BioGuard Burnout 3 1 lb. | Cal Hypo Pool Shock

• 1 x BioGuard Burnout 3, pre-measured 1 lb (453 g) bag
• Full manufacturer label with dosing rates, application method, and safety information

One bag is a full weekly shock dose for a 20,000-gallon pool, or a full every-other-week dose for a 10,000-gallon pool.

Adds No Cyanuric Acid

Calcium hypochlorite is an unstabilized chlorine source, so shocking with it doesn't drive stabilizer levels upward the way dichlor products do. On a tablet-fed pool, this is how you shock all season without eventually locking up your chlorine.

57.8% Available Chlorine

A high-strength shock that delivers a substantial oxidizing dose from a single one-pound bag.

Shocks, Oxidizes, and Clarifies in One Step

Kills bacteria, burns off the combined chlorine and organic waste bathers leave behind, and clears the haze that comes with them — one product, one application.

Pre-Measured 1 lb Bags

No scooping, no guessing, no scale required. Unused product stays sealed instead of sitting in an open bucket absorbing humidity, which is how granular chlorine loses strength in storage.

Quick Dissolving, Usually No Pre-Dissolving Needed

Broadcast directly into the deep end with the pump running. Pre-dissolving is only necessary in shallow or cold water — the specific conditions are in the directions below.

Suitable for Vinyl and Plaster Pools

Formulated to work in vinyl-lined and plaster pools when applied correctly, with brushing to disperse any granules that settle.

Works with Chlorine and Bromine Programs

Compatible with both sanitizer types, so a bromine pool gets a proper oxidizing shock without switching chemistry.

Step 2 of the BioGuard 3-Step Care System

The shock component BioGuard builds its own weekly program around, usable with the 3-Step or Once-A-Week Care System.

The active ingredient is calcium hypochlorite at 57.8%, yielding 57.8% available chlorine. On contact with water it dissociates and releases hypochlorous acid — the form of chlorine that does the actual sanitizing and oxidizing.

Hypochlorous acid works on two fronts at once. It destroys bacteria and other microorganisms by disrupting their cell structure, and it oxidizes the non-living organic load — perspiration, body oils, sunscreen, cosmetics, and the nitrogen compounds that bind to free chlorine and form chloramines. Chloramines are the source of the sharp "chlorine smell," the burning eyes, and the skin irritation people blame on too much chlorine. In reality they're evidence of too little effective sanitizer. Driving free chlorine sharply upward for a short period breaks those bonds apart and resets the water.

What makes cal hypo different from the other chlorine shocks is what it doesn't carry. Dichlor and trichlor are both built on a cyanurate backbone, so they release chlorine and cyanuric acid together. Calcium hypochlorite has no cyanurate at all — it releases chlorine and calcium. Nothing accumulates in the water that will interfere with your chlorine later.

The calcium is the honest tradeoff. Every dose adds a small amount of calcium hardness. In soft water that's a mild benefit, since low calcium is aggressive toward plaster and equipment. In hard water, calcium accumulates alongside what's already there and eventually contributes to scale on surfaces and heater elements. It's a slow effect rather than a fast one, but it's real, and it's worth watching if you're shocking weekly all season in a hard-water area.

The other property to plan around is pH. Burnout 3 has a solution pH of about 10.2, which is strongly alkaline. Each application nudges pool pH upward — the opposite of what trichlor tablets do. On a tablet-fed pool the two effects partially cancel out. On a pool sanitized another way, expect to bring pH back down periodically.

Pro Tip: You don't have to pre-dissolve this, but the exceptions matter. Burnout 3 can be broadcast directly when the water is deeper than 4 feet and above 65°F. Outside those conditions — a shallow above-ground pool, or an early-spring or late-fall treatment — granules sink slowly and can land on the floor before dissolving, which is how a permanent bleached spot happens on a vinyl liner. In those cases, dissolve first in a clean plastic bucket, always adding product to water and never water to product. Either way, brush the pool floor after application to disperse anything that settled, and never let undissolved granules rest against a bleachable surface.

Dosage Reference

• Weekly shock treatment: 1 lb per 20,000 gallons, every week
• Every-other-week shock treatment: 1 lb per 10,000 gallons, every two weeks
• Superchlorination: 2 lbs per 12,000 gallons
• Algae-killing application: 2 lbs per 12,000 gallons

The weekly and every-other-week rates are two alternative schedules, not two separate doses — choose one.

Before You Start

1. Confirm all pool equipment is working properly.
2. Backwash or clean the filter system according to your equipment manufacturer's directions.
3. Adjust pH to 7.2–7.6.
4. In chlorinated pools, establish a minimum stabilizer level of 30–40 ppm to reduce the effect of sunlight on the chlorine residual. Do not add stabilizer to bromine-treated pools.
5. Check for metals. If present, add a scale and stain inhibitor before using this product to prevent metal staining of the pool surface.
6. When using other products alongside this one, follow the directions on those labels as well.

Shock Treatment

1. Apply when the pool is not in use, preferably at night.
2. With the pump running, broadcast the product evenly into the deep end of the pool.
3. Apply either 1 lb per 20,000 gallons weekly, or 1 lb per 10,000 gallons every other week.
4. Brush any undissolved product from pool surfaces, especially in vinyl, plaster, fiberglass, or colored plaster pools.
5. Keep the pump and filter running to distribute the treatment.
6. Do not resume swimming until free chlorine is between 1 and 4 ppm.
7. Reapply after heavy rain or heavy bather loads.

Superchlorination

Superchlorination is needed when you encounter cloudy water, strong chlorine odors, eye irritation, or high combined chlorine readings — all signs of chloramine buildup.

