Green algae / cloudy water .. completely drain and refill?

[Turbota]

About a week ago I was at the local pool supplies store when some lady walked in and told of her problems to one of the sales guys.

It appears that she has an in-ground gunite pool with green algae and now cloudy water on top of that. She was there to buy more chemicals. Seems she has been fighting this problem for quite some time.

Anyway, I am no expert, but I suggested to her that it might be easier just to drain the whole pool completely and start all over with new water.

She looked at me like I was crazy .... Did I give her bad advice?

Ron,

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green algae / cloudy water .. completely drain and refil

Draining an inground pool can be risky ... especially in your area where the ground water level is likely close to the surface. If the ground water gets to be above the pool water level, the pool can actually float out of the ground.

There are ways around that issue like the tarp method that has been used successfully to replace water without actually draining the pool.

That also may not be the most cost effective method of solving the water problem ... depends on the problem and the cost of water.

HOWEVER, given that she was at a pool store for advice, clearly she did not know what she was doing and it likely would have been cheaper to drain and start over

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Green algae / cloudy water .. completely drain and refil

She looked at me like I was crazy .... Did I give her bad advice?

Don't drain a pool to get rid of algae....it doesn't work. The conditions that caused the algae the first time will still exist and the algae will come right back.

Better advice would have been to tell her to come to TFP and learn (up in Pool School) how her pool got there in the first place so she can change her management practices.

 

[Turbota]

Re: Green algae / cloudy water .. completely drain and refil

Draining an inground pool can be risky ... especially in your area where the ground water level is likely close to the surface. If the ground water gets to be above the pool water level, the pool can actually float out of the ground.

I had no idea! ... Now wouldn't that be a horrible thing to deal with!

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green algae / cloudy water .. completely drain and refil

There are a few threads on the forum with pictures of people dealing with it ... not a good situation.

Although I have to agree with Dave as well. Just drain and fill will still leave algae hiding that will continue to grow back if the chemistry is not kept correct ... likely a little easier to kill though if you actually follow the shock process.

 

[JohnT]

Re: Green algae / cloudy water .. completely drain and refil

Algae is easy to get rid of, and draining water won't help. People go to the pool store because they want a magic bullet to instantly fix the problem, and there is no such thing.