20 Best Shock For Vinyl Pools (2023 Updated)

I have had no success with powder shock. Liquid chlorine is more concentrated and far less expensive. One gallon lasts me 3-5 days and is $5-10 while one bag of shock doesnt even last a day and is roughly $5-8 a bag.

For me liquid chlorine is priced best at a local pool store.

This stuff is the only thing that keeps my hot tub dialed in and I use so much less chlorine with this. It really burns out the old and brings back to life the chlorine in there. Finally the key to easy perfect water.

My first small bad lasted forever. Was able to reorder online since no store in Colorado carries in the winter. Really like this stuff.

I love this particular pool shock because, it’s vinyl pool shock and my vinyl above ground pool is protected when I use my shock! What u get: You get six, One pound bags of vinyl pool shock. First impressions: Reallyyy great first impressions! this particular pool shock is specifically made for vinyl pools like mine! i literally could not be happier than to be able to throw ONE bag of this stuff in my pool and it lasts 2 weeks! With all the kids and myself swimming in it almost daily!.

couldn’t ask for anything more for this price! (@ the time of this review the 6lb box of vinyl pool shock was like 30$) Take a look at my photos and videos for yourself!.

This product used to come in bottles which was convenient for storage. For my above ground intex, it would take half the bottle a week to keep algae from growing. I never added floating tablets or anything else to my pool.

It would stay clear and algae free by just adding the bottle. If i forgot to add the bottle and algae would start growing, then it would take a full bottle to kill it. Now i can’t find the bottle in stores or online anymore and all I see is this bag which appears to be the same thing? I should have paid attention more to ingredients in the bottle to compare.

But this bag stuff doesn’t work for my pool. When I ran out of the bottle, algae started growing when I tried other products. I found this bag and figured it was the same and used a full bag to kill off the algae, swept, ran filter, and it didn’t work.

Added another bag about 2 days later, same results. So I just vacuumed anyway and scrubbed and vacuumed again and when my pool was clean, I added a whole bag of this, thinking it might only prevent algae from growing and it didn’t.

Algae is back. PLEASE BRING BACK THE BOTTLE STUFF!!!.

I have recently used a series of HTH Pool Care products. I have used the Shock, the Advanced Shock, the Algae Guard 10, the pH Down and the Phosphate Remover. My family and I spent a big part of the summer at camp, and allowed our 30ft round above ground pool to turn a very green, swampy, algae filled pool.

Upon using the above mentioned products, our pool is now crystal clear. I will say, make sure you read the directions fully and carefully. The shock, in my opinion, is much stronger than any other shock I’ve used.

It works phenomenally, but the smell is strong and sometimes it’s a little harsh on my skin when I’m mixing it. The algae guard is by far my favorite, because it worked so much quicker than the leading brands! A lot of people say that is “foams” but I did not have this issue whatsoever.

I highly recommend HTH Pool Care products. They are effective, and very cost efficient compared to leading brands. I will definitely purchase in the future.

I have the Latham 16′ x 35′ Olympia saltwater pool that is around 15,250 gallons. First, I like that this shock is safe for saltwater. Second, I typically start with 1 packet of this shock as 2 packets is sometimes overkill.

The water in my pool is typically pretty clear, but when I start to see any type of speckle in the water, I first use a package of this shock to clear things up and to be honest, I’ve never had to use a second package.

This shock has always done the trick. I also typically take a water sample into my local pool care company to have it tested. It’s good to note that before shocking the pool, testing pH and chlorine levels should done.

Also, I tend to shock at the end of the day so the sun doesn’t burn off the chlorine. By the morning, the pool is ready to safely use again. Lastly, the 1lb bags make the shock easy to handle. Pre-measured chemicals are always a plus as well!.

The HTH Shock Advanced 1lb packs are a great shock to keep your pool clear and ready for use all year. One package of shock spread around the pool once a week is all it takes. The granules dissolve as desired without leaving any sitting on the bottom of the pool if it is evenly spread.

One package should cover approximately 13,000 gallons. However, one per week keeps my 18,000 gallon pool along with tablets keeps it clear with minimal effort. You will want to test your water and make sure you are balanced before using as a weekly treatment as initial treatments may require more than one bag.

