods of high winds and heavy rains. Combat the changes in your pool water by cleaning your pool and adding shock. This will remove contaminants and bring the pH levels up. You’ll want to reduce the water level to normal before adding shock.
• Long Sunny Days – Summer brings the perfect pool weather! But when the days are hot and sunny for long periods of time, the pool water chemistry can be affected. Your pool’s chlorine will combine with contaminants and bacteria and other dangerous organisms will grow as temperatures rise. Bring your water chemistry back into balance. Shock your pool to break up the combined chlorine and release it back to free chlorine.

How do I shock my pool?
Shocking your pool is a fairly simple process. Before you begin, uncover your pool, skim the pool, vacuum the sediment, and brush the walls, floor and coves. Before adding shock, you’ll want to protect yourself with the appropriate gear; which includes protective goggles, gloves, and work clothes.

• Check that the pH levels in your pool are balanced
• Ensure the pool pump is running. Prepare the shock according to the manufacturer's instructions and add it to the pool.
• Let the pump run for about 6 hours or more and test the water. Don’t use the pool right away – wait for the free chlorine levels to drop to 2 – 5 ppm before it is safe to swim.

When water tests okay, you are ready to go – dive right in!


If the free chlorine level is good, a non-chlorine shock or quick shock may be used. These types of shocks allow pool use in as little as 15 minutes. They are very effective at destroying combined chlorine and breaking down contaminants but do not kill algae or raise the free chlorine level.

poolife® TurboShock® Shock, 12x1lb. Bags

$55.00

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