Swamp Fever

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J

jerseyrails

0
Jul 12, 2018
112
Marlboro, NJ
Long story short, my pool went unused in 2019, and was uncovered from the end of the 2018 season until November of 2019. While it was uncovered, I spent about an hour every warm day scooping debris out. I opened it up last weekend, knowing I would have a disaster to deal with. My local pool store sold me a chemical called "swamp to swim" and provided detailed instructions for using it, in the hopes of getting me water clear enough to see what I'm cleaning. My son and I have been outside vacuuming and scooping with a leaf net every day until the water gets too low for the vacuum to operate. I tried the 'leafgulper' but one of the wheels broke off, and we're not able to use it anymore. We've certainly made progress, as the wastewater has been gross and the baskets constantly needing to be emptied of leaves, itchyballs, and assorted crud. But we're still not clear enough to see the bottom. The smell has dissipated, at least. We were advised not to turn on the filter, as the swap to swim would clog it. Any ideas on what else I can do? I did put six chlorine tablets into the floater, and I have several chemicals left from previous years, just not sure what to use. I'd like to avoid draining the pool, as I have been warned repeatedly that it will collapse.
 

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Do you have a water test kit to provide us with test results?

In general you want to focus on adding chlorine to kill the bad stuff in your pool, and keep up with trying to remove the crud from your pool. I see that you added a floater of chlorine, but you likely need to add some liquid chlorine/bleach to get your levels up and start killing stuff.

Also, the "swamp to swim" sounds like a pool store magic potion. Please dont add anymore and can you post the actual ingredients?

Good luck. Read up in pool school and keep posting. The pros here turn many pools from "swamp to swim" all the time, and are not financially motivated to sell you stuff you dont need.
 
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I trust this pool store, he's not going to sell me something that I don't need. I spoke to him after this didn't work as expected, and he doesn't want to sell me more, he's looking for another solution. Also told me not to run the filter and despite me asking, told me not to buy salt or anything else until I got the water clear.
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Ultima Swamp To Swim System

The Ultima Swamp To Swim System is the ultimate kit for turning your green swamp of a pool into a clean, clear, and blue swimmable pool once more. Targeting the extreme build up of algae, the Swamp to Swim System will shock the pool water back to the normal sparkling clear blue color that it's...
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Liquid chlorine will be impossible to get at this time. I do have HTH Shock Treatment, DE Filter aid, and DE.

Pool store test results from before we did anything:
FC: 0.1
TC: 0.1
Combined Cl: 0
ph: 6.6
Alk: 79
Hardness: 100
CA: 5
Salt: 1757
Iron: 0.2
Copper: 0
Phosphate: 1757
 
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You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit, see Test Kits Compared. I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.

Also check to see if you have an Ocean States Job Lot store near you. They are reported to carry liquid chlorine at a good price.
 
I trust this pool store, he's not going to sell me something that I don't need.
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He already has when he sold you the first stuff! The problem is he doesn't KNOW what you do or don't need.....not dishonesty, just ignorance.

YOu simply will not be able to get meaningful advice from TFP if you also get pool store advice. They won't match up and you'll be left in the middle.

Make a decision to follow what TFP teaches or to stay with the pool store. Blending the advice doesn't work.

Sorry if that sounds condescending but it is simply factual
 
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jerseyrails said:
I also have a Taylor K2006C test kit that we never used (because my wife wouldn't let me) but most of the chemicals included have use by date of 4/20.
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Run a full suite of tests with it and post them. Order a complete refill kit from TFTestkits.net now, with the XL add-on as you will need it for the additional FC testing requirements.
 
Life gets in the way sometimes, as there are many things more important than pool maintenance. Good to hear that you have a quality test kit, as you are now better off than most of the people who start off with swamps.

I certainly cant tell what is in the "swamp to swim" product, but I would assume it is some sort of floculant. You did at least get good advice from the pool store to not run the pump as can gum up the filter. Do you have an option to vacuum to waste? That way you can vacuum up all of the gunk, and bypass the filter.

Any of the experts have any advice on the "swamp to swim" product?
 

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JJ_Tex said:
Life gets in the way sometimes, as there are many things more important than pool maintenance. Good to hear that you have a quality test kit, as you are now better off than most of the people who start off with swamps.

I certainly cant tell what is in the "swamp to swim" product, but I would assume it is some sort of floculant. You did at least get good advice from the pool store to not run the pump as can gum up the filter. Do you have an option to vacuum to waste? That way you can vacuum up all of the gunk, and bypass the filter.

Any of the experts have any advice on the "swamp to swim" product?
Click to expand...

I have been vacuuming, which has been difficult because I have itchyballs that are JUST the right size to clog the inlet. We've been vacuuming for days now. When the vacuum clogs, I continue pumping to waste through the main drain while we clear the clog and dump the strainer basket.
 
If you are ready to follow the SLAM Process, read the article and follow it. I would suggest adding 20 ppm TA of baking soda, that should raise your pH to an acceptable level.

Add 30 ppm worth of CYA using the sock method. Maintain 12 ppm FC by testing and adding liquid chlorine every couple hours.
 
mknauss said:
If you are ready to follow the SLAM Process, read the article and follow it. I would suggest adding 20 ppm TA of baking soda, that should raise your pH to an acceptable level.

Add 30 ppm worth of CYA using the sock method. Maintain 12 ppm FC by testing and adding liquid chlorine every couple hours.
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I added 3 lbs of soda ash, as that's all I had available. I will test again in the morning. My worry is that my filter will clog, right now, the pressure gauge is just slightly off the stud at 0.
 
Does your filter have a MPV with recirc? If so, put it on that. Until you get the algae on the road to death.

Baking Soda = big TA change, small pH change
Borax = Big pH change, small TA change
Washing Soda = big pH change, big TA change. Probably more TA change than you want.
 
I did that all day today. I hit it with the vacuum today, and the leaf rake, and then added the pool math recommended amount of chlorine (3 gallons) and 3 boxes of Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" as my TA and pH are still off the scale low. I now smell chlorine, not swamp, when I scoop out the leaves and Crud from the bottom. My filter baskets have been a nightmare. My water is still green; I put DE in the filter tonight and set it in 'fast clean' mode before my arms got too tired to continue. That's the real trouble I have, I can't see the bottom to clean it, I'm just scooping blindly.
 
I think my filter gauge is no good. I checked the filter this morning, the gauge read 0. There was very little water from the outlets. I backwashed and rinsed, but when I put it back on, again I had very little flow. I just took the filter apart and cleaned out all the caked on gunk, I guess a mix of DE and all the accumulated Crud. I have to go buy silicon lube for the o-ring and grab some more liquid chlorine. I feel like I'm just pouring that chlorine right out into my waste. I'm pulling less and less leaves and crud in the rake, but the vacuum is clogging more frequently from the itchyballs.
 
Did you happen to use the Step 2 packet in your Swamp to Swim product? That is a floculant and is known to clog up filters, so hopefully you didnt use it.

I would say in addition to cleaning the filter, keep doing what you are doing. The chlorine is killing the living algae in your pool, and vacuuming is removing it and other debris. It is a good sign that you get less and less gunk, even if you are not seeing results. I know it can be frustrating, but you are doing the right things.

Good luck. Also, I have no idea what itchyballs are, but the 12 year old in me giggles every time you write it.
 

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