We noticed a slight decrease in the return flow, hmmm need to clean some filters maybe? Noticed some lifting of the decking, Good ol' Texas ground shift? Then it happened! Dirt shooting from the return, what could it be...surely it isnt?...Oh God a broken pipe!!!

This is a 2nd hand pool so we have no builders plans, not to mention warranties by the way. We call the builder, they dont keep that sort of thing on file. Well it doesnt take much more than a bit of common sense and shovel to dig up the pipes and find the leak. We hoped it wasnt at the interface, up under the decking but it of course was. We started work but had no choice to but to leave it for a few days since there was no way out of a planned business trip. Anyway, here we are today with a very dirt filled pool, that has had the filters off for over week and of course being salt no chlorine generation occuring. We dumped bleach in daily, knowing it was doing little good with all of the organics in there.

Okay for the question...
We are currently refilling the pool, as we had to drain just under the returns. I am thinking we should work over the next few days getting the actual dirt from the pool. We have vac'ed the pool and cleaned filters twice today. Plan to do it once more and should be down to dealing with algae and other fun by tomorrow. At this point I am not sure if I should test, as I would be testing mud basically? Or just attack with Bleach for a few days; and of course add salt.
We have a long road ahead, with several filter cleans a day. Once I can get it to just a cess pool status and get the large particles out I will feel better.
Is it time to call in any store bought chemicals? I still have some of the things from my last issue that we never used, green to clean, maybe some shock.

I need a new test kit...so am ordering from here today!!

Also, I know there is never a point that a pool has to be completely emptied and refilled, just making sure we are still there
We have of course not filled in our holes yet, waiting to see how the new pipes function.

The kicker in all of this, we were forced to work in the rain...

OMG

It's unclear to me, is there any sort of circulation (since you are thinking of adding chlorine you need a way to circulate...)

Wow, my sympathies. What a mess.

Yes we have turned the filters back on...we are in the process of getting all of the dirt out and then will really hit it with bleach.

I have absolutely no advice and just wanted to say.....

I am SO sorry!

Looks like fun!!!

At some point depending on the pool type it will be cheaper and definitely faster to just drain the pool with a submersable pump and refill it. There are a lot of factors involved in determining your best method though. I would hammer it with di-chlor (1lb per 3k gal), brush the **** out of it, then just circulate it 24/7 cleaning the filter daily until it was clear enough to vac.

If you have a DE filter this shouldn't take too long. If you don't and your municipality will allow it get one!

Well the good thing about this whole ordeal is that I really wanted to get the CYA down but willing to drain, now being forced to drain below the returns I am sure it is down

You would still rec. DiChlor even at the risk of ending with a huge CYA reading?

I wouldn't worry too much about what 10-12 lbs of di-chlor would do to your cya reading. To be honest on a salt pool I wouldn't worry too much about cya at all. I think people tend to over complicate things. One shot to get your fc back up will do no harm and would definitley be more effective than adding clorox. The main thing with a scg is that you have a minimum of 60ppm cya. Without adding di-chlor on a regular basis or a rediculously large amount of stabalizer you would never build up too much cya.

Interesting...I am just anxious to get the new test kit and move forward. We finally got it back to full capacity. May do a vac and clean filter tonight.

I would suggest not draining the pool. Even if it's drained you still have to clean it......then you have to fill it and clean it up again.

I am in awe of your tenacity in getting under that deck.....that's not for the faint-hearted.

I have twice filled my pool with pond water.....a little mud and a lot of slime and algae. Essentially, it's a chip shot and all you need is chlorine. I would be reluctant to use di-chlor. I won't get in to the details as it pertains to an unusual situation.

If you'd like to PM me, I'll pass along what I have learned and be glad to walk you through getting your pool back sparkling....it's easier than you think.

I think you are right, time and bleach should do it...it did it for us last time. My husband is a better man than I, well he should be LOL Anyway, we really did not want to redo decking as well, sigh so under we went. Once we get this pool back up and running, I will have to say I believe that we win the NEWBIE AWARD OF THE YEAR!!! Seriously from no pool to swamp thing which we fixed, to this

PMing you now as I am interested in anything I can get my brain around...even if it doesnt pertain to our current situation.

Oh I dont guess I mentioned that ants make a very happy home under pool decking and arent happy to see you...that was a whole nother game, poor man look like rolled in em'...well guess he actually did LOL The mud actually started to soothe the biting

WOW..what a photo !!! That is what I call commitment....
Hope all goes welll for u and hubby.

just a side note on the ants - if they were fire ants the hubby needs to apply a roll on deodorant to the bites to keep them from becoming little blisters that you have to pop. Good luck with the pool