New pool owner - trying to clean up flooded pool

[jellybean7]

Hi everyone,

We recently moved to a new home with a pool and the day before opening it flooded due to really bad storms. A lot of mud and debris got in the pool and it was murky brown when we opened it. Since then, we've been taking water samples to a nearby pool store to try to get the pool clean. The pool had an old cartridge filter which could not handle the murky water so we installed a sand filter on Saturday. We also added a flocculant after the filter installation THis has made quite a bit of difference, but the water is still very murky. We vacummed to waste on Sunday, but had to do it blindly since we couldn't see the bottom of the pool

Current status: on Sunday we had another water test. ph still high at 8, free chlorine at 7, alkalinity too high. All other numbers were in range. The recommendation was chemicals for lowering ph and alkalinity and a clarifier. As of this morning, the water is still far from clear and the bottom is still just barelly visible on the shallow end. Should we add more flocculant and clarifyer or do we just need to be more patient and let the filter and chemicals do their job? I'm not sure how long this process should take.

Thank you everyone in advance! (I'm glad I found this forum - it looks like there a lot of very knowledgable people here!!!!)

 

[Bama Rambler]

The best thing you've done so far is vacuumed to waste. It's going to take the sand filter a while to completely clear the water especially if it's mud.
I wouldn't add any more floc or clarifier yet.
Are you running the pump and flter 24 hours a day?

Tell us a little more about your pool. I'm assuming it's an inground and we know it has a sand filter, what else can you tell us? What type pool is it? What size is your pump? What other equipment do you have?

While you're waiting on the filter to clear the pool it would be a good time to read Pool School.
Also, seriously consider getting a good test kit so you don't have to rely on the pool store and their suspect test results.

 

[jellybean7]

Thank you for your quick post!

We have an 16x32 in-ground pool. 1HP Hayward pump, 24" Pentair Triton sand filter, 1 skimmer.

Yes we are running the pump non-stop.

I have read through pool school and found a lot of great information. I was going to ask whether I should get my own test kit instead of going back to the pool store every few days. I will definitely order my own.

 

[Molson]

Yes, getting your own test kit will help a lot, the pool store results are questionable at best. Read the pool school articles, pay special attention to the ones about clearing up your pool. You'll be swimming in no time!

 

[Richard320]

I am wondering if you have a drain and if it's working. Many people, myself included, get a pool with the house and discover the diverter is missing. No diverter, no suction on the drain. Getting some water moving below the top 2 feet can make a world of difference.

Use the search box and you should find several posts about two holes in the bottom of the skimmer and flying saucer devices.

 

[jellybean7]

I have two holes in the skimmer and I do have (what I think is) a diverter, but I was told to use that for vacuuming only. Water is definitely going through the skimmer. What else should I check to see if the drain has proper suction? Should I have the diverter on even when I'm not vacuumming? (I'm sorry if these are stupid questions, but I'm just learning all this as I go along)

 

[Richard320]

I have two holes in the skimmer and I do have (what I think is) a diverter, but I was told to use that for vacuuming only. Water is definitely going through the skimmer. What else should I check to see if the drain has proper suction? Should I have the diverter on even when I'm not vacuumming? (I'm sorry if these are stupid questions, but I'm just learning all this as I go along)

Does it look like a flying saucer? Better yet, a picture's worth a thousand words.
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OR

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If you have one, play with it. Open it halfway and drop it in (under the skimmer basket) See what happens to the water flow in the skimmer and the outlets. See what happens to filter pressure. Try moving it to wider or smaller openings. That's what I did. You'll figure it out. At any rate, once you've got a diverter in place, some of the water going to the pump will be coming from the drain, so it should help clear things a bit faster. It will likely clog the filter faster too.

 

[jellybean7]

So what I thought may have been a diverter is actually just the plate for vacuuming. We have valves controlling the flow from the drain and skimmer.

To my amazement, when I got home last night I could actually see the bottom of the pool on the shallow end. So we vacuumed, brushed and backwashed the filter. Unfortunately, all that effort meant very little because the cord on the pump shorted. :grrrr: Not sure what had happened to the cord before we moved in, but it was already taped in one place with electrical tape.

My question is - is it possible to fix a bad power cord on a pump? Also, since it will take a few days to get the pool circulating, is it safe to assume that we'll have to start the whole chemical balancing all over again?

 

[Bama Rambler]

It's definitely possible to fix a bad power cable. It's usually easier to just replace it. If you are handy electrically, or know a friend that is, it can be replaced in a matter of minutes.

You can keep from sliding backwards while the pump is down by brushing a lot and keep adding chlorine. It won't be as good as the pump running but it'll keep your FC from reaching zero. If you own a sump pump or other small submersible pump you can use it to maintain circulation.

 

[jellybean7]

Thank you, that's good news on both accounts. I've done a little research and I think there is a pretty good chance we have an above-ground pump for our in-ground pool. I'll verify once I'm home. Can I continue using that pump if it is the wrong type? It looks like the difference is mostly an efficiency issue.

 

[Bama Rambler]

One difference between above ground and inground is the ability of the pump to prime above water level. Above ground pumps are usually flooded suction so there's no need to be able to lift water to prime. If the unit you have now has worked wel there's no reason to change it unless you're looking for a more effiecent model.

 

[jellybean7]

Thank you. We'll leave the pump for now. Electrcian is out today to hardwire the pump (cord was chewed up and shorted) and upgrade our the circuit to 220. Then, we can get back to the swamp in hopes that we get to use the pool by mid June sometime.