What Does Shock Do To The Pool?

If it’s warm and sunny out, you can have a full-blown algae infestation in a few hours.  The good news is it is easy to manage and prevent by shocking your pool.

Q: What does shock do to the pool?

A: Shocking a pool raises the chlorine level in the water to kill bacteria, algae, and other contaminants: 

• Destroys contaminants
• Removes Chloramines
• It provides a deeper clean

Destroys contaminants

Shock treatments kill bacteria, algae, and other harmful pathogens. They also break down waste products from sanitizers. 

Removes chloramines

Shock removes combined chlorine molecules, also known as chloramines.

It provides a deeper clean

Shock treatments provide a deeper clean than regular maintenance. 

When to shock your pool

Shocking a pool is usually done when the pool is opened, during heavy usage (pool parties and summer holidays), or if the water is green. The typical chlorine level in a pool is 2–3 parts per million (ppm), but when shocking, you should raise it to over 10 ppm. 

Forms of shock

Shock can come in liquid or granular form and can be made from chlorine or non-chlorine chemicals. When shocking your pool, you should:

• Use proper protective equipment and good ventilation.
• Shock early in the morning or the evening before sunset.
• Avoid using the pool for at least 24 hours after shocking.
• If you need to shock your pool too often, you can try alternatives like UV light sanitizers or copper ionization treatments. 

Shock Products we recommend

Need help to shock your pool?

If you need some advice or help to shock your pool we can help. We also provide seasonal pool servicing to help you maintain your pool all year round. Contact us today to see how we can help you treat your pool.