How to Shock Swimming Pools
Shock is a form of chlorine used to kill contaminates such as algae spores, bacteria and other living organisms. The pool water is shocked to refresh the available chlorine in the pool to keep the water clean. The chlorine level in the swimming pool must be between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million. If the chlorine level is low, you need to add shock to the water to bring the chlorine level into range. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Take a test strip from the kit. Take out the color chart. Dip the test strip in the water at least 18 inches deep in the water, at the deep end. Pull the strip out. Compare the color on the strip to the color chart. This tells you how low the chlorine level is in parts per million.
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Fill up a bucket with warm water in late evening. You always shock the pool water at night so the compound can work at cleaning the water before the hot sun causes it to dissipate.
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3
Measure out 10 oz. of calcium hypochlorite per every 5,000 gallons of water to raise the chlorine level 10 ppm. You can only add 1 lb. of product to the water at one time. If you need to add more than 1 lb. of product to raise the chlorine level, you will need to add 1 lb. at a time every six hours. For instance, if you need to raise the level 10 ppm in a 15,000-gallon pool, you would need to add 2 lbs. of product. You would add 1 lb. right away and 1 lb. at least six hours later.
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Pour the calcium hypochlorite in the bucket of warm water to dissolve. Never add the product directly to the pool water. Wait 10 to 15 minutes for the product to dissolve.
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Turn on the pool pump to filter. Pour the diluted mixture into the pool water, making sure not to get any mixture on the sides of the pool wall.
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Keep running the filter overnight. Do not allow any swimming in the pool for eight hours. The next day, test the chlorine level and add more product if needed. Check the pH and total alkalinity and adjust if needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Calcium hypochlorite will raise the pH. If you use this product, you must lower the pH the next day.
Using calcium hypochlorite is cheaper than using other products to raise the chlorine level. It will provide 65 percent available chlorine in the water.
