Cara's Pool School — shock

It is recommended to shock your pool weekly when there is regular use, to avoid any build-up of contaminants that could aid in promoting algae growth. During those times when the pool is not being used regularly, it is recommended to shock every 4 - 6 weeks, or after any potentially problematic event (heavy rains, dust storms, etc.).

Since there are several different shock treatments available, wait times before swimming can vary. For shock applications that utilize high chlorine treatments, it is recommended to wait until the tested Free Chlorine levels are at or below 5 ppm. If you're using a non-chlorine treatment to shock, swimming can usually resume in as little as 15 minutes.