Where to begin???

[IndianHills]

Hello to all. Fresh fish to this board, but it looks like the right place for advice.

BACKGROUND: I am the new president of an old community association swim club in Wichita, Kan. I was a member as a child and even lifeguarded as a teen, and have come full circle.
Unfortunately, our beloved pool is 52 years old and seems to be intent on falling apart on me.
25 yd X 20 yd irregular L-shaped 3 ft shallow to 10 ft deep pool, poured concrete, painted. Expansion joint down the middle and across the deep/shallow end and around the perimeter. Pool is drained at the end of every season

PROBLEMS: water loss of 1-1.5 inches per day, skim gutters have been closed off(so lots of debris), painting is a yearly chore.

Basically, we need refurbish the pool, but don't have the $$$ to dig up and start over. Where can I start to get the old girl looking and working like new again? Can you skim coat a new concrete cap? Coat with fiberglass, rubberized coating, Etc...

I may not be on this forum as often as I would like to answer questions, but any help would be appreciated.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The construction experts will be along soon to advise you on the connstruction issues but I'll start by asking a few questions.

1. Why did they close off the skim gutters?
2. Have you done any troubleshooting to try and find the leak(s)? You can do a bucket test but I'm not sure it will tell you anything on that size pool and under regular use..
3. How are you chlorinating?
4. How are you testing?
5 Please provide a list of equipment for us.

 

[IndianHills]

1.The skim gutters drained directly to the the sewer-Literally $$$ down the drain.
2. We haven't tried to find the leak-wouldn't know where to start
3. Chlorinating using a Pulsar feed system utilizing a Strantrol 3 system controller.
4. Testing is with a standard test kit. CL ppm, pH, acid demand, etc...
5. I believe we are running a 3 phase, 10 hp pump through an Astral, medium rate single filter.

 

[Bama Rambler]

There's no surge tank for the skim gutters to dump into? That's odd.
How is the pump hooked to the pool?

 

[IndianHills]

No, no surge tank. I'm pretty sure back in 1957, water conservation wasn't a priority. Water flows from the drain through the pump, from the pump through the filter, filter to the pool. All 4 inch PVC from pump to pool. All supply lines in the pool are surface mounted PVC reduced down to maybe 2.5 in dia.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'd seriously consider adding a surge tank and reroute those gutters to it. I know you said there wasn't much money but it shouldn't cost a lot to do that. How about some pics of the pool and equip?

 

[RobbieH]

No, no surge tank. I'm pretty sure back in 1957, water conservation wasn't a priority. Water flows from the drain through the pump, from the pump through the filter, filter to the pool. All 4 inch PVC from pump to pool. All supply lines in the pool are surface mounted PVC reduced down to maybe 2.5 in dia.

My pool was built in '54 and the skimmer drains back to the pump. I do know in '84 they rebuilt the pool, I suppose it's possible they put the pool in its current configuration at that time.

 

[IndianHills]

I do know that end of season this year, we shut the pump and filter down but did not drain the pool for 5 days. In that time we lost almost 10 inches of water either through a leak in the pool itelf or a leak in the drain system. The drain is unlikely, it is 4 in cast iron, and itI had camera scope it out last year with no noticable problems.

Can I grind out the expansion joints (it looks like someone used tar, or a driveway sealer in it) and re fill them with something?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Are you talking about joints in the cast iron pipe? Then yes you can but unless it's comprimising the flow severely you may not want to.

 

[IndianHills]

No, I'm talking about the expansion joints in the floor of the pool itself.