1. Apply 2 lbs per 12,000 gallons, broadcast into the deep end with the pump running.
2. Apply at night with no bathers in the water.
3. Brush any undissolved product from pool surfaces.
4. Circulate continuously and retest before anyone enters.
5. Do not swim until free chlorine has returned to 1–4 ppm.

Algae-Killing Application

1. Brush all pool surfaces thoroughly and vacuum out loose debris.
2. Apply 2 lbs per 12,000 gallons, broadcasting into the areas of heaviest growth with the pump running.
3. Brush any undissolved product from pool surfaces.
4. Circulate continuously, then brush again and vacuum out dead algae.
5. Follow with a preventative algaecide once free chlorine returns to 1–4 ppm.

Pre-Dissolving

Pre-dissolving is not required when the product is added to water deeper than 4 feet at a temperature above 65°F. Outside those conditions:

1. Work outdoors with a clean plastic bucket and a clean plastic or wooden stirrer.
2. Add the product to the water. Never add water to the product.
3. Do not pre-dissolve more than one product at a time.
4. Apply the dissolved solution evenly into the deep end with the pump running.

Storage and Handling

• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, and open flame
• Keep bags sealed and completely dry — moisture degrades calcium hypochlorite and can release chlorine gas
• Store well away from trichlor tablets, acids, and organic materials — this separation is a fire-safety requirement, not a preference
• Keep out of reach of children and pets
• Never return unused product to a bag once it has contacted anything else
• Avoid breathing dust; broadcast downwind of yourself on a breezy day
• Read and follow all label precautions, first aid, and disposal directions before use

Pro Tip: Match your shock to your stabilizer reading, and you'll stop fighting your pool in late summer. Test cyanuric acid at opening and again mid-season. If it's low, a stabilized dichlor shock helps by adding protection along with the chlorine. If it's already at or above the 30–50 ppm range — which it will be on any pool fed by trichlor tablets — switch to Burnout 3 and stop adding stabilizer you don't need. This one decision is the difference between a pool that holds chlorine in August and one that doesn't, and it costs nothing but paying attention to a number most people never test twice.

• Brand: BioGuard
• Product Type: Calcium hypochlorite shock, oxidizer, and clarifier
• Form: Quick-dissolving granular, pre-measured bag
• Net Weight: 1 lb (453 g)
• Manufacturer Part Number: 22808BIO
• Active Ingredient: Calcium hypochlorite, 57.8%
• Other Ingredients: 42.2%
• Available Chlorine: 57.8%
• Solution pH: Approximately 10.2
• Stabilized: No — contributes no cyanuric acid
• Effect on pH: Raises pH
• Effect on Calcium Hardness: Raises calcium hardness
• Weekly Shock Dose: 1 lb per 20,000 gallons
• Biweekly Shock Dose: 1 lb per 10,000 gallons
• Superchlorination Dose: 2 lbs per 12,000 gallons
• Algae Treatment Dose: 2 lbs per 12,000 gallons
• Swim Return: When free chlorine is 1–4 ppm
• Application Method: Broadcast into the deep end with the pump running, pool not in use, preferably at night
• Pre-Dissolving: Not required above 4 ft depth and 65°F water temperature
• Target pH Before Use: 7.2–7.6
• Stabilizer Before Use: 30–40 ppm in chlorinated pools; none in bromine pools
• Suitable Surfaces: Vinyl liner, plaster, gunite, fiberglass, colored plaster
• Sanitizer Compatibility: Chlorine, bromine, and salt generator pools
• Never Store or Mix With: Trichlor tablets or any other chlorine product — fire and explosion hazard
• Not For Use In: Biguanide pools, spas, or hot tubs
• System Role: Step 2 of the BioGuard 3-Step Care System
• Shipping Classification: DOT-regulated — ground shipping only

Pool Types and Surfaces

• In-ground and above-ground pools
• Vinyl liner — brush undissolved granules from the surface
• Plaster and gunite
• Fiberglass and colored plaster — treat as bleachable surfaces and brush accordingly
• Sand, cartridge, and DE filtration

Sanitizer Programs

• Chlorine pools — fully compatible; the intended application
• Bromine pools — compatible. Note: do not add stabilizer to a bromine-treated pool.
• Salt chlorine generator pools — compatible; a salt pool still benefits from periodic shocking

How It Compares to Other BioGuard Shocks

• Versus a dichlor-based multi-purpose shock: dichlor is stabilized and adds cyanuric acid with every dose, which protects chlorine from sunlight but accumulates permanently. Burnout 3 adds none. Choose dichlor when stabilizer is low; choose Burnout 3 when it's already adequate or high.
• Versus non-chlorine shock: a non-chlorine oxidizer contains no chlorine at all, adds no stabilizer and no calcium, and doesn't bleach — but it isn't a disinfectant and won't clear algae. Burnout 3 does the sanitizing work a non-chlorine shock can't.
• On pH: Burnout 3 raises pH. Trichlor tablets lower it. On a tablet-fed pool the two partially offset each other.
• On hardness: Burnout 3 adds calcium. If your calcium hardness is already high, factor that into how often you use it.

Critical Safety Incompatibilities

• Never allow contact with trichlor tablets or any other chlorine product. Calcium hypochlorite and trichlor can react to cause fire or explosion. This applies to mixing, to sharing a scoop, and to storing them near each other.
• Never add to a skimmer, feeder, or floater, particularly one holding tablets. Broadcast over open water in the deep end.
• Never mix with acids, other pool chemicals, or organic materials. Add each product separately with circulation between additions.
• Add product to water — never water to product.
• Biguanide (non-chlorine) pools — do not use. Chlorine destroys biguanide sanitizer.
• Spas and hot tubs — this is a pool product dosed by the pound per 10,000+ gallons. Use a spa-specific shock.