Bleach = Shock = Chlorine?

[mikeydiker]

I understand that bleach is to be used instead of chlorine to save money. What the poolstore sells as shock, is that just bleach? If so, is it at a higher consentrate?
So does it come out about the same $ as bleach at $1 per gal.
To open the pool in spring, should I use "shock" from the pool store, or just buy extra strength bleach?

Thanks
Mike

[mwsmith2]

"Shock" is not really a "thing" but more of a process. It's just superchlorination. You can shock with anything that releases chlorine. Normal Cl levels are 2 - 4 ppm, shock levels are in the 15 ppm range. That's all shocking is.

Michael

[gonefishin]

Bleach is chlorine.


To "shock" a pool just means that you bring the chlorine up to shock levels.

Take a look at The Best Guess CYA Chart. This chart will help you get an idea of what maintanence level you should keep your chlorine at...and what shock levels have to be at according to your specific CYA levels.

Do you have a full set of test results?

Where did you get the results from? did you use a kit? what one?


dan

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

As a follow-up, the pool store sells all sorts of 'shocks' that are not chlorine based. However, they aren't necessary and bleach can be used in place of those. And FYI... bleach = sodium hypo which is a type of chlorine, it's not that bleach is used in place of chlorine. Also, it is not the strength of these products that matter, you don't need to use Ultra bleach to shock. Shocking as Michael said is simply super-chlorinating which means bringing the parts per million of chlorine from 3-6ppm to 15+ppm (depends on CYA levels, etc).

[aquarium]

There may be some confusion about all the products called "Shock" but I just saw a gallon of 10% bleach at the pool store and it too is called "Shock". But at $4 a gallon it's a bad deal compared to $2.40 for a gallon and a half for the 6% ultra-bleach.

The bleach calculator indicates 19 ounces to raise my 15,000 gallon pool by 1ppm using the 10%, and 24 ounces using the 6%. It works out to 58 cents a dose for the 10% and 33 cents a dose for the 6%. Assuming I did the math right...