Overall, a good quality shock that will keep weekly maintenance simple.

I have been using this product in my 10,000 gallon inground pool for the past three years. One bag per week with a cup of Pool Perfect and I have NOT had to ANY other chemicals including chlorine pucks to the pool.

Each week I am amazed when I get the water tested and they tell me ‘all is perfect’. Highly recommend the product!.

I bought some shock a boutique a week or two ago because my pool was all foggy. I wasn’t sure what type to get so I asked someone’s opinion and they suggested this. It worked great. I just through one bag in and it clear up my pool and helped with some other issues I was having.

It worked great.

This stuff stuff is incredible. I work long hours al week wile trying to keep the pool clean for the family, before this nothing helped. Then the light shown through. Once a week apply and your worries are gone.

Thank you so much for this product.

After weeks of dreary gloomy rainy weather my pool turned 50 shades of green- ugh. Not shocking weekly as recommended, not even keeping chlorine tabs in the floater because I just didn’t care since we weren’t able to swim anyway, big summer bummer set in.

Finally the sun appeared and everyone wants to dip their toes again so in went the HTH Shock Advanced (following the instructions on the package) with fingers crossed and swimsuits ready. Our pool is about 6,000 gallons and normally I shock weekly with half a packet recommended for 10,000 gallons but last evening an entire packet was gently sprinkled across the green stinky water with the filter running.

There IS a very strong chlorine fume at first so be sure not to take a big whiff or stand directly over the treated water very long. With sweet dreams of sparkling clear water we went to sleep hoping for the best and not really expecting to swim today BUT SURPRISE our water is clear!! Chlorine level was right at 4ppm so we waited until afternoon to jump in.

So excited to enjoy what’s left of summer in our pool, I really thought it would just get drained and taken down but HTH saved the day!! I’ve always trusted and used HTH chemicals in our pools, since childhood actually, but this was the first time I’ve dealt with the aqua/green mess.

which in a way should tell you something – 40+ years of HTH caring for our pools and no green.

Bought 50lb PAIL of ALKALINITY last year worked as it should, ALKALINITY increased and the PH did not increase much at all. This year bought 50lb BAG, of ALKALINITY increaser, It is not the same as what comes in the pail, the Ph went from 7.

0 to 8. 2, super high, the ALKALINITY went up only from10 to 40ppm. Now I have to throw in PH decrease which will also lower the ALKALINITY. Look at the price difference between the 50lb pail and the 50lb bag which is $27.

00 it does not make any sense the plastic bucket costs $27. 00 more than a bag. I do not believe “In The Swim” knows what is in the pail and what is in the bag, if they did they would not sell the bag.

As final notes, the so called ALKALINITY increaser bag is marked “Industrial Sodium Bicarbonate” which as everybody knows is a great PH increaser. Save money on the bag, spend more on acid, you can not balance the water with this stuff.

A chat with “In The Swim” Meryll Joyce C says the cost of the container is the difference. Believe that if you want.

i’m confused. in 18 months or so they’ve gone from $100 (plus handling!) for 50lbs to $100 for 10lbs. and you can still buy 50lbs for $259. the same 10lbs deal would be $500. i’m baffled by the math.

must be that ‘new math’. it’s almost as if someone is preying on the math incapable. i do agree that they are a great way to chlorinate your pool. i’ve used them for years now. just dismayed at the price these days.

i get it, there is/was a shortage. but more than double the price in 18 months? we need a split star rating; 1 star for the pricing. 5 stars for the product functionality.

this shock is trash! i used 18 bags in 3 weeks after my pool turned green which it never does! zero free chlorine every test! pool looked like swamp water! contacted customer service who tried to sell me more product.

2 bags of hth shock later my pool was clear in less than 24 hours and correct free chlorine range! now im stuck with 2 cases of this junk!.

Good alternative for supplementing pool shock treatment for a smaller pool (about 59 grams per 1300 gallons, or ~4 tablespoons). I’m not comfortable as of yet completely switching over to potassium peroxymonosulfate (chlorine-free) shock.

