Chlorine Lock Treatment Method 3 - Non-Chlor Shock (Oxidization) - Non-Chlorine Shock, also called Non-Chlor, uses oxidation to break down contaminant compounds in your pool water. Oxidation is different from sanitation, whereas oxidation breaks down chemical compound sanitization to kill bacteria.
You will need to subtract the Free Chlorine (
FC) from the Total Chlorine (
TC) and multiply that by the
number of gallons in the Pool divided by 10,000, then multiply by 2.
How to calculate the amount of Non-Chlor Shock Needed:
(TC - FC) ✖ (Pool Size in Gallons ➗10,000 gal.) ✖ 2
The equation for our Pool:
(7 - 3) ✖ (20,000 gal. ➗10,000 gal.) ✖ 2
Becomes,
4 ✖ 2 ✖ 2 ＝16 pounds of Non-Chlor Shock
Click Here to View our Non-Chlorine Shock
.jpg?format=jpg&scale=both&mode=pad&anchor=middlecenter&width=300&height=250 "Image for Step 3")
Sethro Posted: 5/18/2022
I have a clear pool but my FC is 0 and TC is 3.0. PH, Alk and CYA all in good range. 17,000 gallon pool. The store print out recommended 6 lbs of regular shock, I was thinking oxidizing nonchlorine shock would be better. What do you think is best option?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/23/2022 Latest
Try the non-chlorine oxidizing shock first.Reply
Robert Posted: 5/17/2022
I could use some help. Persistent CC problem. 8500 gallon inground plaster fresh-water pool. Combined Chlorine: .72 ph: currently 7.8 (but I keep it between 7.2 and 7.6) Hardness: 295 Alkalinity: 60 CYA: 29 Copper: 0.3 Iron: 0.1 Phosphate 505 (currently, but it's been near-zero and hasn't mattered) I drained a third of the pool. No difference. I shocked with 1 gallon of Sodium Hypo (hi-concentrate). CC doubled. I then shocked with 3x the recommended dosage of non-chlor shock. CC doubled again. I run the filter 18 hours a day. What if I add chlorine eliminator? Would it remove all chlorine, and I could start from scratch? Many thanks for your thoughts.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/25/2022 Latest
Your alkalinity should be in the 80 - 120 ppm range; you list it at only 60. Is this a salt pool or traditional chlorine? The CYA range for traditional chlorine is 30 - 50 ppm, and salt is 60 - 80 ppm. Adding a chlorine exterminator will lower your chlorine levels, it won't help in this situation. Chlorine needs the pH, alkalinity, and CYA levels to be in check for chlorine to be efficient and effective.Reply
Wes Posted: 5/15/2022
18 years old 20,000 gallon Gunite pool in Maryland which I’ve been working with for about six years since I bought the property. Two years paying a pro. And the last 4 years opening closing and doing the chemicals myself. The first year was a bit of a disaster and the 2nd year at opening also as I learned. Last 2 also have a dophlin robot that gets everything off the bottom of the pool. Last year went pretty well without much or any combined chlorine, and this year it seems to be even going better as I open. But what I’m worried is that I’m missing something, I really didn’t shock my pool all that much last year, but using the tailor test, and doing it generally very regularly sometimes every day, combined with occasionally strips as a check in between, I seem to be able to maintain 1 to 4 ppm of free chlorine in my pool with little to no combined chlorine that ever registers. At most it registers at .1 of combined chlorine. I keep my CYA generally between 40 and 50, once you get it there you’ll leave it there, and I use liquid chlorine. PH is always in the range. The pool doesn’t have any funky smell and stays clear, but I’m told that I’m supposed to shock every week to break chlorine lock if you have combined chlorine. I know another website says you don’t have to shock often unless you have combined chlorine registering. My question is, do you think I’m really missing something, because when I add chlorine, free chlorine goes up as it should and it goes down over time especially when hot as it should and it registers on both the Taylor liquid tests and even the test strips indicator about the same, it doesn’t seem like it’s locked… my chlorine occasionally registers as I said very little combined chlorine but it just takes one drop (Of the agent) and it turns right back to clear indicating it’s .1 % or less… Is it possible that I’m able to actually run my pool without really generating combined chlorine pretty consistently? And would you advise shock?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/25/2022 Latest
It sounds like your pool is working just fine. Pool shock is not a requirement for a weekly chemical regimen: use it when you need it. Keep doing what you're doing; it's working.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 5/14/2022
Opened pool three days ago. Shocked three times and still green and cloudy. Stabilizer reading was a 5. Is this why the shock is not changing the free chlorine level. I don’t want to be wasting shock.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/25/2022 Latest
Yes, that's precisely why the chlorine is not working. By throwing shock into a pool with essentially no chlorine, you're throwing money down a well. Your pool chemistry needs to be balanced (pH, alkalinity, CYA) for chlorine to work effectively.Reply
