OK, I have a 18,000 gallon above ground pool. I recently drained it and am switching over from a Baquacil (hydrogen peroxide) chemical system to chlorine.

I added chemicals this afternoon and got distracted by my grandson ( 3 years old) and ended up adding 5 pounds of Pool Life brand "Turbo Shock". That is almost triple what the pool place told me to use and since I added it before adding sanitizer/stabilizer as they prescribed, now I am out of sequence with the entire process.

I am currently trying to dilute by adding more water until the water overflows the skimmer. What else should I be doing? The reason we drained the pool in the first place was to replace the liner. I am worrying now that my screwing this up may damage the new liner. Am I screwed now?

Anyone have any advise on trying to "un f....ck this"?

I know there are tons of pool forums on the internet, but thought I might get a faster response that posting in one of those. Also this being a Saturday afternoon, my pool place is long closed so it will be Monday before I can contact them.

Help, please!

relax and just wait a few days.  without stabilizer it will mellow out in a few days.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. It should resolve on its own accord.

I think my pool builder told me that the half life of two pounds of shock in my pool is something like 45 minutes on a hot sunny day, assuming my chlorine is at 0.

Chlorine is a base, so theoretically you could add an acid to bring the PH back close to 7. I would imagine that your new liner is somewhat resistant to the free chlorine levels. Do you have a tester can you tell what PPM your free chlorine is? Most pools are fine to super shock around 20ppm with no damage. If you have not put in a stabilizer such as Cyanuric acid do not add it. The sun can reduce the free chlorine levels in a few days. Hope this helps.

Wolf, thanks for the advice. At what point do I need to add the stabilizer. If I had followed the pool places advise, I would have added the stabilizer first waited a few hours then added an appropriate dose of the Turbo Shock.

I guess what I am asking is what would be the best course of action to get this back into a normal cycle.

Oh, I don't have a test kit for the Chlorine chemical system. I still have the old Baquacil test strips, but assume they won't work with the new chemicals. I will get an appropriate test set on Monday.

Thanks to all for the posts. It's incredible the depth of experience on so many topics on Arfcom.  I would have never gotten this many replies so quickly on most of the pool forums. I did a post on one a week ago and am still waiting for the first reply.

depends on what was in the shock, just chlorine? no problem at all.

a lot of CA? a problem.


trouble free pool chlorine method

I would brush pool as much as possible till granular of  chlorine are gone from settling  on floor of liner

There is a chlorine neutralizer but you have to know the chlorine count[ppm] and gallons of pool water


The complete reaction is:
4 NaClO + Na2S2O3 + 2 NaOH ? 4 NaCl + 2 Na2SO4 + H2O
To dechlorinate tap water for aquariums or to treat chlorine containing back wash waters from water treatment plants prior to release into rivers. The reduction reaction is analogous to the iodine reduction reaction. Treatment of tap water requires between 0.1 grams and 0.3 grams of pentahydrated (crystalline) sodium thiosulfate per 10 litres of water.
To lower chlorine levels in swimming pools and spas following super chlorination.

to add the right amount, if you over dose it will take more chlorine to bring chlorine back up

If you have a in line chlorine feeder I would empty till chlorine is down to normal level

lowering PH will help burn off chlorine but 7.0 is the lowest I would go, don't forget

If you lower ph with acid you will have re-adjust total alkalinity at some time

Good Luck

Fly by night

LOL!  See, that's how different people are.  I loved that post.  You hated it.  LOL!

OP here, just to let everyone know, I took a water sample in to the pool place on Monday. They told me that it was no big deal and even recommended I put in more shock.

FYI, the pool water is crystal clear  and with the new liner is beautiful. The only problem is it's freezing ass cold.  I don't know why my wife is insisting that we keep the pool open till 1 Nov.  

We are in NE North Carolina near the coast and the weather here was beautiful today with the high probably in the very low 70's. Beautiful, but certainly not pool weather.

Good to here OP