Weird gravel issue, need some advice on cleaning and a shock question

[Aleforge]

Hey guys, happy pool season (for many).

I opened my pool up over last weekend. Its a work in progress as it looked like a pond.

Its starting to finally clear up and the bottom had some "stuff" in it around one edge. I thought it was a bunch of dead algae (it was still cloudy). Or perhaps even some leaf debris. Turns out it was a ton of very fine gravel. It was almost sand like, but a little bit larger. Considering I didn't know I started to vacuum... You can probably guess what happened next. The entire system got full of the bleep including my pump. Which jammed up and stopped working. I brought out the shop vac and sucked out as much as possible, hosed out as much as I could. Then disassembled the pump and cleaned out the impeller. I lucked out and it wasn't damaged. Even the filter housing was full.

So I covered the pump basket with panty hose, allowing the inflow to go into the tube area of it. Flipped it on and it cleaned up a bunch more that was stuck in the pipes. I think I got most out but there is a lot still on the floor.

(sorry this is getting long)

I have a few questions, first where do you guys think this all came from? I have a fiberglass insert pool. It has a gap around the edging, and we had a lot of heavy rain the past few months. Do you think there was any way it could of flushed the back fill "upward" and into the pool?

Secondly, I need to clean out the rest of it and I am not positive on how to do that? Is there some kind of fine filter you can buy for the skimmer basket?

Last question, I keep shocking the pool. I notice its completely gone in 2 days. I have shocked it 3 times in the past week but last night the test came back clear. When you startup does the chlorine bind to algae or something? Trying to figure out how it dropping out so quickly.

Thanks for the help!

 

[duraleigh]

1. I have no guess as to where the gravel came from

2. I would vacuum it again, this time putting a skimmer sock into the skimmer to prevent the gravel from going to the pump.

3. Shocking the pool is a chemistry question. I would suggest you stay on the subject of the gravel, getting your pool in order and then attack the chemistry issue when the gravel is out of the pool. Meanwhile you could simply put one gallon of Clorox in your pool each evening until you get the gravel out and will then be ready to SLAM the pool. We'll help you.

I don't see any test results, when you get the gravel out you will want to post results from a TF-100 or K-2006C. You need this kit to practice the methods we teach because both contain the FAS/DPD test which is essential for the way we handle chlorine.

 

[Aleforge]

Thanks Dave for helping me out. I am going to buy a K-2006C today from Amazon (and skimmer sock). I have had the simple two chemical test, I knew from here last year I needed a true test kit, but had forgotten to get one before this season.

I will update with the results, I should get it by Friday.

Just went a read the SLAM page. Obviously I need the kit.

I appreciate the help!