Laura Posted: 5/13/2022
Our pool is clear but we are having a chlorine lock. We’ve been getting different suggestions from our local pool place but nothing seems to work. Free chlorine is .21, total chlorine is 2.45, ph 6.7, alkalinity is 84, calcium hardness is 140, cyanuric acid is 17, iron is 0.1, copper is 0.4, phosphates are 613, tds is 500 Thanks for any suggestions!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/23/2022 Latest
Your pH is too low, calcium is too low, and cyanuric acid is low. Chlorine is not independent of these results. The chlorine needs all of these other elements to work efficiently. The only real suggestion here is to balance your pool water. For the basics of pool chemistry and the correct ranges, look at this guide: How To Maintain A Swimming Pool Part 1 (Chemicals)Reply
Anonymous Posted: 5/9/2022
Like many others, I believe my pool has a chlorine lock problem. It is a 20 year old 10K gallon inground fiberglass pool. Total chlorine is 4.8, free chlorine is .3, pH is 7.3, total alkalinity is 115, calcium hardness 153, stabilizer 66. Water is hazy/cloudy. Local pool place suggested 9 lbs. of shock (Tidal Wave 73). This sounds like an extreme amount of shock. Do you agree that it needs that amount? Thanks for your helpReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/11/2022
We break down the math pretty simply in the article...Combined Chlorine = Total Chlorine (TC) - Free Chlorine (FC)4.8 - .3 = 4.5, Which is bad. How to calculate the amount of Non-Chlor Shock Needed: (TC - FC) ✖ (Pool Size in Gallons ➗10,000 gal.) ✖ 2 ... (4.8 - .3) ✖ (10,000 gal. ➗10,000 gal.) ✖ 2 = 9 pounds.Reply
Faye Posted: 4/27/2022
Can't get free chlorine to come up. Free is .74, Total is 5.48 (combined 4.74) per test at pool center. Advised to add 6 bags of non chlorine shock. Doesn't seem to be causing any change per my test strips.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/2/2022
Please post the full results of your latest water chemistry test. Chlorine does not operate in a vacuum. The other chemistry categories have an effect on how well chlorine can do its job.Reply
angela Posted: 3/22/2022
Help! My test stripes keep showing yellow for chlorine yet I have shocked the tub and added chlorine tablets. I think the tub is locked. The PH is low - barely orange. What shall I do? Shall I add something else to reduce it so I can start again? I really dont want to empty the pool and start again.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 3/22/2022
Unfortunately, those color ranges don't tell me much about the actual numerical value of the results. The color shades used in pool test strips are not uniform and vary from kit to kit. Please provide numerical values for the water chemistry you are referencing. You can also get a free water test printout from a local pool store, which you can then provide.Reply
Riccomic Posted: 9/9/2021
TC = 0 FC = 0 pH > 7.8 Alk > 180ppm What is the best route of treatment? Also, average ambient air temperature in our area is 100 degrees during summer (inland SoCal). Thanks!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/10/2021
What is your CYA level? Is your water hazy or turning green?Reply
rob Posted: 8/17/2021
I don,t see any chlorine granueles for sale ??Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/18/2021
There is a chlorine shortage due to damage to a major chlorine manufacturer's factory. A lot of distributors are out of tablets and stabilized forms of chlorine.Reply
Lungo Posted: 8/1/2021
FC = 12 ppm (too high) CC = 1.9 ppm TC = 13.9 ppm pH = 7.7 Cyanuric Acid = 68 ppm I need to bring free chlorine to 2-4ppm range, turned my salt cell all the way down, but free chlorine staying stubbornly highReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/3/2021
The two routes I would use are draining a portion of your pool, refilling with fresh water, or using a chlorine neutralizer to wrangle in the chlorine level.Reply
Lungo Posted: 8/3/2021
Thank youReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/4/2021
You're welcome! Glad to help.Reply
Wayne Copes Posted: 7/25/2021
Cloudy water and can't raise free chlorine level. Have followed advice of local pool store but problem persists. Current test strip measurements are Total Hardness 250-300, Total Chlorine 3-5, Free Chlorine 0.5, pH 7.0, Total Alkalinity 100, Cyanuric Acid 0. What would you do if this were your pool? Thanks for your suggestions.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 7/27/2021
No wonder there isn't any chlorine in your pool. You have cloudy water, low pH, and no stabilizer. You HAVE to balance those other categories before chlorine can efficiently clean your water. How to Balance Your Pool WaterYour local pool company should have told you that throwing chlorine into a pool with those numbers is useless.Reply
bill bixby Posted: 7/17/2021
