Updated October 2021

A clean pool is a safe pool. And the key to keeping your pool clean comes from a steady pool maintenance plan, which starts with “shocking the pool”. Welcome to PoolSS handy guide with all the explanations, tips and hacks to guarantee your pool stays fresh and ready for a smooth swimming experience: How To Shock A Swimming Pool.

 

Pool maintenance keeps your pool on permanent standby for those perfect swimming days. While maintaining a pool’s cleanliness sits at the top of the list for boring house chores, the satisfaction to luxuriating in crystal clear waters from the privacy of your own home on a sunshiny day is well worth it.

 

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Bunnings have excellent DIY advice with their article “How To Maintain Your Pool” – which can be read >here.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep It On The Regular

A regular pool maintenance plan means a pool always on standby for swimming, and includes

  • scooping leaves out of the pool
  • brushing pool surfaces
  • vacuuming the pool
  • testing pool water’s pH
  • checking water levels
  • balancing pool chemicals
  • adding chlorine
  • keeping filters and equipment running efficiently, and
  • shocking the pool

 

What Is Shocking The Pool?

“Shocking” refers to the process of adding chlorine or pool chemicals to the water to raise the “free chlorine” level and keep contaminants like microbes like bacteria and algae at bay. 

While chlorine keeps our pools clean, it is highly poisonous and harmful to human bodies big and small. Exposure to chlorine can result in skin irritation, rashes, dry and itchy eyes, tummy digestive issues and, if the chlorine is particularly vaporous, breathing problems. So keep a safe 24 hours after shocking before diving in.

Pools should be shocked each week and after heavy use (like a pool party) or heavy rain.

 

How To Shock The Pool

 

Preparation: Safety First & Equipment

As potentially dangerous chemicals are involved, the safety of your eyes, face and body comes first: wear protective clothing and equipment.

Protective Clothing List

  • enclosed footwear
  • adequate protective clothing such as long pants, long sleeve shirt and gloves
  • eye goggles

 

Equipment List 

  • water testing strips or liquid reagent testing kit
  • choice of pool shock
  • wooden stirring stick
  • 18L bucket 

 

Thunderbirds are go!

Step 1: Test

Conduct a FC Free Chlorine and TC Total Chlorine test to calculate your CC Combined Chlorine levels.  

  • Subtract the FC from the TC to find the CC               
    TC – FC = CC 
  • The CC result determines the amount of shock required by your pool
Step 2: Measure

Read and follow the manufacturer provided instructions to correctly measure the amount of shock required. 

Calculation for this process as a rule of thumb 

FC Free Chlorine
TC Total Chlorine
CC Combined Chlorine

  • Use your CC reading
    CC = TC – FC 
  • Multiply your CC by ten
    CC x 10
     
  • Subtract the FC from the product to find difference
    (CC x 10) – FC = D 
  • Find out how many grams of shock (MS) will affect a chemical change of 1ppm chlorine in 10,000L of water 
  • Divide your Total Water Volume by 10,000 to calculate the Divided Water Volume
    TWV / 10,000 = DWV 
  • Multiply the divided water volume by the mass of shock needed for chemical change by the Difference
    DWV x MS x D 


You now have the required amount of shock in grams. Divide by 1000 to calculate kilograms

Step 3: Mix

If your chosen shock treatment needs to be dissolved first, fill up your bucket three quarters of the way with warm water.

Add the shock to the bucket carefully, and slowly stir it in with your stick. 

If you do not need to dissolve your shock treatment, add the required amount of shock you will need, one at a time, until you reach breakpoint.

 

Step 4: Spread

Make sure any clumps at the bottom of your bucket are fully dissolved before emptying it into your pool. Walk around the pool and evenly pour the water-shock concoction around the pool’s edges for even distribution. 

Step 5: Swim. Shock. Repeat (Next Week)

Depending upon how much the pool was shocked, wait 24 – 48 hours before taking a dip. Then repeat the whole process again a week later, or after heavy use or rain.

Clearly shocking the pool also relies heavily on understanding Chlorine in its different forms. The PoolSS Beginner’s Guide To Chlorine breaks it all down, and can be read >here.  

 

When Should The Pool Be Shocked?

For best lasting results, these are the best times to shock your pool 

  • Sun down: pool shock in the evening once the sun has set, giving your pool plenty of time throughout the night to free the chlorine and clean the water. Shocking your pool during the day means the sun’s UV rays will dissolve the chlorine
  • Start of each season: Clean and shock your pool on the first day of spring, winter, autumn and summer. Algae and bacteria can grow over winter or during times of disuse.
  • Party! As fun as pool parties are, they do take a toll on the cleanliness and health of the pool water. Free chlorine levels drop dramatically after times of heavy use with active bacteria-carrying bodies.
  • Stormy weather: Spring and summer bring periods of heavy rains and high winds. Combat mother nature by cleaning your pool and adding shock to remove contaminants and bring the pH levels up. Reduce the water level to normal before adding shock. And if it is the season for wild weather, always make sure to store all loose equipment and toys safely.  
  • Sunny Days: Summer means perfect pool weather, but day after day of hot sunshine affects the pool water chemistry. The pool’s chlorine can combine with contaminants, with bacteria and other dangerous organisms flourishing in rising temperatures to turn it into a sludgy green
  • Weekly: Nobody likes the chores of pool maintenance, but a regular pool maintenance plan will maintain the crystal clearness and beauty of your pool.

 

While the pool shocking process requires preparation, protective wear and a calculator, it does guarantee a smooth swimming experience. Because a clean pool is a safe pool – and a lovely extension to our great outdoor lifestyle.

 

Happy Pool Shocking

 


 

PoolSS 10 Commandments To Shocking The Pool

  1. Safety first: protect face and eyes when shocking
  2. Wait to swim: never swim straight after
  3. Test levels. Religiously. 
  4. Shock when CC Combined Chlorine levels are at .5 or higher
  5. Always add shock to water – never add water to shock
  6. Always cast shock across the surface of the water; never add to a skimmer as it damages the equipment
  7. After shocking, brush and run the pump for at least 30 minutes after for even distribution
  8. Avoid Chloramine build up with non chlorine shocking or superchlorination
  9. Limit shocking to pH levels between 7.2 to 7.4
  10. Always throw away the empty shock bag once dried from rinsing in the pool – and never store leftover.

 


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