Seems as though this has been a common theme lately -- purchased a foreclosure property with a neglected pool... Pool is four years old and the house was empty for two years. Once the bank finally took possession of the house, they covered it with a huge wooden / tarp / wire contraption to prevent anyone from getting in the pool. The only saving grace was that they closed the auto-cover underneath it. So while it was plenty swampy, there actually wasn't too terribly much debris inside the pool itself. The downside was that the pool water level was low and plenty of water/muck made it onto the auto-cover. The cover sagged waaayyyy down and there was probably close to 20 inches of water in the center. I am amazed that it survived the weight! It did start to pull the track out, but once all the water was off, I was able to get the track reseated and it is functioning normally. It has a 10 inch tear that becomes visible when it's fully closed so there is some vinyl repair in my future. I imagine that it happened when they built the wooden cover. Also had to redo some of the plumbing. They didn't use any unions, there were cracked ball valves, and a "Pool Frog" in the loop which had a broken lid so I ditched it altogether.

Anyway, thanks to all the experts here, I was able to get the pool cleaned and swim ready in 12 days without posting a single question... It really is a testament to how well folks explain things around here. My head is still buzzing with all the awesome info I've been able to glean from TFP searching!!! Without further ado, here's the pics....

Great testimonial.

Now, confess: did you do your own testing, or trust the pool store? I plan to bookmark this thread for future doubters.

Great job and nice pictorial

Congrats on your new pool and home. Welcome to the forum

Thanks!

@Richard320 - I researched TFP for about a month before I had my hands on the pool...So the only thing I trusted the pool store with was selling me a leaf rake and a brush! I went through strips, a K-2005 (which was good for everything but chlorine), and finally the TFP kit. My wife was amazed at how quickly it went from being a mosquito nest to a pool. She kept telling me we should just drain it and get the liner replaced!

Ye of little faith, indeed!!

Welcome and congrats on a nice looking pool!