So I’ll probably need 1. 3 cup Clorox (or ~312 ml) per 1300 gallons to ensure there’s no algae, because chlorine’s the best algicide I’ve found.

These arrived with the box popped open, bags inside were flattened, and chlorine had been leaking out for a while. I had no idea that a trail of chlorine went from the front door to the pool area. These packets (2 orders of 12) were in a single box, no liner, and when other things were piled on top in shipping, they ruptured.

Sloppy packing caused at least 6 packets to burst and the broken box allowed them to leak out. When I complained I was told I must take pictures of the mess. By then this mess was cleaned up. NO, they KNOW how badly this was packed, they have to accept that this is their failure.

I will not order from this source again, nor would I recommend anyone else to get this. When I ordered this from ANOTHER SOURCE they were DOUBLE bagged and placed in another bag in the box. They survived shipment.

THESE DID NOT!!! LEARN from your sloppy mistakes and do a better job in packing. It will pay off.

I’ve used this product for years. Its a good product. I just got an e-mail from Leslies saying there’s something wrong with the packaging, and to “do NOT handle, open pail, or return the product to the store.

” It does give two phone numbers to call — one from the manufacturer and one from Leslies for more information, which I’ll be calling as soon as they are open. In the mean time, has anyone called them or have any clue what the problem is? It would have been really nice had the e-mail given some indication what the problem is.

Now I’m scared to even touch the pail.

I literally bought 100 lbs of this shock for $253.00 last year. Now it’s $780.00!?!? That’s 3x what I paid last year and that’s assuming I could buy 100#. This is BS. FJB.

The tablets are in individual plastic bags one has to cut open to get to the tablets. Makes it difficult and messy to use quickly. An some of the tablets are broken.

Product works but algicide has too much copper . Copper can be damaging to piping. Would prefer a non copper algicide

I can let you know how well it worked in the Spring of 2022!

KEPT MY POOL CLEAR LEFT FOR 10 DAYS CAME BACK AND POOL WAS A LITTLE DIRTY BUT WATER WAS STILL CLEAR NO GREEN PRETTY BLUE SKY REAL NICE,WISHED I FOUND YOU GUYS 10 YEARS AGO.

I started using this shock and noticed dark discoloration on walls and pool floor. These stains cannot be removed.

Bought this when we got our first pool this summer and it is amazing at cleaning up the water. Got rid of the icky green algae in about 24 hours! Would definitely recommend hth products to my friends and family 🙂 We will only be purchasing hth products in the future!.

Can this be used with a salt chlorinator to boost levels and shock pool?

So from reading the reviews from previous buyers I decided to take a chance and buy this product. I normally buy my pool supplies from a well known pool store for about 6 dollars a bag of shock so I figured a 20 something dollar 6 pack was something to be a little skeptical about, but I said what the heck if it works I could save tons of money during the summer.

I followed the instructions and brushed along the sides and bottom of my pool as well as made sure the pH and all levels were good before adding the product. I have a pretty decent size pool so by the directions I need 3 bottles to sanitize my pool.

I waited about an hour after adding it to my pool to see if anything changed and nothing so I decided to wait over night as it might take some time. again nothing. I brushed everything once more and added the final 3 bottles of my pack and again followed the directions and get again nothing.

I feel that i wasted my money with this product and saw no change in my pool. I went ahead and decided to go back to the more expensive alternative and with the application of that product to my pool within minutes saw a huge difference.

We just put in a fiberglass pool this summer while waiting 2 months for the pool company to come do their “pool school” (and bring start up chemicals) – I just tried using stuff from WalMart. I started out with the HTH stuff and the shock never seemed to fully dissolve and the tablets were soft, gooey & fell apart.

Then I decided to try this Xtra Blue Clorox and it was awesome. The shock dissolved quickly and the tablets slowly melted, not fell apart. The bottles are so easy to use (no cutting) and the table packets open with a slight tug – love it.

