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With a regular pool, the water is contained by visible walls that are higher than the water level. An infinity pool has one or more walls that are right at the waterline so they're not truly visible. For an invisible look, the lower wall is often made of glass or clear acrylic. The water laps over the lower edge and into a catch basin below where it gets pumped back into the pool.

No, shock and chlorine are not the same thing, though they are related and both are used for pool maintenance. Regular chlorine, often in the form of tablets, is a sanitizer used for routine, day-to-day maintenance to keep a steady chlorine level. Pool shock, however, is a highly concentrated dose of chlorine used periodically for a more intense cleaning. It rapidly raises chlorine levels to fix issues like cloudy water or algae growth and also eliminates chloramines, which are byproducts of regular chlorination. Because their purposes and concentrations differ, they are not interchangeable, and proper pool care typically requires using both.

Generally, you do not need to drain your pool to convert it to a saltwater system. The main exception is if you have used an antibacterial agent containing polyhexamethylene biguanide to sanitize your pool, as these sanitation products do not mix well with saltwater systems. If this is the case, you will need to start fresh. You can either drain the pool or treat the existing water with a high dose of chlorine to remove the antibacterial agent. If you choose the chlorine treatment, wait several days to allow the chlorine to work before proceeding with the conversion. If you are unsure whether this applies to your pool, consult a pool technician.

You should add one 3-inch chlorine tablet for every 5,000 gallons of water in your pool. If you have a smaller pool, it’s better to use 1-inch chlorine tablets so you don’t accidentally add too much chlorine. Alternatively, you can add two to three ounces of powdered chlorine or half a gallon of liquid chlorine for every 5,000 gallons of water.