Shock Treatments For Your Pool

Shock Treatment

Shock. Shock treat. Shock treatment. All these terms mean the addition of chlorine to pool water in larger than normal amounts. Shock treating your pool is of the utmost importance because it protects you and your family from bacteria and organic contaminants.

A shock treatment adds 5.0 - 10.0 p.p.m. FAC. This concentrated blast helps prevent and correct most common pool water problems. You should shock your pool water while the pump and filter are in operation. After a shock treatment, check to make sure the FAC is 1.0 - 4.0 p.p.m. before entering the pool.

Choose the "Right" Shock Product
To give your pool the ultimate cleaning and to help ensure your family's safety and enjoyment, be sure to use a POOLIFE® calcium hypochlorite based shock treatment product. Using a superior calcium hypochlorite product such as POOLIFE TurboShock or Rapid Shock is the best way to be sure you're killing harmful bacteria.

When using these products they won't increase the water's stabilizer (cyanuric acid) level and won't corrode the equipment.   Do not use a shock product that is stabilized (i.e. contains cyanuric acid - read the label) It will increase the stabilizer level and can interfere with the effectiveness of the chlorine.

Always use a shock treatment product that controls algae and kills bacteria (read the label). Some products are promoted as shock treatment, but they're not sanitizers.  This means that a sanitizer must still be added to the pool to kill bacteria and to control algae.

When Should You Shock Treat? 
You need to shock your pool water when opening and closing your pool. 

You should also shock treat weekly during the pool season to kill bacteria, algae and other unsightly contaminants. We recommend shocking at the same time and on the same day each week. The optimum time to shock your pool is sundown. At this time of the day, the chlorine can work without fighting the sun's ultraviolet rays. Shocking after sundown also gives chlorine more time to restore the water clarity.

An additional shock treatment should be given when any of the following situations occur: