How Much Shock Do I Put In My Pool

An optimum chlorine level is a must to keep your pool water clean & germ-free. If there is not enough chlorine in your pool, algae, dirt, debris, and bacteria will nest in your swimming pool. And you don’t want to swim in a pool that is jam-packed with germs & bacteria. 

Unfortunately, the perfect level of chlorine fluctuates depending on the bather load and the dirt in the water. To bring back the optimal chlorine level, you should shock your swimming pool. But not every pool owner knows how to shock the pool properly.

That’s why they often ask this question- how much shock do I put in my pool? Don’t worry! We broke down the answer to this question below. So, keep scrolling. 

How Much Shock Do I Put In My Pool

right amount of pool shock

It depends on multiple variables like shock type and pool size. Granular and liquid are two types of pool shocks you can find in the market. Add one pound of granular per 10000-13500 gallons of water. On the other hand, it requires you to add 1-2 gallons of liquid shocks per 10000 gallons of water. 

It is important to use the exact minimum amount of chlorine to reach the desired concentration. For most cases, a level of 30 ppm of chlorine is required to reach the breakpoint chlorination needed to restore order in the pool.

Quick Reference for a 10000 water pool:

Pool Shock TypeIncrease by 10 ppm
Calcium Hypochlorite1.3 lbs
Sodium Hypochlorite3.5 qts
Lithium Hypochlorite2.5 lbs
Dichlor1.5 lbs
 Source: In The Swim Blog

However, the amount of granular and liquid shock you should add can vary depending on the concentrated strengths and the brand of the shock. 

So, it’s indispensable to calculate the pool volume that lets you know how much shock you need to chlorinate the pool. 

You can easily bring out the volume of your swimming pool by following the below formulas:

Length x Width x Average Depth x 7.5 (for Rectangular pool)

Long diameter x Short diameter x 5.9 (for Oval or Round pool)

To get the average depth of your pool, apply this formula- Shallow end + Deep end) / 2

Now, do the sum to know the volume of your pool. 

Once you get the pool volume, follow the direction on the package of the pool shock.

If you want to study further detailed processes about shocking a pool, check out this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much of Pool shock for 15,000 Gallon Pool

A 15,000-gallon pool requires 1.5 pounds of granular pool shock to disinfect the water. On the other hand, you should add 1.5 gallons of liquid shock to treat your swimming pool normally. However, it requires you to add 2.5 gallons of liquid pool shock for a deep dosage.

How Much of Pool Shock for 10000 Gallon Pool

We already discussed how much shock for a pool of 10000 gallons of water. Just add 1 pound of granular pool shock to sanitize your 10k gallon swimming pool. On the other hand, you need to pour 1-2 gallons of liquid shock per 10k gallons of water. 

How Pool shock for 1000 Gallon Pool

The general rule of thumb is to add a half-ounce of pool shock to disinfect a 500-gallon pool. So, you need to pour one ounce of pool shock to sanitize your 1000 gallons of swimming pool. 

Conclusion

The pool shock you will get (whether it’s liquid or granular) determines how much shock you should add. Luckily, you can find the applying procedure of the pool shock on its package. The direction on the bottle of the shock will let you know the amount of shock you need to pour. 

Generally, it requires you to add 1 pound of granular shock per 10k gallons of water. On the other hand, you should pour 1-2 gallons of liquid pool shock per 10k gallons of water. If you are still in confusion, call your local pool expert to help you in this case.

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