I did more damage than the algae

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Ban26ana

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Jul 31, 2011
23
Galloway, NJ
I have a cheap Intex metal frame pool. It is 15X4 and holds 4400 gallons. We woke up after a storm and it was green. So I got a "green to blue" HTH kit from walmart. It said to put the shock in, then put this other stuff in (it was kind of clumpy and looked like clay). Then let it circulate for an hour, and then settle for 24 hours. Then I was supposed to vacuum it up. The package did say not to use if you can't vacuum, but I'm an idiot.

So I went to vacuum, and I realized that my little Toys R Us vacuum just has a mesh bag attached, so the stuff flows right through it. The guy at the pool store says that is the only type of vacuum I can use for this pool. I tried to pump it out with a hand pump, and then I rigged the hose to my pool vacuum to get it out. It kind of work, but it really circulated the stuff around.

So right now the stuff is settling again, and I'm looking for any option besides draining the pool. Suggestions?
 
Ban26ana, Welcome to TFP!
I have the same pool! :)
I went through just about the same thing. I just got a cheap vacuum head and new hose and used the siphon method over the pool wall to waste, then refill.
Go to Pool School link at the top of the page and read all about shocking your pool and how we all learned to care for our pools now.
My pool is always perfect and very easy to care for and maintain doing this the TFP way! :whoot:
Get a good test kit, that will save a lot of money, as you'll have a hard time of doing this yourself without one. I have the TF-100 kit. It's the best tool in my toolbox as it will fix anything that's wrong with my pool! (and with lots of help here!)
A better pump and filter system will help a lot too.
Go and read this section to see what I and others have done to our pump system upgrades.
CHUCK
http://www.troublefreepool.com/custom-pvc-pipe-adapter-for-intex-pools-t28971.html
 
You can put a stocking (thick, opaque, but not sweater type of weave) into the the vacuum bag that will catch the finer particles. The kind of tights girls wear, thick nylons. Toddler size is good, double up the legs inside each other for two layers.
 
Thanks! I finally got all the Crud out. I should have taken a picture of my White Trash rigging system. :lol: I bought a hand pump from Home Depot, but I quickly learned that I didn't want to hand pump the entire pool. So I took the 6 foot hose that came with that. I duct taped it to my vacuum where the mesh bag would have gone. But that wasn't long enough, so I then duct taped that hose to my sump pump hose. Bonus White Trash points for the fact that I used leopard print duct tape. I ended up losing a bit of water, and it was a 3 day process (I kept having to let the stuff re-settle), but it's finally gone. Now I'm trying to get the cloudiness to go away and get the chemicals right.

I so should have taken video of me doing this. At one point I got in the pool with my clothes on and my rigged up siphon. Yeah, I was a hot mess.
 
Sounds like you would have been quite the entertainment for some neighbors :lol:

Glad to hear you got the mess taken care of.

Like the others suggested, get yourself a test kit... it will be some of the best $$ you spent on your pool!!
 
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