Drain and Refill -- Tips on Restarting

[jeffbg]

Looks like its gotten to where a drain / refill is going to be necessary after years of not doing so. Too much calcium and other stuff that just has to go.

I didn't do the initial startup when we put the pool in, and I've since become a BBB follower. So the question is, what is the right procedure to have the least hassles on drain and refill. I reviewed closing and restart procedures, so I'm guessing something like:

1) Drain
2) Refill
3) Add Poly-60
4) Add chlorine to bring to 3-4ppm
5) Add CYA
6) Add salt (as I have SWG)
7) Circulate and balance

Anything I should be aware of while the pool is drained or nearly empty? Its a pebbletec style finish on the pool, relatively new. No major issues with this or lights.

- Jeff

 

[zea3]

Before you drain the pool completely you need to know how high the water table is in your area. You don't have your location in your post so we don't know how low it is safe to drain in one shot. You don't want to risk popping the pool out of the ground if you do a complete drain. Chemically your plan looks fine. Do you know the CH of the fill water?

 

[jeffbg]

Before you drain the pool completely you need to know how high the water table is in your area. You don't have your location in your post so we don't know how low it is safe to drain in one shot. You don't want to risk popping the pool out of the ground if you do a complete drain. Chemically your plan looks fine. Do you know the CH of the fill water?

I'm in drought stricken So Cal. If only we had water . I've tried everything to avoid drain / refill, but really struggling with what seems as metals and I've added sequestrant and can't seem to safely add chlorine without causing the pool to turn an iron brown color. CH == calcium, right? Its about 220 the last time I tested it with my kit right out of the tap.

Latest city water report from 2014 says we average total hardness of 254 ppm.

-- Jeff

 

[YippeeSkippy]

no, calcium doesn't turn the water "iron brown" but metals in the water do. And if in the past you've been using algaecides, well some may contain copper.

I see on your start-up plan you intend to use Polyquat 60...that is not really necessary if you're putting in just the right amount of CYA and keeping your FC in line with it.