Can you shock a pool with regular bleach?

Using Bleach to Shock Your Pool

The level of sodium hypochlorite in bleach is between 5% and 6%, while chlorine is between 10% to 15%. What that means is that you would need twice the amount of bleach as normal chlorine.

Can I use regular bleach to shock my pool?

Using Bleach as a Shock

You need to use less of such products per volume than you do if you simply add chlorine, and if you opt for chlorine alone, you need more bleach than you do pool chlorine. Bleach contains the same chemical -- sodium hypochlorite -- as pool chlorine, but the concentrations are different.

Can you substitute bleach for pool shock?

6-8.5% for Clorox (bleach). Some Clorox products go as high as 8.5%. At a 12.5% concentrate, liquid pool shock is approximately 2x's stronger than Clorox bleach. The recommends 5 tablespoons of regular bleach per gallon of water to properly disinfect a surface.

Can you substitute bleach for chlorine in a pool?

Household bleach (the same as you use for your laundry) and pool chlorine are the same thing. They are identical in every way, with the exception of strength.

What can I use instead of pool shock?

Common unscented household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) works well to shock a pool.

Using Clorox Bleach in Your Swimming Pool

How much bleach does it take to shock a pool?

If you need to calculate how much bleach or Clorox you need to shock your pool, you will have to use 1/2 gallon of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the chlorine levels by 5 ppm.

Is Clorox bleach the same as pool chlorine?

In truth, bleach contains the same base chemical as pool chlorine. That chemical is, of course, chlorine, and the only major difference between the two products is the concentration strength. Pool chlorine typically contains some form of stabilizer, as well, though this is not a crucial factor.

Can you put bleach in a vinyl pool?

High concentrations of chlorine (above 1.5 ppm) will attack the liner and bleach it, thus damaging it. Any level below this range will weaken its ability to kill off bacteria.

How much bleach equals a bag of shock?

One pound of 65% Cal-Hypo is equivalent to 117 fluid ounces (0.91 gallons) of 8.25% bleach. One pound of non-chlorine shock (43% MPS) is "equivalent" to 36 fluid ounces (0.28 gallons) of 8.25% bleach, but non-chlorine shock is not the same as chlorine.

Can I use bleach to shock my above ground pool?

Bleach is safe and the only chemical you should be using in your pool unless cleaning pool tile with baking soda. So yes, you can use bleach to keep your pool water chemistry balanced.

Will bleach clear up green pool water?

You normally need 6 quarts of bleach per 10,000 gallons of water, so to kill algae, you might want to increase this to 8 quarts ( 2 gallons) per 10,000 gallons. If the pool water is very green and cloudy, consider doubling the basic dosage. Just remember to stay out of the water until the chlorine drops to safe levels.

How long after putting bleach in pool Can you swim?

Liquid chlorine — In general, it's a good idea to wait at least four hours after putting liquid chlorine in the pool. The size of your pool and the amount of chlorine added does play a factor in this, too. Once your levels reach 5 ppm or lower, you're ready to swim.

Can you mix shock and bleach?

While shocking and adding algaecide is effective in getting rid of algae, it should not be done together. This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM.

Can I use regular Clorox for my pool?

Household bleach, Clorox and liquid chlorine can all be used to sanitize a pool. They are all types of chlorine. Household bleaches such as Clorox usually contain about 5-6% available chlorine, about half that of pool liquid chlorine.

Can you put bleach in Intex pool?

Liquid chlorine, household bleach, and dichlor are the preferred choice of chlorine for an Intex swimming pool. These chlorines will minimize any potential damage to the pool liner, such as bleaching or weakening.

Does Clorox bleach have chlorine?

The Clorox Company makes its own sodium hypochlorite. It starts by buying commercial chlorine, which is prepared by passing an electric current through seawater to produce pure chlorine and sodium hydroxide. Clorox takes the chlorine it bought and bubbles the gas through a solution of water and sodium hydroxide.

Which is stronger bleach or chlorine?

Answer: It is true that pool chlorine is stronger than bleach. For bleach and water to be the same strength as pool chlorine and water, you would have to adjust the ratio, increasing the bleach and reducing the water. But no matter which chlorine you use, make sure to test a small area before doing the job.

What happens if you mix bleach with chlorine?

The combination produces chlorine gas, as in the chemical warfare agent. Chlorine gas causes coughing and will irritate mucous membranes. It causes chemical burns and can be deadly if concentrations are high enough or exposure is prolonged. Vinegar is not the only acid that produces chlorine gas when mixed with bleach.

Is there a difference between bleach and chlorine bleach?

The main difference between bleach and chlorine is their strength. Chlorine is much stronger than bleach. To get your pools chlorine level to the point it needs to be to keep the pool looking clean and bright; you will need to use more bleach than you will chlorine.

What can I use instead of chlorine tablets?

What can you use instead? Bromine — considered a safe substitute for chlorine. Looks for BCDMH tablets, which are typically 66% bromine and 27% chlorine. If unable to find, you can use just bromine but it may leave the water a dull green color.

What happens if you put too much shock in a pool?

Although, if you overdo the shock treatment, you risk getting green hair from chlorine due to the excess chlorine oxidizing the copper in the water. You can execute a shock treatment with a few different types of pool shock, just be mindful of how much you're using.

Does baking soda clear pool water?

Baking soda can work wonders in a pool. Baking soda can: Help to clear cloudy water and restore the sparkle. Spot-treat algae.

Can I make my own liquid chlorine?

Bleach is sodium hypochlorite and I was reading I can make my own bleach using a formula of 2 tablespoons of calcium hypochlorite (shock 70%) and 3 cups of water to make the concentrate. The add 8 drops of this concentrate to a gallon of water to create the standard 6% off the shelf bleach.