Sometimes to relax, have fun, or exercise, there is nothing better than jumping into a pool and going for a nice swim. Whether at a public pool or a private one in someone’s backyard or home, we all want to know that we are in water that is safe from harmful germs and bacteria. This is especially important when it comes to our children.
For pools, shocking is a technique used to clean and sanitize them. It is normally done by utilizing chlorine to attach itself to the bacteria and other unwanted compounds which in turn form chloramine. The “shocking” stage comes into play as the chloramine is transformed into gas and hence, the undesirable contaminants are forced to leave the body of pool water.
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4 Types of Pool Shock
There are four different types of pool shocks and they all work differently as it pertains to and for water purification. They are Calcium Hypochlorite, Lithium Hypochlorite, Di-Chlor, and Potassium peroxymonosulfate, which is non chlorine based.
- Calcium Hypochlorite is the most popular out of the four pool shock chemicals and also the most cost effective. It has a sixty- five percent chlorine content, requires a pre-dissolve (in a 5-gallon bucket of water), is better when added at night because it requires an eight hour wait time, and it graciously adds calcium to the water.
- Lithium Hypochlorite has a 35% chlorine content, does not require a pre-dissolve, and should also be added over night because the eight hour wait time is still recommended. Since it doesn’t contain any at all, this type of pool shock is commonly utilized in bodies of water that contain high levels of calcium and because of that is more expensive.
- Di-Chlor also known as Granular Chlorine can be poured directly into the pool water (no pre-dissolve) and contains 60% chlorine. Though one still has to wait 8 hours before swimming, it does contain a nifty little chlorine stabilizer called cyanuric acid which keeps the chlorine from being burned out of the water by the sun.
- Last but not least; for only a fifteen-minute wait time, containing no chlorine, with no pre-dissolve needed, and a solution that can be added to the pool water at any time, one would go with Potassium peroxymonosulfate. It can be used in Bromine pools as well as chlorine pools.
Best Pool Shocks on the Market
Now that we know the different types of pool shocks to use, the next logical step would be to move on to the best Pool Shocking products on the market to buy. To keep things simple and efficient, we’ll concentrate on the top four which will serve as “my best of” pool shock reviews. I’ll take into account the brand, quality, and effectiveness… I mean after all, for the money it takes to keep a pool sanitary on a regular basis, information like this is important and deserves a certain amount of detail.
Here’s what I think are the best pool shocks on the market today:
| Picture | Model | Weight | Our Rating |
 | In The Swim Chlorine Pool Shock | 24.5 pounds | 8/10 |
 | In The Swim Lithium Pool Shock | 25.8 pounds | 9/10 |
 | Nava Chlorinating Shock Treatment for Swimming Pools | 24 pounds | 10/10 |
 | In The Swim Chlorine-Free Pool Swimming Pool Shock | 25 pounds | 8/10 |
In The Swim Chlorine Pool Shock – 24 X 1 lb. bags
To kill algae for above ground pools, and many of the other models in which hygiene is important, the In The Swim Chlorine Pool Shock – 24 X 1 lb. bags are very effective. Not only does it hyper-chlorinate the water, but it does it at a fraction of the cost per pound compared to many of the other brands. When prompt action is required, it provides a quick chlorine boost, and really shows what a 68% Calcium Hypochlorite concentration can do as it pertains to fast acting oxidation.
In The Swim Lithium Pool Shock – 24 x 1 Pound Bags
The In The Swim Lithium Pool Shock – 24 X 1 lb. bags are fantastic for algae growth prevention, disinfecting, and killing bacteria while immediately dissolving, and not bleaching the liners nor clouding the water. And as a lot of us know, for vinyl liners, that saves us all a lot of money in replacement costs. The lithium hypochlorite and premium granular definitely work well together in packing a disinfecting punch that will guarantee satisfaction.
Also coming highly rated was the Nava 1-1301-24 24-Pack Chlorinating Shock Treatment for Swimming Pools which actually serves as a quick chlorine boost when the situation calls for preventative measures. Its quick dissolving, doesn’t require pre-mixing, eliminates algae spots, does not affect PH levels, and works great on fiberglass, vinyl or colored plaster surfaced pools.
In The Swim Chlorine-Free Pool Shock – 24 x 1 lb. bags
Lastly we have the In The Swim Chlorine-Free Pool Shock – 24 x 1 lb. bags. It is chlorine free, it gets rid of the used chlorine, and in essence, frees up the remaining chlorine already in the pool to do its job more efficiently, and can hence, be used more often than the others (hot tubs, bromine sanitized pools, etc.). It is made up of 45% Potassium Monopersulfate.
How to Shock a Pool
Now that we know what to use when it’s time to shock your pool, let us get into how to use them for the best pool shock results… *Of course this is for those who would like to save money and do it themselves instead of hiring a pricey pool cleaner.
- Firstly, never perform any kind of shocking treatment without wearing protective eyewear or gloves.
- Always shock at night. The chlorine operates best when not being burned off due to the sun’s heat.
- Never mix all the bags into one bucket, and keep in mind that shock should never be added directly to your skimmer.
- Oh, and you can also play any music of your choosing to make the time even that much more enjoyable.
Once ready, add 1 pound of shock to a 5-gallon bucket of water. Make sure the water is warm so the shock dissolves faster. Now, get a wooden stick and slowly stir in the shock until it dissolves completely. Then slowly pour the bucket of pre-dissolved shock into your pool making sure to go around covering as much of the water space as possible. Lastly, dip your bucket into the pool water, saturate the remaining undissolved shock at the bottom of the bucket, swish it around, and pour the remainder back into the pool. *Shock can be added every week to keep the pool clean.
If these steps are followed and the products that I listed are used, the pools should be clean and people should be able to swim and have fun without worrying about algae, bacterial infections, or other problems that come along with undesirable compounds floating in the water. The steps are pretty straight forward and as long as one remembers that safety comes first, the pool chlorine shock process, and non-chlorine shocking is fairly simple. The Calcium Hypochlorite, Lithium Hypochlorite, DiChlor, or Potassium peroxymonosulfate based products is all that one would require, along with the 5-gallon bucket, clothing you don’t mind getting bleached, your protective gear, and a wooden stick. Come to think of it… I can actually hear all of the money you are saving right now as it drops back into your piggy bank.
Conclusion
So to answer the question “What is the best pool shock to buy?” You really can’t go wrong with any of those four when it comes down to choosing the best pool shock treatment to use. These pool cleaners even work wonders for pool openings of the public variety, for salt water pools… you name it, they can clean it. In closing, I hope you found this article informative as well as a good read. Swim safely and enjoy having a clean pool.
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For additional information on pool related topics such as:
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