Texas Coast & Inland - Balancing pool w Lot's of Rain

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tstex

Silver Supporter
Aug 28, 2012
2,191
Houston, TX
Hello to all,

Live in the West Harris Country area and we are expected to received 8-10" of rain. [key word, expected but not guaranteed].

Obviously, for high CH, high CYA or too low of pH, rain is good. If the pool is balanced fine, what are some general recommendations on keeping your pool balanced re proper pH & FC? As the rain comes, is it better to let top layer(s) of water to drain out, or should the pump be mixing it and out another avenue?

My last readings were:

FC 5-6
CH 275
TA 75-80
CYA 50
pH 7.5

Bold readings were completed w TF-100 W S-STICK, recent FC & pH w pH & FC OTO test kit...

THank you very much,
tstex
 
Live in the West Harris Country area and we are expected to received 8-10" of rain. [key word, expected but not guaranteed].
Click to expand...

I do not see a SWCG in your signature, so your CYA could use coming down a bit.

Do you have an automatic overflow or do you have to drain manually?

If you could, I would drain a bit off if it becomes really apparent that you are going to get large amounts of rain, and if you must manually drain, you need to monitor for more drain later. I would up my FC to 20% of CYA as you will likely get additional organics in the water (leaves, etc). The rain will most significantly drive pH up, so prior I would be sure the pH is in the 7 to 7.2 range. Though you can survive higher pH with your lower CH and in range TA. CSI is what you need to monitor.

Keep the rowboats handy ........
 
Thanks MK - I have a drain on the side of the pool so when it reaches a certain point, it just drains by itself. If I really need to drain it fast and not lightening, then I can toss in submersible pump and the pump drain valve on pad for a double drain...but, if any lightening nearby, it's going to empty by drain only...

Thanks again
 
In Katy here....planning on draining some water, upping the FC, and dropping the pH to 7.

Yay, my CH will go down :)

At what point (in a weekend full of raining) should you re-test to make sure you are staying in balance?
 
Now I can understand adding extra but with rain there will be no sun so the rate of chlorine consumption should also go down right?

Depending on what's around your pool for organics it might be wise to add extra. I think I will collect some rain water and test it. I wonder what the PH will be?

Another reason to add extra chlorine is incase the electricity goes out for an extended period of time. This will help keep things clean for a while.
 
Rain is typically a bit acidic.

If your power goes out and it is safe to do keep adding chlorine and use a brush to move the water around.

I would suggest testing at least daily as long as it is safe to do so.

At the end of the day, you can always clean up a dirty pool.
 

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I live in Spring, Texas and have the same concerns. I have an auto overflow, but I'm not entirely certain how to drain the pool otherwise. I just can't remember! I'm still a relatively new pool owner, so I'll have to do some research.

Thanks for the tips!
 
You have a cartridge filter so no backwash/waste valve I would assume.

Does your system have a hose spigot after the pump? If so, you can hook a hose to it, open the spigot and turn on the pump. Then put the hose either in your sewer cleanout or wherever your municipality instructs you to put pool water.

Otherwise a submersible pump is handy to have. You can get a 1/3 hp unit that will pump 400 gph or so through a 3/4" hose.

Be safe == take care.
 
Hi, Mknauss! Yes, I have three hose spigots after each of the three pumps that I have. I assume I will use the spigot from the main pump (the other two are water features). That seems easy enough!

I'm concerned about high water and tall trees this go round, but not necessarily because of the winds. Ground saturation always tips over the big trees around here.

Thanks again!
 
I'm glad I found this thread! I live in Corpus and we have rain forecast anywhere from 10-30". Im currently about 10" below surface level and i've had my cya on the higher end of the spectrum even after 3 partial drains. Should I go ahead and drain some more out while I can and drop the ph to the 7.0 range?
 
If we get the kind of rain they are predicting, there will be quite a bit of water replacement in the pools. I would have enough bleach on hand to reach slam levels, a canister of CYA, and a jug of MA. While the torrential downpour is going on there is not much point to testing and dosing the pool. As soon as the rain stops and it is safe to do so test the water, adjust pH if needed and raise it up to slam level. Scoop out any debris that may have washed into the pool and re-test in two hours.

