shoehorny's Full Review: Blue Wave 6 X 1 Lb. Bags Blast Out Shock Ny399
Nothing quite beats a sparkling clean swimming pool in the heat of a hot summer day, except for a sparkling clean, safe swimming pool! To keep the water quality safe to swim in, it should be tested regularly to make sure the chlorine level is up. Chlorine is a chemical that dissolves in the pool water and attacks bacteria and other harmful germs that try to grow in the warm water. However, keeping the chlorine level up may not always be easy to do. If the pool receives a lot of heavy use, or if contaminants get dumped into the water (by brat kids that should know better!), or just by excess rain the pool water might need a little extra help. That's where shock treatment comes in.
Blue Wave makes a good shock treatment called "Blast Out Shock". It is basically a super concentrated chlorine powder, measured out in a one pound packet. To use, simply get a clean one gallon (or more) bucket, fill it with pool water, then carefully add the contents of the packet to the water. Stir it up until it completely dissolves, then carefully pour the contents back into the swimming pool. A couple of notes of caution: Do not breathe in the chlorine gas as you are working with this product! It can give you all sorts of health problems! Also, you should not pour the contents directly into the pool as it will almost certainly stain the pool bottom or anything it comes in contact with, until it dissolves. Also, you should not pour water into the shock, as this can cause the shock to splatter and get in your eyes and blind you!!!! Finally, it is a good idea not to go swimming in a pool that has recently received shock treatment for at least a few hours, to avoid coming in contact with the chemical and to avoid fading your nice swim suit!
I have used this Blue Wave brand before. The packets come in a bunch of 6 (this one) or greater quantities (I believe I saw a 20 pack). The company recommends shocking the pool once each week, but I think this is a bit excessive. You should monitor your water quality with a good test kit. If the test indicates your water is depleted of chlorine, shock it. If it shows a healthy amount of chlorine present, you should be okay to swim in the pool and there is no need to shock it. I would recommend always adding shock or chlorine at night - after everyone is done using the pool. The sun works against the chlorine, causing it to disipate quickly. If the chemical is added at night, it can attack the germs undaunted by the sun.
I have also used the hth brand of shock (both liquid and powder). All of them pretty much work the same - I have no preference or loyalty towards one brand over the other. So, whatever is on sale is good enough for me! I do prefer the powder over the liquid. I had a couple of bottles of liquid shop that somehow developed holes in them and the stuff made a big mess on me. It does not really make a difference to the pool water.
You can purchase Blue Wave Blast Out Shock at pool stores, and other stores and shops that sell quality pool products. As with almost everything else, you can also buy this via the internet at the various on line pool stores. I am not totally sure what the shelf life is of this product, however, I have a few packets that are a couple of years old (my small pool did not require much shocking). I have used these recently due to all the stinking rain we are having and they work fine! Thanks for reading my review and best wishes for a nice day!
BLUE WAVE SHOCK TREATMENTS These powerful 1 lb. bags are your secret to a successful season! Swimmers, rainfall, sunlight, and leaves deplete chlorine...More at Inyo Pool Products Inc
Shock the pool when:Combined Chlorine (also called Chloramines) levels are Above 0.3ppm, as determined by your DPD Test Kit, or your Nose and Eyes....More at POOLCENTER.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.