My beginning pool nightmare

[Caco]

I would suggest if you have a decent layer of stuff on the bottom try to slowly vacuum it to waste

Or if you go for a water change try to hook up a hose to the inlet of a sump pump to suck the crud off the bottom

For a real cheapskate method you could even use a hose to siphon off the water and use that to try and clear the material up if you can get the outlet of the hose below the level of the pool floor

The reason being that the black layer is likely to be dead / decomposing organic matter like leaves etc and the chlorine would be very quickly used up trying to oxidise that material

If it is a fine layer and poofs up the only other option would be to try and brush is regularly to keep it in suspension so the sand filter catch's it

If time is of the essence then a significant water change, removing all the debris from the bottom may shorten your slam and clear it quicker. It may also be cheaper depending on the cost of water in your location. You may be able to get a credit on your wastewater charges from your local council if you ring and explain that the water is being disposed of to land, instead of through the reticulation system

 

[Seaking]

the lady staying there said the water was blue this morning but cloudy. Yay. she just said the chlorine was low, testing with a strip. She added more bleach, but I am now sure how much. She is not communicating much as she has just started a new job. I hope to get back to it tomorrow.

 

[Seaking]

An update to the nightmare

I have been at the pool since Thursday. I took my mask and persevered to find the vacuum hose strainer, the Hewyard robot and the weighted vacuum head. Had to get new hose as old was sucking air. Now have removed a solid packed gallon pale or so of debris.

Keeping the bleach in and fc above 10, the CYA shows in the 30-50(new test strips). yesterday and today had some white foam and cloudiness is still there. More "foam" today but has dispersed. I have been out babying the robot making him go , put new feet on him Thursday night. HE is moving around well when I left him an hour ago .

Just backwashed again, twice this morning, second time I cleaned the strainer had a deceased frog and 2' snake. My pump pressure low is 16- 16.5, this morning it was 20 before the first backwash.

Added 2 gallons more bleach this a.m. Headed back out now to water hose "bag" sweep and tend the robot. My father in law had named the robot "Diogenes" twenty or more years ago , nice to fix the robot and see him work. I may need to order new wings for it now but it seems to be working, the new feet were needed.

I am going to see clear water.... I am determined!

 

[Seaking]

I am making progress even with being away some the past two weeks. The lady staying there really didn't do much as she had just started a new job. I got back on Thursday and bought another 12 gallons of bleach from wally world. I think I have put 75 gallons in the past month. This weekend I have not found much more debris from the pool, I have the Hayward robot working properly, he had a quarter stuck in his throat yesterday. I am getting very little stuff in the strainer basket. I have scrubbed the walls and bottom, not seeing any clouds of dirty water now. last night before dusk the FC was at 1, I added a gallon and tested it a bit later to get a 4. This morning I have a 3 or 4, about like last night. I feel it is clearer today, I can see the screws better on the bottom of the handrail on the next to bottom step. I have to leave today and must cut the pump cycle down. Power bill was up $150 running the pump 24/7. Taking pictures today for the sale listing, at least the water looks blue. I plan on cutting the pump to a 4 hour cycle. Is it best to let it run in the non sun hours? I am leaving instructions for the woman to pour a gallon of bleach in each day until next week and I can return.

I am not working now so funds are short, I have put off ordering the good test kit as we are shutting the pool down shortly. Now I have to learn the winterizing routine soon and order a cover next week.

Side note on my bleach, I was in Wally world when I started this to get my first load of cheap bleach. I saw a price on the shelf for 2.57 a gallon but the big display on an end display showed a new low price of 2.94. I went back to look at the shelf I remembered seeing when I picked up the bleach. I took a picture of the 2.57 price and have used that picture several times buying 12 or more gallons at a time. The cashier would check the scan then look at my picture and do an override. saved 52 cents a gallon over the price at my nearby grocery. saved almost enough for half a test kit. If we still have this pool/house next season ,ordering a kit is my first season purchase. Also will tell the new owner about this site.

Thanks for all the replies