If you were in the Houston area during the Memorial Day floods a couple of years ago it shouldn't be much difference in the cleanup.
 
zea3 said:
If we get the kind of rain they are predicting, there will be quite a bit of water replacement in the pools. I would have enough bleach on hand to reach slam levels, a canister of CYA, and a jug of MA. While the torrential downpour is going on there is not much point to testing and dosing the pool. As soon as the rain stops and it is safe to do so test the water, adjust pH if needed and raise it up to slam level. Scoop out any debris that may have washed into the pool and re-test in two hours.

If you were in the Houston area during the Memorial Day floods a couple of years ago it shouldn't be much difference in the cleanup.
Click to expand...


ive got the bleach and MA . i'll test when safe and pray i have electricity. thanks for the input!
 
I don't see the point in preemptively reducing the pH before the storm unless you're at 7.8 already. It won't hurt the equipment to have pH on the high side for a day or two IF it gets too high. I'd just drop the water level before hand so that there is at least 10" of headroom between water level and pool wall/coping height. Depending on pump location and height above ground level, I'd consider turning off the breaker to the pump pad once the storms start so that if the pad gets flooded, the pump won't flood and burn out. It won't hurt to leave pad power off for a day. After you drop the pool water level, raise the FC. Up to shock level would work fine and help fight any organics that make their way into the pool.

Take any outdoor furniture, toys, tables, bbq, loose decoration etc and secure them or put them in the garage/house. You would hate to have to fish them out of your pool or your neighbors yard/tree...
 
Hello to all,

Well, the rain total predictions have escalated [20" - 36"], more so that I'm worried about flooding the house than just the pool. Either way, here's what a pool company sent me. We can go thru this and see what's applicable and what is not.

Also, if you live in Central and SE Texas and in path of Harvey, the weather channel and others dramatize everything to make it sound like an Armegeddon. I'm not saying to not heed actual warnings, but keep in mind hurricanes to these guys is their bread-&-butter time for sensationalism. Here's the info:

1. Do Not Empty Pool

Drainage is almost always in the design of the pool. Water in the pool provides weight to keep the pool in the ground. An empty pool can float or pop out of the ground due to pressure from excessive ground water caused by heavy rains.

2. Turn Off Power

Circuit breakers at the main electrical panel should be turned off. Pump motors, lighting, chlorinators, and heaters should not operate in the storm.

3. Protect Electric Pool Equipment

Wrap the pump motor, time clock, light transformers and electric heaters with waterproof plastic. Tie securely in place to prevent sand and water from entering. If flooding is expected, disconnect these devices and store them in a dry place.

4. Remove Loose Items

Chairs, tables, toys, pool tools or other loose items can become dangerous projectiles in high winds. It’s best to store them inside away from storm. Avoid throwing furniture into pool, unless it is a last resort. If so, gently place objects in pool to avoid damage and staining.

5. Add Extra Chlorine to the Pool

To prevent contamination from debris and excessive storm water, add a granular shock, preferably Power Powder Plus or Chlor Brite.

6. Do Not Cover Pool

Storms can cause falling branches and other debris that can damage pool covers. It’s easier to remove debris from the pool than it is to replace a cover.

7. Protect Screen Enclosure if you have one

Providing a vent for wind to flow through can help prevent damage. Possibly remove screen panels on opposite sides of the enclosure.

8. Flush drain lines and remove debris from catch basins and dRains

Good luck to all and I hope everyone all is safe and sound afterwards - tstex
 
I did virtually everything in that list, with the exception of turning off power. My overflow drain is keeping the water level just below the coping, even after a 3 inch per hour rain band passed through. My yard does not flood, given that I am at the top of a small hill, so I am not worried about flooding my equipment. I bumped up my FC, and lowered my pH slightly yesterday (Woodlands water has a very high pH). Other than that, I check the baskets every so often.

So far so good.
 

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