I have not tried any of the expensive Pool store stuff because so far the pool has stayed clear and gorgeous – so why pay more. Note: Before our landscape was completed, I had to clean tons of sand & dirt out of my dark blue pool (looked like a lake, not pool) 3 different times and this stuff made it easy to go from lagoon to pool in less than 2 days.

I just reviewed the Clorox chlorine so I thought I should review the shock as well. I have struggled every year trying to find a product to keep our pool from turning green. This year I found the Clorox products so I figured I would try it.

I have kept the floating dispenser full with the Clorox chlorine tablets and to not take any chances, once a week or so I put in about half a bottle of the shock. (The bottles with a top make it easy to only use part of it.

) So far, for the first time ever our pool hasn’t turned green. I don’t know if its the tablets or the shock or a combination but our pool has been sparkling clear all summer. We have had a lot of rain and not a lot of pool use but the pool looks great.

When I notice a little dirt showing I just brush the bottom of the pool and its perfect. Love the Clorox products.

Best shock product I have found. Dissolves completely – no messy residue on the pool bottom. Keeps water clear and free chlorine levels in balance. Also works well to bring pool back into condition if you have to leave it unattended for more than a few days.

I dissolve a pack of the ClearView into a bucket and dump it into the deep end. I then run the filter over night. I do this once a week and It keeps my pool crystal clear.

Price is way up, unknown reason,perhaps Covid or bec of fire at chlorine manufacturer in Louisiana. I would appreciate knowing why

I use smart shock and backup every sunday. I have never had a cloudy or bad water day in 6 years simply using the bioguard step program. Also use one silkguard tab in the skimmer so chlorine doesnt go crazy.

Only run pool pump 12 hrs a day too.

I am a busy person. I need quick and easy pool maintenance. I have had a pool for the last 10 years and do not hire a service to clean/manage my pool. It is easy when you use bioguard products. After opening my pool in the spring, testing it, and then balancing for chemical deficiency – I found I no longer need to test each week.

I simply do the 3 step bioguard process/chemicals and clean my pool. I rarely need to add or balance the water all season. The product is quality. It does not stain. It easily dissolves. In the past I tried the off brand and was disappointed with a cloudy pool or un dissolved product, etc.

Let’s face it, no one wants the worry of having guests over and the chemicals are too harsh for the kids. My pool glistens – and it is easy to maintain.

I live in South Florida and have used BioGuard products for the last 35 years. It usually cost more than other swimming pool products but I have found out the hard way, that it is worth every penny. I have been using Smart Shock since it first came on the market and I am super pleased with it’s effectiveness at removing any and all types of algae and how a person can go swimming about a half hour after application.

You can’t go wrong using this product in an in-ground swimming pool.

Finally, some good quality chlorine tabs that don’t immediately dissolve in a day. This is a good brand. I tried the Clorox tabs and went through 25 lb of product in just 2 months. Just garbage! These seem really well made and are individually wrapped.

Wish they were cheaper but with Covid, everything seems to have gone up in price.

I have purchased from Doheny’s for several years now. I find their products to be very good quality, and, depending upon where you purchase them, a good value (they are sold on elsewhere of course and on Doheny’s own website, so one might have a cheaper price, free shipping, etc.

). The chlorine tabs are exactly as described and the product is as good or better than many others I have used as a pool owner for 22 years. Highly recommended.

This product cleared my pool of green algae quickly. Application weny smoothly as it dissolved well upon dispersing and then brushing the pool.

Great price, easy to use and works great.

need pool shock, last minute. stopped in, asked, received and checked out. clean & smooth!

keeps my pool looking like new

I only gave 2 stars because now I have the problem of my water turning green for 24 hours every time I add chlorine. It’s always blue again the next day but shows 0 chlorine. I’ve had this pool for 21 years and never had chlorine turn the water green until I used this product.

I have no idea how to fix this problem. I bought and used this a month ago but neglected to read all the instructions beforehand. I have a cartridge filter without the ability to vacuum to waste which is extremely important when using this product and should be in bold print on the front label.

It did clear the water and drop all the debris to the bottom of the pool but getting it vacuumed out with the cartridges was a pain. It took a lot of vacuuming and cleaning of the filter daily over a week.

