Don' t wait for the chloramines to reach gag-inducing levels before you bust out the calcium hypochlorite. A good rule of thumb is to shock your pool at least once a week.

But you might want to shock more often if:

● You' ve recently had a bad storm, with or without wind-blown debris

● Your pool' s seen extra heavy use (like a pool party)

● Your pool' s water level has changed significantly

● Someone has confused your swimming pool with the Port-o-San (i.e., bathroom-related mishaps)

Proactive shocking with calcium hypochlorite will help ensure your pool is well-defended against algae, bacteria, and other contaminants. A clean pool is a healthy, happy pool.