Green Above Ground Pool -- To drain or not to drain?

[samanthamartin777]

My husband and I are renting a house from some friends while we are building a new house. It has a 26' round above ground pool with a deck built around it. The homeowners said they always drain the pool with a sump pump overnight, scrub it clean the next day and refill. I'm a little nerdy, so after a lot of research I'm nervous about draining the pool to empty. It's supposed to be partly cloudy and 68 degrees this Saturday. (Unseasonably cool!) If we drain down and clean and refill all on Saturday, do you think the liner might be okay? They said they replaced the liner about two years ago, which leads me to believe it is vinyl. I'm worried about following their "advice" and then them getting upset if something happens with the liner. Thanks in advance for all your help!!!

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

If the liner is not new, draining it completely is very risky as the liner may shrink. You could safely drain it down to at least one foot depth left and fill it back up. BUT, there is rarely a reason to have to drain a pool (only if the CH and CYA are too high). If it is just green then using one of the Recommended Test Kits and following the SLAM Process will clear it right up. There are 100s of threads with pictures showing the conversion from swamp to clear pools.

More info:
Defeating Algae
Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis

How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool