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Thread: How much bleach to "Shock"?

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    Question How much bleach to "Shock"?

    I've been reading through the board, and answered many of my questions.
    So I now understand how pH, TA, Cholorine, CYA, etc are all related and how the different chemicals (i.e. Soda Ash, Baking Soda, Bleach, Muratic Acid, Borax) work.

    However, just not sure how much bleach I should add for the first time.

    Using Soda Ash I added 24oz yesterday and looked at my readings today, TA and pH are about 120 and 7.0.

    I know I need to raise pH a little but was not going to get it completely to 7.4 through Borax since I know that Bleach raises pH.

    I went to Walmart and bought the 'Ultra Bleach' generic brand that has 6% concentrations and added it to the pool (through skimmer..pump runing). It was a 1 1/2 gallon jug (96oz).

    I poured the entire jug..slowly. It didn't seem to make a dent in the Chlorine.

    I took a test about 1 hour later (pump was running entire time). And still registers FC 0.

    TA seems to be just about perfect now and pH is at approx. 7.0.

    Facts about the pool:
    20x40.
    Depth 3.5 - 8ft
    I'm guessing about 25K gallons

    It is a new pool filled mostly by a pool company that gets water from a quarry. I added some water from my well...probably about 2000-3000 gallons.

    Oh, lastly, there is a good amount of dirt (just plane backyard dirt) that I'm slowyly vacuming out. While the pool is not green, and water is pretty clear, the walls were a little "slimy"...so I' ve been brushing them.

    My questions:
    1. Is there a need to "Super Chlorinate" for first time?
    2. How much more bleach should I add?

    Thanks!
    Last edited by albertgarrido; 04-23-2006 at 02:23 PM.

  2. #2
    duraleigh Guest

    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Albert,

    You need CYA. Your pool is probably 30K +

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    Question Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    I'll have to buy it and add it, but in mean time, do I add more bleach?

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    xoroniox is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst xoroniox 0
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    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    After reading through here is what i think, if you water is clear than no need to add more bleach right now however you do need to bring your cya level up than add more bleach. because any bleach you add right now will help a bit but the sun will eat it all up so your fine if your water is clear just bring the cya up and add bleach, scrub the walls to get ride of the slimy stuff run the pump and youll be fine i believe.

    "I went to Walmart and bought the 'Ultra Bleach' generic brand that has 6% concentrations and added it to the pool (through skimmer..pump runing). It was a 1 1/2 gallon jug (96oz). "
    For future referance there are 32ounces per quart, 4 quarts in a gallon, 128ounces in a gallon, 8oz in a cup ect..

    As far as shocking the pool or superchlorinating, im not sure there is any need please correct me if im wrong. I have read many many times on here that adding more bleach wont hurt, meaning adding 4 gallons of bleach instead of 1 will not damage anything.
    I hope that helps
    -Arron

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    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Arron,

    Thanks! Will add the CYA and see where I'm at in few days! Can't wait for the Test Kit from Ben arrives....Ben? Sending yet?

    NOTE: I have young kids, but my mind hasn't gone that much...yet...I realize there are 128oz in Gallon :-)....just realized I wrote 96oz instead of 196oz. :-)

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    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Yes - you do need cya. But, in the meantime, you are going to have to maintain a chlorine reading or you will have a green pool. It will be a pain for a few days until your cya dissolves and you begin to get a cya reading because in the meantime, your chlorine is going to disappear pretty quickly - especially on sunny days. Nevertheless, you do need to maintain that chlorine level. It may require you to add quite a bit of bleach for the first few days. After you get a cya reading, you should just be able to dose with bleach in the evening. Remember, when adding cya, add it to the skimmer with the pump running and then don't test for it, add more or backwash for about a week to give it time to dissolve. Otherwise you may end up with more in there than you want. Hope this helps.

    Watermom

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    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Oh, lastly, there is a good amount of dirt (just plane backyard dirt) that I'm slowyly vacuming out. While the pool is not green, and water is pretty clear, the walls were a little "slimy"...so I' ve been brushing them.

    If your walls are a little "slimy", then you've already got an algae bloom starting, which is probably why you can't hold a chlorine residual. If that is indeed the case, then you need to keep adding the bleach until you get to 12-15 ppm Cl, and keep it there..........and don't wait until you have a CYA reading! The CYA can be added at the same time but since it takes several days to dissolve you're going to have to test your water and add enough bleach to bring the Cl back up to 12-15 daily until you can hold a residual.

    Janet

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    kevincad is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst kevincad 0
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    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Quote Originally Posted by albertgarrido
    Arron,

    Thanks! Will add the CYA and see where I'm at in few days! Can't wait for the Test Kit from Ben arrives....Ben? Sending yet?

    NOTE: I have young kids, but my mind hasn't gone that much...yet...I realize there are 128oz in Gallon :-)....just realized I wrote 96oz instead of 196oz. :-)
    One thing to remember, the granular CYA takes forever and a day to dissolve, so there is no sense in taking a CYA test until a few days have passed.

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    Tcap is offline ** No working email address ** Tcap 0
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    Cool Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Hi,
    I agree that the CYA takes *FOREVER* to dissolve! Does anyone know if water temp. effects the time it takes to dissolve. I'm a newbie to pools and our 20x40 liner rectangle went in late in the season. I'm up in NH and the cover is off, but the pool is COLD - about 51 when we first opened on Friday and down to about 47 now. I was showing no CYA so I started adding some and keeping my PH at 7.8 and Cl up in the 10 range. Water is clear, still have some vaccuming to do but I can't get the CYA to disolve. I must have some because the Cl is stabalizing. I have it in a mesh bag in the skimmer basket so I can tell what's there. I have a SWG and want to get that going by the end of the week, but wanted to make sure everything else is balanced first. I've been using bleach to shock and maintain the Cl level for now.

    Thanks!
    Tracy

  10. #10
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    Default Re: How much bleach to "Shock"?

    Yes, colder water will take longer.

    Michael

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