Swamp to Clear questions.

[Mycool]

I am in the process of buying a home with a swamp. The house checked out well in the inspection, but the pool is a swamp. I have 11 days on my contract from today. I would like to clear the water so I can see inside the pool prior to purchase to check the pumps and make sure there isn't anything horribly wrong with the structure(it is holding water).

I read the swamp to clear pool thread and have been reading over and over in the pool school.

The pool is basically under a fortress of 2x6's and is 3-4 feet low. My plan is to jack up the cover so I have good access to atleast one side of the pool so I can get as much of the crud off of the bottom as I can manage while filling the pool back to its correct level. When the pool is at its correct level I will begin shocking it and flip on the filter. When I flip on the filter I will back wash it to get the pressure down. Then follow the instructions as shown in the thread.

Can I do this with the pool still partially covered? I was thinking it would be better since the FC would burn off slower without as much direct sunlight.(and it would be impossible to completely remove the cover untill I have purchased the home)

I have ordered the TF-100, but I am using a cheap tester from Home Depot for now.

Thanks for the help in advance!
Mike

The pool is 22,000 gallon inground gunite with a DE filter, SWG and heater.

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Mike,

Some pics may help but my first thought is there may be some sludge you can't get to unless the pool is completely uncovered so you may not be able to get it all the way clear....or even enough to see the bottom.

Next, as you have probably learned, clearing a pool is a process that can take several days.....11 should be adequate but you never know for sure.

My last thought is there any way you can write up some kind of escrow to withhold some money pending successful operation of the pool? That would be best.

Short of that, probably the single biggest expense issue is the need to re-plaster. You may be able to get a good idea about that simply by inspecting as much of the sidewalls of the pool you can get to. Anything else broken or wrong would probably not be a deal breaker.

 

[Mycool]

I have pictures posted in the getting started area. Last post in my thread there.

The equipment is going to be covered by a home warranty.

home-buyer-with-questions-photos-added-t40445.html

 

[Mycool]

Hi, Mike,

Some pics may help but my first thought is there may be some sludge you can't get to unless the pool is completely uncovered so you may not be able to get it all the way clear....or even enough to see the bottom.

Next, as you have probably learned, clearing a pool is a process that can take several days.....11 should be adequate but you never know for sure.

My last thought is there any way you can write up some kind of escrow to withhold some money pending successful operation of the pool? That would be best.

Short of that, probably the single biggest expense issue is the need to re-plaster. You may be able to get a good idea about that simply by inspecting as much of the sidewalls of the pool you can get to. Anything else broken or wrong would probably not be a deal breaker.

There are some raised areas on the plaster (guessing calcium deposit) I was going to try to take a ¿pumice? stone to it once i get the water cleared and the ph lower(if needed).

 

[Richard320]

I looked at the big picture in the other thread, that grayish stuff on the walls looks like calcium scale. It doesn't come off easy, I can tell you from experience. But, it's not a structural problem. Once you can see the walls, I'd look for blistered plaster, cracks, and missing plaster. Those might be a deal breaker. Scale can be dealt with. You can drain the pool and blast. Or acid wash. Someone here had a thread a while back about acid-washing the pool when full. Then neutralizing it.

I've taken the long, slow approach. I'm fanatical about maintaining CSI in the negatives, and brushing with a steel brush, and after two years I see progress.

 

[Mycool]

I looked at the big picture in the other thread, that grayish stuff on the walls looks like calcium scale. It doesn't come off easy, I can tell you from experience. But, it's not a structural problem. Once you can see the walls, I'd look for blistered plaster, cracks, and missing plaster. Those might be a deal breaker. Scale can be dealt with. You can drain the pool and blast. Or acid wash. Someone here had a thread a while back about acid-washing the pool when full. Then neutralizing it.

I've taken the long, slow approach. I'm fanatical about maintaining CSI in the negatives, and brushing with a steel brush, and after two years I see progress.

Thankyou for looking at the photo!!! I thought thats what it was but this is my first pool so its nice to hear it from someone else once they have seen it. I am getting the home for a GREAT price, so if the pool needs replastering it won't be the end of the world. The process starts today. Here it is:

#1 Get pool cleaning tools(borrowing from brother till I shop around on the net)
#2 Start filling the pool to correct fill level.
#3 Pull tarp and metal mesh back.
#4 Check sturdiness of the wooden fortress(2x6's that cover the entire pool and most of the decking. Wife will be there in case that part of plan backfires)
#5 Clear all the crud I can off the bottom and measure to see how long back wash hose needs to be.
#6 Water should be to fill line by now. Check the pool equipment.
#7 If equipment is functioning, take sample to local pool store. Purchase 2 bags of DE and stabalizer if needed. Also a long backwash hose.
#8 Hit Sam's buy a whole bunch of Unscented bleach.
#9 Shock. Backwash. Test. Rinse and repeat.