just triple shocked our pool (cal hypo) last night hoping to raise free. total is 7 (from 3) free is 2 (from 1). so looks like chlorine lock. water is crystal clear, perfect. no signs of bacteria etc. run filter 12 hours a day. shocked it at dusk. est method to get thigs ack to normal? should i consider having water tested at local pool place? using the Remington copper solar shock device, would that e playing any role? pool near alot of trees\pants\dirt yet root cleaned 1-3 times a day, o visale dirt etc. thank you for your time.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/4/2021
What are the results of your latest water chemistry tests? In order to know what to fix, we have to know what is broken.Reply
Erin Posted: 7/8/2021
My pool looks like milky water. Have had water tested several times and adjusted chemicals accordingly. Could it be chlorine lock? Last pool test showed normal everything. Most frustrating pool season to date!!!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 7/14/2021
If you show normal free chlorine levels then you don't have chlorine lock. You may want to check you aren't mixing two or more chemicals that are causing the cloudiness. See this guide - Bad Pool Chemical CombinationsReply
Kris Posted: 7/2/2021
Our pool is crystal clear but we can't get the chlorine levels up after shocking or running the chlorinator in the max setting. I do see small spots of green algae but not significant. We have a DE filter and the pool is 22 year old, 30,000 gallon, gunnite pool. I've just cleaned the filter and re-shocked the pool with 4 bags of super-shock (chlorine) and still no luck. Our water test results are: Free Chlorine=.84 ppm, Total Chlorine=.84 ppm, pH=7.3, Hardness=306ppm, Alkalinity=80 ppm, Cyanuric Acid=92 ppm, Phosphate=1127 ppb. We are treating for Phosphates, which were at 1385 ppb.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/3/2021
Your cyanuric acid is way too high. If you have a traditional chlorine pool, it should be 30-60 ppm. CYA can hinder chlorine if it is out of balance. You need to drain a portion of your water to get it in to check. Shocking the pool will only go so far if the other water chemistry is out of whack.Reply
Darlene Posted: 6/16/2021
Pool was cloudy had water rested ,chlorine was high so I haven't put any chemicals in for a week let filter running steady and chlorine is still high but water is crystal clearReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 6/17/2021
If the water is clear and the chlorine is high, I would continue to wait for it to drop. Chlorine gets used up, usually rather quickly this time of year. What are your chlorine levels (free and combined chlorine)?Reply
Julianne Johnson Posted: 5/6/2021
Hello, I think I have chlorine lock as well. My total chlorine is 3 ppm and my free chlorine is reading 0 ppm. The CYA is 100ppm. The pool was in the exact same condition last fall when we closed it. We drained half of the water and the pool was full when we opened it this spring. We back washed and drained a third of the water. We then refilled it. Shocked it. We find ourselves in the exact same position. The water is cloudy, But it has only been a few days since we uncovered it. Any advice? It is a small fiberglass pool holding 8000 gallons.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/13/2021
I would shock it a time or two more and also use a heavy-duty flocculant to clear up that cloudiness. You may also want to try a fun little product like Pool First Aid which is a good catch-all product for these situations.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 8/25/2020
I have a 4,000 gal vinyl pool. Something weird is going on. Cya numbers dropped rapidly over the past two week. Had been up around 100 and they dropped to around 60. Brought the stabilizer back to around eighty and all the other numbers are fine but the pool week not seen to hold chlorine. I literally put in over a gallon of chlorine in to this little pool yesterday and I'm still getting a reading of zero or 0.5 on chlorine. Checked the numbers at the store too in case my test strips were bad, but they're not. I'm stumped. Any ideas? I'm wondering if chlorine lock would tend to give a reading of no chlorine or if you know of something that would drop cya numbers rapidly. Thanks!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/27/2020
What are your Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine numbers? Is your water clean, hazy, or milky looking?Reply
Dean Posted: 8/12/2020
I recently had an issue with green water, so I decided to shock the pool with liquid chlorine as per instructions for 19k gallon pool. The free & total chlorine came up to 8 over night & within 24 hours the pool was crystal clear. 3 weeks later the pool is still clear, but the free chlorine is 3 & total still 8 & I have added no additional chlorine since the shock. I live in Bali, Indonesia, sun shines every day & the pool gets the sun for at least 8 hours a day. What is my problemReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/1/2020
I suggest using some non-chlor shock to bring down your chloramines. Another option is a liquid shock. But your combined chlorine is so high because all that chlorine you added is getting used up.Reply