Pool was set-up and mx last year using the includeded pump with cartridge filter and BBB, at end of season I simply drained to level of lowest hose and left valves open to prevent cracking during freeze. I just got around to looking at it this week (It's May, I know) and it was almost black and really smelly. I drained as much as possible, and probably have around 50gal of disgusting stuff left. With my spouse deployed, I can't physically disassemble the pool to completely empty the remaining sludge and scrub the liner. From what I have read, my best option is to just refill it and take a week or two to clean it up. I bought a new filter (info below) that should be sufficient for the job, but am unsure of which order of events is least costly and time consuming, while being most effective. I have read everything I could find here about opening a green pool, starting use of SWG, and have a decent understanding of chemistry in general. I will list the tasks I think need to be completed below, in the order I thought I should do them. Please let me know which steps I am leaving out, which steps are not needed, and which items need to be reordered and why.
I have at least ten lbs of dichlor, a few lbs of CYA, tons of baking soda and borax, and a bottle of algaecide lying around. I'd like to use that stuff up when it might be useful at any point in the process. I also have 100 lbs of filter sand and 120 lbs of salt for setting up the SWG. This will be my first time using a sand filter, my first SWG, so other than scanning through the set-up instructions, I have no idea how it works. I also just realized that the test it that was supposed to be in the box with the new system are missing. This leaves me with one bottle of 6 way test strips, a solution kit to test pH and cl, and a wide-range pH test kit. Do I need to head to the city tonight to buy anything else before I start (re)filling the pool tonight or tomorrow? Thanks in advance for any assistance!
The Plan :
Fill pool (contains 50ish gal of nasty right now)
Set-up and attach new Sand filter/SWG
Add liquid bleach to shock level using pool calculator, start and continuously run pump, backwashing (to waste and replacing water and bleach) every few hours or as needed, until water looks more "dirty pool water" than "swamp"
Vacuum to waste whatever may be settled in the bottom and replace water
Adjust alkalinity (baking soda to buffer pH still applies with a SWG, right?), then pH, then return cl- to shock level using dichlor (Have 10+ lbs of it laying around),
Run filter to let things settle (how long?) Should I also add salt and run SWG on Boost here?
This is where I get completely lost and have no idea about what to do.
When do I add stabilizer? I know it should be after I get rid of the initial sludge, but does it need a week to dissolve before I start using the SWG? I can't remember how much CYA each pound of dichlor added last year, but I assume I will need to add additional amount since 99% of the volume will be new water.
I figured I would run a day or two with just bleach to kill the cooties and get rid of most of the gunk. It seems pointless to add any other chemicals when I will just be backwashing constantly and wasting/replacing water.
I feel like I am forgetting steps and/or not doing things is the most efficient order.
I have never been concerned with copper levels. Is copper level something I need to be concerned with in these first few days while I am trying to get it cleaned up?
Additional info: Pool is in direct sunlight from dawn until an hour before dusk when it gets partial shade from a tree. Temps are expected to stay between 70-90f for the next week, with a 30% chance of brief rain tomorrow afternoon. I have a new solar blanket on hand, I figured I can start using it once I get this all done.
I have at least ten lbs of dichlor, a few lbs of CYA, tons of baking soda and borax, and a bottle of algaecide lying around. I'd like to use that stuff up when it might be useful at any point in the process. I also have 100 lbs of filter sand and 120 lbs of salt for setting up the SWG. This will be my first time using a sand filter, my first SWG, so other than scanning through the set-up instructions, I have no idea how it works. I also just realized that the test it that was supposed to be in the box with the new system are missing. This leaves me with one bottle of 6 way test strips, a solution kit to test pH and cl, and a wide-range pH test kit. Do I need to head to the city tonight to buy anything else before I start (re)filling the pool tonight or tomorrow? Thanks in advance for any assistance!
The Plan :
Fill pool (contains 50ish gal of nasty right now)
Set-up and attach new Sand filter/SWG
Add liquid bleach to shock level using pool calculator, start and continuously run pump, backwashing (to waste and replacing water and bleach) every few hours or as needed, until water looks more "dirty pool water" than "swamp"
Vacuum to waste whatever may be settled in the bottom and replace water
Adjust alkalinity (baking soda to buffer pH still applies with a SWG, right?), then pH, then return cl- to shock level using dichlor (Have 10+ lbs of it laying around),
Run filter to let things settle (how long?) Should I also add salt and run SWG on Boost here?
This is where I get completely lost and have no idea about what to do.
When do I add stabilizer? I know it should be after I get rid of the initial sludge, but does it need a week to dissolve before I start using the SWG? I can't remember how much CYA each pound of dichlor added last year, but I assume I will need to add additional amount since 99% of the volume will be new water.
I figured I would run a day or two with just bleach to kill the cooties and get rid of most of the gunk. It seems pointless to add any other chemicals when I will just be backwashing constantly and wasting/replacing water.
I feel like I am forgetting steps and/or not doing things is the most efficient order.
I have never been concerned with copper levels. Is copper level something I need to be concerned with in these first few days while I am trying to get it cleaned up?
Additional info: Pool is in direct sunlight from dawn until an hour before dusk when it gets partial shade from a tree. Temps are expected to stay between 70-90f for the next week, with a 30% chance of brief rain tomorrow afternoon. I have a new solar blanket on hand, I figured I can start using it once I get this all done.