I'll take pictures of the process for those who might want to see.

Thanks!

 

[monkeyrockpools]

Plan looks sound. One comment, Sam's bleach I imagine would cost far more to do the job. It would be a far weaker solution than Chlorine jugs from a pool store, and you would need a lot more. Just trying to save you some pennies.

 

[Bama Rambler]

While it's always a good idea to check the prices we usually find that Clorox bleach at SamsClub winds up costing less than any other type of chlorine. Here's a topic that discusses the cost of chlorine sources. If your local pool store has a sale on 12.5% or even 10.5% bleach that could be the cheapest. Great Value bleach at Walmart is also a good deal but check it because we've seen reports of it being less than 6%.

 

[Mycool]

Test results from the pool store before I started(TF is on its way still):

CYA- 0 (put a sock of stabalizer in the skimmer as directed)
ph - 7.6 added 1 jug of acid
TA- 80
CH - 420
FC- 0

I am planning on running another sample by when I get out of work here in a little bit. Check the FC make sure I am atleast close to shock.

 

[msgtdan]

I wouldn't be worried about CYA right now, with zero in you'll use less bleach clearing the swamp. Also if the cover is still over the pool you won't loose much chlorine to sunlight. Once the house is yours and you have it cleared and uncovered then worry about the CYA.

 

[Mycool]

I wouldn't be worried about CYA right now, with zero in you'll use less bleach clearing the swamp. Also if the cover is still over the pool you won't loose much chlorine to sunlight. Once the house is yours and you have it cleared and uncovered then worry about the CYA.

The cover aka fortress has been pulled back to one side till i finish the process or till I rip the rest of it down when I buy the home.

The pool is almost there. Green tint with a bunch of white specles floating around and only some small patches of green that need to be stirred now and again. I can see the bottom on more than half the pool not the Deep end yet. Pool is looking like it is going to be in good shape structurally so far. Though I still need to do some leak tests. The backwash pipe was run under ground to the front of the house cleanout drain. Didn't realize till tonight that the pipe was busted in the front in front of the flower bed. Doesn't look like its to deep and will be an quick easy fix to repair it. DE and Water is in the grass in the front OPPS!! The yard was in bad shape anyway. Was a funny moment when my wife asked me if I was checking the sprinkler system......

I am still concerned mostly with a plumbing leak. Its REALLY hard to tell with all the backwashing I have been doing. So tonight the pump is going to run from 11:30pm till 5:30amish. Eyeball the water level then proceed with the leak tests once I know the filter will run thoroughly for 24 hours(hope I can get it done soon). I will probably end up checking it with the plumbing on first since I will still be in the battle against algae!!!

Thanks for all the help so far!!!

Mike

 

[Mycool]

The pool is holding water. The water is clear.

Test results -

FC - 9-10
TA- 80
PH- Untested(High Levels of FC still)
CH - 420
CC - 1 (or a bit lower)
CYA - 30-40 (recently added did a couple of tests seems to be just below 40)

The pool is looking alot better, but when I do the CC test it turns a very light pink and goes almost completly clear with the second drop removing the very slight sign of cloudyness.

The deep end of the pool is "stained" but I think the stains (i want to say) are getting a bit lighter.

Should I bring the FC back up to shock again or let it fall to the normal range and retest?

I will post some pics of the stuff on the bottom in about 30-40 mins.

Thanks for the help so far!!

 

[duraleigh]

but when I do the CC test it turns a very light pink and goes almost completly clear with the second drop removing the very slight sign of cloudyness.

Well, I think you are very close but perhaps not quite there yet.

Test CC's when you get a chance and make sure the color change is complete. In other words, see if the third or fourth drop makes NO change at all. Once there is absolutely NO more change, then subtract that last drop and that is your cc result.

Your target is CC=<1.0 so you may have to keep the FC up for a day or so more until you can get your CC's to .5ppm or less.

 

[Mycool]

When I tested it the there was no difference between the 2nd 3rd and 4th drop for CC.

Edit: I think what I meant to say in the prior post didn't come out correctly. When I started the CC test with the 5 drops(R-003 I think had instructions in front of me) it was a very light pink to start. I added the first drop it was darn near clear. The second drop was clear and no difference between anymore added drops.

Mike

 

[duraleigh]

I got it. So your CC test result is 1.0 which means you are not quite home free.

Keep your FC up at shock level or pretty darn close until you can make that CC's test yield .5ppm and then you'll be good to go!

 

[Mycool]

This was taken saturday.^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Next one was taken tonight(Friday).

I am thinking its just stained... But opinions are welcome!

I also think its getting lighter in color as time is passing.

Thanks!

 

[Richard320]

If there was a lot of organic debris in there, it's stained, and it will bleach out eventually.