How to clean an IG pool vinyl liner everywhere

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J

John Rock

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2010
110
Montreal, Quebec
Hi,

I've owned my house for almost 5 years now and it came with an IG pool with a vinyl liner that was changed around 2000 I think. One of the two water jets (don't know to real term) was no longer working and still doesn't.

I've always struggled with keeping the pool clean (probably a mix of neglect and nearby vegetation) and last summer, I noticed that the liner had a generalized stain, like light dirt or algae, that just never went away as scrubbing wouldn't help.

Now before opening my pool this year, I was thinking of emptying it completely and using some kind of product and elbow grease to really clean the vinyl.

I was wondering if that was the way to go and what product and technique would do the trick.

I hope this forum will be able to help because I'm really not having success with my pool I find.

Thanks!
 
Welcome to TFP!

Completely draining a vinyl pool is a really bad idea. The liner will shift when you drain the pool and will never go back into place properly. And, if it is more than a couple of years old, it will probably tear when you refill it.

Try holding a vitamin C tablet against a stained area for about 30 seconds and see if the stain lightens or goes away entierly.
 
Wow. Ok, first of all, thanks for the welcome.

Second, I'm amazed that I'm getting a reply minutes after my post, let alone around midnight! Thank you so much.

Third, you maybe prevented me from ruining my pool!

At the moment, my pool is a swamp since I haven't opened it yet (and I don't cover it in the winter since I found it involved more work). Does this mean I should open it normally like usual, then if I still have the same general stain as last year, try your tablet suggestion?

Also, if the stain would go away in that spot, how would I go about cleaning the whole vinyl after?

Thanks!
 
You are welcome. Not all responses are in minutes :) but we try.

Yes, I would open normally and then try out some of the possible approaches to removing the stains. Nearly all stains are either metals, which respond to vitamin C, or organic, which respond to chlorine. It is too early too tell if they are really metal stains, but if they are this article at Pool School provides some good background information and links to the description of how the stains are completely removed.
 
I used to have these beige/lt tan stains on the bottom of my vinyl liner...they seemed to spread with time. Nothing worked to treat them they did not brush away. When I would shock - they would disappear, only to return when the FC dropped back down to 'normal' levels.

Three months after switching to BBB the stains faded and never returned. Turned out my CYA levels were too high and my FC not high enough. Once the ratio was correct, the stains went away.

So the stains you see could be organic like mine were. Get things opened up, post some test results, and try identifying if the stain is metal or organic, and we'll help you get it cleared up. :)
 
Well you guys got me pumped and ready to care for my pool!

I looked in the Pool School for an article on how to open the pool, but only saw an article for AG pools. I assume buying a "kit" isn't the way to go. Can you provide a link to a tutorial?
 
The above ground instructions are mostly the same as the in-ground instructions. You should be able to follow the same basic sequence of events. Many of the details depend on specifics of your equipment. Photos will help us explain any details that might be specific to your pool.
 
John Rock said:
I assume buying a "kit" isn't the way to go.
Click to expand...

Correct. :cool: Actually, a test kit is the first thing you should buy, if you don't already have one.

Basically you get the filtration working, circulate the water for several hours, and then you collect a sample for testing. This will get you started so you know what you need to add to the water (besides bleach/chlorine).

Learn how to use the Pool Calculator - this is the tool that will tell you how much of each chem you need to add to the pool and when. :goodjob:
 
Alrighty. I've updated my signature as instructed with my pool specs. Please note that one of the two return jets is no longer functional and I'm unsure to what extent this impacts my results. I waiting to win the lottery before breaking the concrete to fix this. :cry:

So I filled up the pool yesterday, removed the floating debris and started the filter before night. Today, after coming back from work, I made a backwash. Should I be doing this? Now I've just tested the water with the kit I already have, Olympic brand, 5 drop bottles.

The results :

Chlorine = 0
Bromine = 0
PH = 7.8~8
Total alkalinity = 30 ppm

The weather is around 10 degrees Celsius during the day in my neck of the woods.

Since I won't have a lot of time before the weekend, should I wait until then to start adding chemicals? Should I be concerned right now with all the debris in the bottom of the pool?
 
Yes, ideally if you can't focus your attention on the pool you might as well wait until the weekend.

How old is your Olympic brand test kit? (ignore reference to bromine, assuming your pool has been chlorine?)

Your TA is too low. Assuming these results are accurate, you'll need to use Baking Soda to raise the TA to about 90. (You can use the Pool Calculator to figure out how much that is, we'll help you.).

Then, you'll need to lower the PH with Muratic Acid, to 7.5. Again, use the Pool Calculator.

You'll need to stop by the pool store to have the CYA tested since your kit doesn't test for that. You'll need to know your CYA level so you can determine if any is present, how much, and this will tell you your "shock level" for when you begin to shock the pool after opening. :wink:

In the meantime yes, you want to scoop out as much solid organic matter as possible with a leaf rake/net.

Note the pressure of the filter after backwashing, and whenever you see an 8-10 psi rise you should backwash. :goodjob:
 

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I bought the kit last summer, but left it outside during the winter. Doesn't that effect the quality?

The niddle on the gage doesn't work I think, so I guess I'll have to replace that.

I guess my next step is to buy a good test kit before the weekend!
 
Ok, I've added about 6 KG of baking soda which should bring me to around 90 TA. I wasn't sure how to add it in the pool, so I put the filter on whirpool and put it in the basket.

How long should I wait before adding the acid and then the bleach?

I think my CYA is at 0.
 
Great, no waiting! So I added five Old Dutch bleach jugs (6%) in the pool, and when I took a CL reading at night fall (still with my cheap kit), it looked like the CL level was around 4 or 5, the kit max reading. Should the color been orange/red with a target of 10? Is the kit accurate or my bleach really cheap?
 
Ok, I've just made another test coming back from work (19h ET) and the CL is now at zero! Last night, it was at least 3 CL or more. My TA is around 90-100 and PH around 7.8

Keep in mind I was starting with a green pool and I haven't picked up the gunk in the bottom yet. Do I need to add some stabilizer so the chlorine stays longer, or just add more chlorine. Yesterday I added 5 jugs, and I have about 9 on hand. Should I put it all and see?

About the bleach, I'm buying them on special at 99 cents (instead of $1,39) and it says 6% in the fine print. This surprised me since bleach at the grocery store is at least twice the price, at says 4%. Perhaps this Old Dutch bleach is... old? :)

Meanwhile, I'm currently looking at my options to buy a K2006 kit...
 
You need to get the gunk out or you'll make little progress. :)
Yes, get some stabilizer if your confident it's zero - otherwise you'll lose all the FC to sunlight and you won't get anywhere...

Who sells the Old Dutch brand? Is it a reputable store, or is it like a Dollar Store? (like we have here, "everythings a dollar" type place). Sometimes at the discount places -its old/weakened.

Do you have an Aldi, Walmart, Target, Lowes, type place? What about a pool store that sells liquid chlorine 10-12.5%?
 
About the gunk, do I need to remove leaves only, or actually vacuum to pick up some algae too? The problem now is that I won't be able to this before the weekend, unless I ask the wife! :whip:

I added 10 jugs of Old Dutch tonight and did a test an hour later. It was dark yellow, at least 7-8 CL I would say, compared with the yellow of 5 CL. So that's a ratio of at least 8 CL for $10... good? I buy the bleach in the most popular drug store chain in Quebec. I do have a Walmart not too far and a pool store that sells liquid chlorine, but I assumed the cost for liquid chlorine would make it an expensive option. Also, my father in law was raving about Purox the other day, which is about $6 a jug. Is this chlorine too?
 

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