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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.

Draining a pool with a garden hose can take between eight and 14 hours depending on the depth of your pool and whether you use a sump pump. Be sure to stay close to the pool during this time to ensure the structure of your pool remains unharmed and that the water drains properly.

Calcium lumps in a pool are calcium deposits that form when a pool's water parameters are not in the normal range. They can float around on the surface of the pool water, making it look and feel dirty. The most common causes of calcium lumps in pools are calcium hardness above 1,000 ppm, alkalinity over 120, and a pH over 7.8. Keeping your pool’s calcium levels, alkalinity, and pH levels within the normal, safe ranges is the best way to prevent calcium lumps and other problems, including damage to the pool surface.

A swimming pool pump has to have water in it to run properly. If the pump isn’t primed and tries to run when it’s dry, the components will overheat which can cause the pump to seize up and can even damage the PVC pipes that carry the water into and out of it. Essentially, running a pump that isn’t primed can lead to having to replace the entire pump.