I am a pool newbie and need help.

Jump to latest Follow Reply
P

PoolNewbie75

0
May 23, 2016
3
Salem
I am a pool newbie and am in desperate need to help open my pool. My pool needs to be emptied, cleaned (I mean, it's nasty) and then I don't know what to do from there. There is leaves, brown algae, etc. I am in the process of finding out how to put my pool filter, etc together. I need to know what products to buy and hoping that I can keep this as inexpensive as possible. Please help. I have an Intex Ultra Metal frame pool. Thank you in advance for any and all advice and help.

To keep this inexpensive is bc I have had a lot of medical problems in the last few months, and dr has ordered me to stay relaxed and stress free. :)
 
Welcome to TFP :) We're all about saving a penny here.. This is the common sense, cheapest way to manage your pool and keep it healthy.

I'm unclear as to how large your pool is? If it is small enough to empty here is a good read for you:Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools

Dabble in Pool School articles up at the link above and start with the ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
 
Hmmmm... Pool Math estimates show that to be about 13K gallons. Is it round or rectangle??
Too much to drain, I think. Don't drain it entirely, always leave a foot in the bottom to hold the liner down.

I would suggest using a small sump pump (or even a simple hose siphon) to get it down, then using a bleach solution to wash it down, spray it out and fill fresh. As soon as you fill it up, you'll need to add stabilizer and chlorine. How do you want to do that? Pucks will provide both but over time the continual use of them will be a problem as they add too much CYA to the water. You could start with pucks and then move on to household bleach. That would be ideal. You don't need to worry about any calcium. Your pH can be managed easily with muriatic acid and/or baking soda. Borax may be useful but we don't know yet until you test your pool after its filled.

Have you started to read Pool School? Start here: ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
 
The UPC comes up as an Intex 24" x 52" Ultra-Frame Pool. That's no kiddie pool. Its full sized, so you need a full-sized test kit. Invest in a TF100 It'll pay for itself in one trip not made to the pool store.

Until the pool is cleaned out and full and the water is circulating so you can get some test results, about all we can help you with is reading Pool School.

ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry will help you speak our language.
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals will tell you what chemical fixes what and how to add it
Pool School - PoolMath will help you calculate how much to add.

If you find anything good in the swamp - one guy fished a riding mower out of his a few years ago -- take pictures and share!

When the water's circulating, post again if you have testing questions or need help interpreting the results.
 
Ty, YippeeSkippy !! If you could see how nasty the water looks. Way beyond just the green water. This pool wasn't covered at all. So I'm gonna do the siphon method to drain the water. Then I'll use the bleach to clean it out. My liner has a few places that needs stretched back out. So I'm hoping I can still do that. My brother has a pool and I'm hoping he will help me some. What are pucks? I'll look them up. But I'm so glad that I can use the household products instead of having to get all the pool supplies that are so expensive. Thank you for all your help.

- - - Updated - - -

Ty, Richard320. I'll go to the store and get a test kit. About how much do they cost? I have going to get a hold of intex corp and ask them how to put the filter, etc together to get the pool going. The lady who owned this house before will not help me at all. Which is really sad.
 
Welcome to TFP!

According to WallyWorld, it looks like an Intex 24' X 52" round pool holds 12,481 gallons. Depending on water prices in your area, you could certainly drain and refill. To clean it out, it's a lot of manual labor with or without the water in the pool. It's definitely a call on your part if you want to remove the debris with a net or a shovel. If you keep the water, then you need a Leaf Rake to help you out. If you drain it, depending on how the pool was assembled, there may be something like beach sand underneath the floor. If so, your weight can leave footprints that will be there after you fill with water. Footprints are uncomfortable and kinda ugly. Getting the floor smooth is quite a project and must be done before there is water in the pool. You mentioned draining it and cleaning with bleach. Just be careful on the concentration of the bleach, it can take out the pattern on the vinyl liner if it's too strong.

About those pucks...Pucks are those hard chlorine tablets that contain both chlorine and CYA (a chlorine stabilizer). As you read through the site, you will find that they are one of the most overused chemical in the pool industry. They have their limited value, but Pool School will steer you away from extended use.

Fortunately, you have found the right place here at TFP before your local pool store did a bank transfer from your account to theirs. Welcome!
 
Welcome to TFP. You will gain a lot of insight in Pool School reading the ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and other Pool School Articles. We all want to help you help yourself take care of your pool in the most cost effective, trouble free manner as possible and it starts with educating yourself. The articles are fantastic. It will help you understand what pucks are, which test kits are used and why you should purchase one over the other, tools needed to make cleaning debris from the pool easier and chemicals you can purchase at your local store.

We hope you enjoy the site. If you have any questions after reading Pool School, please do ask.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply