A swimming pool shock is when you throw large amounts of chlorine, such as four to five times more than normal, or other chemicals into your pool to kill bacteria and algae. Most pool experts suggest that you do a pool shock at least once a month for a swimming pool and twice a month for a spa or hot tub. Some say that you should do it once a week.
How to do a Swimming Pool Shock
First you will need to make sure there are no people, toys or clothing in the pool. Then take a five gallon bucket and fill it with water. Remember, you have to add the water first and the chemicals after. After you have filled up your bucket add the desired chemicals such as algaecide or chlorine to the bucket. Stir the water and then let it agitate for a minute so that the chemicals can dissolve. The next step is to pour the bucket of chemical water into the pool. Pour the water into the pool slowly to reduce splashing as much as possible. Make sure the pools filtration system is running as you pour the solution in. Do not spill the water on yourself or on your clothing. Spilling it can cause stains or injury depending on what it lands on. Pour as close to the water’s surface as possible. When you have finished emptying, fill the bucket up with water again. Do not add more chemicals to the water. Stir the water and chemicals together making sure you get the residue of the bottom. It’s a good idea to do this at night so that the chemicals are not affected by UV rays. You might not want to use your pool for a little while following the pool shock.
Why You Need to Shock Your Pool
There are a few reasons to do a pool shock. You ought to do it fairly often just to keep your pool clean. Other reasons would include if you have a major algae problem in your pool you would have to do a pool shock in order to kill the algae. You should probably do a pool shock after having not used the pool for a while, such as if you live somewhere that gets cold in the winter and close up the pool for the winter. You can also do a shock to sanitize your pool and remove any bacteria that might have grown while it was not in use.
