Cal Hypo Shock VS Other Swimming Pool Shocks

Cal Hypo Shock Vs. Other Shocks

Power Powder Plus

73% Calcium Hypochlorite

70% Minimum Available Chlorine

 

Cal Hypo

Easy to use

Strong

No CYA

Go with a trusted brand for the best results

Other Shocks

Not all Cal Hypo is created equal

Some are not fine powder

Non-chlorine (potassium monopersulfate) does not kill bacteria and viruses

Cal Hypo's strength is weaker than other brands at 54%

3” Tablets dissolve too slowly to shock a pool

Cal Hypo tablets dissolve too slowly to shock a pool

Liquid chlorine is a good choice but has a short shelf lifespan

Not as convient as cal hypo

Granular Trichlor can stain pool surface

Dichlor shock is good but adds CYA to the water

 

Cal Hypo is very popular, and there are several reasons why it is widely used in the industry. It is easy to carry and has different strengths of 54-73% with active chlorine up to 70%. However, Cal Hypo contains no Cyanuric Acid (CYA) and is ideal to use as a shock if you are using 3” Trichlor tablets in your pool.

One of the significant side effects is that it contains calcium, so over time, it will raise your pool’s calcium hardness. Adds seven ppm of calcium to the water for every ten ppm of chlorine.

It is not an issue if you live in an area with soft water, but I caution against its use in areas with hard water unless you drain the pool partially or have 20-3o inches of rain each season to dilute the pool water. It also has a high pH of around 12, so it will raise the pH in a pool if you use a significant amount each week. Pouring Cal Hypo directly in can also make the pool cloudy if it is not a fine Cal Hypo, and generally, the lower the percentage, the cloudier the pool will become. That is why purchasing 70%-73% Cal Hypo is important to avoid this issue.

Cal Hypo tablets are a good choice as well, such as the Pool Life brand or the CCH brand. You can add slow-dissolving tablets directly to the skimmer each week, and they will slowly release Cal Hypo into the water all week long. That is one advantage that Cal Hypo offers over liquid chlorine. The Cal Hypo tablets also contain no CYA.

Pros:

Powerful source of chlorine and easy-to-use

It does not contain a Cyanuric Acid, so it will not raise the pool’s CYA levels.

Cal Hypo Tablets dissolve slowly over a week and don’t raise the pool’s CYA level.

Safe for all pool surface types, but use caution with a vinyl liner and add through the skimmer only

Cons:

Raises the pH in a pool

Clouds up the pool water if poured directly in and using a low % brand

Can react to copper in the water and cause temporary black stains

Adds seven ppm of calcium to the water for every ten ppm of chlorine

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