Trichlor for shoking?

[walfred]

Hi, two weeks ago when I start using my first owned pool (12' above ground pool), my neighbour made me shock (that was his theory) the pool with two trichlor pucks, that was right or there is another way to do it?. I read the "HOW TO SHOCK YOUR POOL" section, but it doesn't explain which product can be used.

My pool looks great, I did vacuum and backwash last weekend, I just want to do a shock as a routine every 2 weeks, if this is not the procedure please guide me throw what is seems to be a really easy process.

Thanks,

Walfred.

 

[frogabog]

Trichlor pucks can not, and will not ever shock your pool. Trichlor pucks are slow to release chlorine, and are only useful for maintaining chlorine levels. They contain CYA, so at some point in the beginning of a pool's life they must be discontinued or risk a CYA level that is too high.

Shocking the pool is a process, not a one time event. It is also not necessary to shock your pool... actually ever if it's properly balanced and maintained. We use bleach or liquid chlorine to shock a pool, and we test the water with a FAS-DPD test (see my sig) so that shock level is maintained during the process. We also use bleach daily to maintain a chlorine level above the minimum based on CYA level.

I see you found Pool School, but only the shocking section. I suggest that you read Pool School in it's entirety, at least 2 if not 3 times. I did answer above about what product to use, but specifically the answer is bleach (6%) or liquid chlorine (12% - found at a pool store).

To shock your pool, and to maintain it daily you'll need a good test kit. Pool school has the information about why and how, and where to get a kit. As does mine and a number of other poster's sig lines.

 

[Richard320]

If you read Pool School and follow the recommendations, you may never have to "shock" your pool again.

Those of us with sparkling crystal clear pools test the pH and chlorine pretty much daily (at least until we know our pool intimately) and adjust it when it needs adjusting. We don't add anything it doesn't need - like the CYA stabilizer you've been adding via trichlor - and we only add what it needs. Which product depends on what we need. Pool School has an article entitled Recommended Pool Chemicals

Before you do anything else, get yourself a proper test kit. Not strips. Not the 2-way kit for $10 at the hardware store. Not even the one the pool store will tell you "does everything," because it will almost certainly not have the FAS-DPD test. There's a discussion in Pool School about test kits.

 

[walfred]

Definitely the pool store will suck the money from your wallet with crapy stuff, they sold me the strips that Richard mentioned!.

Well, I guess that I have to get the FAS-DPD test as soon as I can before I ruin my pool's water!

Thanks guys for the advice!

Walfred.