I may have ruined the cartridges but that’s my fault for not reading everything first. I would only recommend this to someone with the abilty to vacuum to waste.

Super Green to Blue shock system works great! These prepackaged pouches makes it much more convieniet to clean pool. My pool was starting to get slime and alge and it was very frustrating as I had just filled my pool up from the same issue and within a couple days it was starting to do the same.

I used this product step by step and this product fixed my issue. I was able to clean out debris with pool vacuum and the smell of water smelled clean and fresh again. This product most definitely worked within 24 hours.

There was no shock left in pool in the morning it had fully dissolved. My kids are very excited to swim again and pool looks crystal clear again so I will not need to refill my pool. The box is very easy to store and love the individual packages in box makes this product less messy to use.

I also like this product is compatible with salt systems as I was looking into updated my filtration system. I will say the aroma of this chemical is very strong but it works perfectly. I would recommend this product to others easy to use, works within 24 hours and is convieniet to vacuum debris.

This product is amazing! Let me first say, this product’s manufacturer’s guidelines state that it’s NOT to be used with a cartridge filter pump!!!!! With that being said, I have a cartridge filter pump and didn’t know that before I started mixing the product into my pool.

Here’s my story lol My pool is only 5,000 gallons, so after reading dosage information, I only used half of what came in the box. Two of the step 1 packets and one of the step 2 packets. Wednesday evening, I mixed the chemicals into my pool, let the pump run for an hour or so and then turned it off as directed.

Thursday morning, it looked clear and a good amount of debris was at the bottom of the pool. However, the weather was bad and I waited until Friday to start the cleaning and vacuuming process. Again, keep in mind I did not have a vacuum system connected to my pump.

Instead, I tried using a handheld rechargeable vacuum. This did not work and basically just stirred up the floculant and debris because it’s too fine to catch in the mesh basket inside my vacuum. At this point, I called HTH customer service because I was frustrated and didn’t know what to do.

They’re customer service is great and probably the most helpful phone call I’ve ever had when dealing with any company’s customer service line. With that being said, she answered all of my questions, as I’m a first time pool owner.

And she also explained that this product is not meant to be used with a cartridge filter pump. However, she didn’t necessarily give me a specific reason other than it just doesn’t work as a proper vacuuming system.

Now with all this being said, now I only had 2 options. drain the pool and start over OR try to use a wet/dry Shop Vac to remove everything that had collected at the bottom of the pool. I tried the Shop Vac and it worked!!!! Granted, it still was a 2 day process.

On Saturday, I went over and vacuumed the whole pool and got ALOT of it out. But this still caused some “stirring” and I had to vacuum again on Sunday but not as intense. The trick to using the Shop Vac is to be as slow and still as possible.

The less u disturb or stir up the floculant and debris, the easier it is to vacuum up and the more you’ll actually pick up as u go. As I stated earlier in my novel here, I only used half of what came in the box.

Now that I know what I know, would I still use this product again if my pool turns green???? Yes.

We’ve used poolife shock since we had our pool built (4th summer). They’ve always worked great. Drop a bag or two in when the chlorine level needed a boost or just to shock the water routinely. Because of this pandemic we ran out of our last years supplies we purchased from the pool store order this 24 set.

Unfortunately, We are not getting the same result from these. Drop a bag ***. no chlorine elevation. Dropped another bag ***. still nothing. Maybe it’s still sanitizing the pool but it does nothing for the chlorine level.

Not sure what’s going on. $100 down the drain and now I’ll have to find some locally ASAP.

Do not buy this product. It doesn’t dissolve, just sits at the bottom of our pool and clouds up the water. We’ve been vacuuming it up weekly thinking it was algae dust. But did a test in a pail of water and shock.

Sure enough, no dissolving and debris at bottom of pail. Waiting on DiscoverMyStore for a resolution.

I normally start the season off with product from sams. I’ve learned after a few months use algae is inevitable. This product does the trick every time to solve issue aforementioned. I’m curious to see if it’s a tolerance issue or bad product.

I’ll know at the end of this year. Everything went good on my order. Using product & couldn’t be happier.