475 gallons, how much powder "Ultra Shock" to use??????

[Shannon84]

OMG, holy cow. Ok, wait. As I definitely appreciate the time you put into that reply PoolDoc, I am not looking to start a laboratory, nor spend any more money than I already have (recently divorced Mom of 3 and funds are limited . This is crazy lol. I just want to know what ONE powder or ONE liquid I can use to treat a 475 gal pool once a week to keep the water clear, and how much is a safe amount. Want to keep it that simple. I've already spent money on the Ultra Shock powder, can I or can I not use it at all?
WOW, what have I gotten myself into?? This is a $45 kid pool! LOL

[PoolDoc]

I just want to know what ONE powder or ONE liquid I can use to treat a 475 gal pool once a week to keep the water clear, and how much is a safe amount. Want to keep it that simple.

Yep. So do lots of people. And pool stores LOVE to sell folks that 'one perfect ingredient' -- though if you read the fine print, you'll find that they don't actually claim in any legal manner, to do what you want. That way, you can't sue. And, they can sell you ANOTHER 'one perfect ingredient', when the first doesn't work.

I'm gonna be frank: your problem is,
(a) it's HARDER to keep a 500 gallon pool safe and sanitary, than it is a 5,000 gallon pool, and
(b) the laws of chemistry, physics and biology won't re-write themselves just because you don't like their effect on your life.

Albert Einstein is reported to have claimed that when he explained things, he tried to make the explanation "as simple as possible, but no simpler!". We try very hard to make pool care as simple as possible. But, you want it to be SIMPLER than is possible.

No can do.

But, if you insist on keeping it "THAT" simple, add 1/2 cup of bleach every evening, and 1/4 cup every time someone swims, and drain the pool weekly. That may work out OK, and at least it will reduce the chance of someone getting sick. It's not really an adequate method, and if you have more than 2 or 3 people in there, it may not be safe. I wouldn't let MY family in your pool!

But, it will be safer than doing nothing.

Good luck!

[Shannon84]

That's what I was looking for, someone to tell me if it is simple or not to keep this pool clear by treating it. Then, I could make a more educated decision on whether to just empty it once or twice a week and refill or treat it. So far, cleaning and refilling looks like the safest way.
I certainly wasn't looking for any sciences to change their laws to suit my life (??), was just looking for answers to something that I was new at and needed guidance with, and asked a simple question about it being simple. When you're on your own with three little ones, you don't have half the day to spend on a pool, so you have to make sure you know the simplest way.
So refill, I WILL! I may try once to empty half of the water out that's in there now, add fresh water and a quarter of this bag of Ultra Shock powder. Keep it vaccumed and skimmed and add fresh water and the powder once-a-weekish. We'll see how it goes.
Thanks, Doc!

[PoolDoc]

I'm glad you found something helpful here.

I find it frustrating that puddle pools are sold without any hint about how difficult it can be to keep them clean and safe!

If you limit the number of swimmers, add bleach as described, and drain and refill regularly . . . you'll be MUCH safer than otherwise. I'm not sure about the UltraShock -- so many pool chemicals now are compounded from a chemical 'voodoo soup', that know one knows what's in them, and some ingredients used can cause real problems.

I'd encourage you to use the PLAIN 6% bleach, instead of some "UltraShock" with unknown ingredients. Because of the way 'shock' is labeled, it may NOT contain ANYTHING that kills germs effectively!