Easy Set Pool 15x48?

Question

I am not sure how much chlorine to put in it? Is shock the same thing as chlorine? Do I have to buy anything else other than shock and chlorine? This is more maintenance than I thought maybe!

Answer 1

First you must determine the volume of water in your pool.  If your pool is 15 feet x 48 feet (a huge pool!), to determine the volume, you must also know the average depth.  Let's pretend the average depth is 4 feet.  You multiply all three together and you get a volume of (4 x 15 x 48 =) 2,880 cubic feet.

One cubic foot contains 7.48 gallons so, 7.48 x 2880 = 21,524 gallons in your pool.  One gallon is 128 ounces.  So, 128 x 21,524 = 2,757,427 ounces.

Normally, in a pool, it is recommended that you maintain about 7 ounces of chlorine for every million ounces of water.  

So, you have 2.76 million ounces (rounded) times 7.  You should put about 19.5 ounces of chlorine into the pool.

Shocking a pool means you put in enough chlorine to raise the chlorine level to 20 ounces of chlorine for every million ounces of water (call parts per million or "ppm").  

So, to shock your pool, you'd add (20 x 2.76 =) 55 onces of liquid chlorine.  

It will take a several days (depending on the weather) for the chlorine levels to drop back down to below 10 ppm (you can swim in 10 ppm).  Then, when the chlorine drops below 7 ppm, you'll have to learn how to judge the amount you need to add to bring it back up to 7 ppm.  

Of course, if your pool has a different depth than 4 feet, your numbers will change.  But, simply substitute the depth you determine and keep multiplying.  

AND, you're correct, there is a lot of maintenance in having a pool.  

Is the water circulated by a pump?  Is the water filtered?  No matter, you'll also have to manage the pH of the water (acid/base level) ... the total alkalinity of the water.

I'd suggest that you take the dimensions of the pool and a water sample to a pool chemical supply store.  They will analyze your water and tell you exactly what it will take to make and keep your water clear and disease free.