I found this site last year, and by the end of the year I thought I knew what I was doing. This year I find I'm still not so smart. I'll recount some of the events so far, both as a lesson to other newbies in "what not to do", and also sprinkle in a request for advice, from those who know better.
1st My pool is a "Bromine" sanitized pool, not my choice it was already that way, and changing over to BBB is still a bit beyond my beginner skills at this point, maybe next year.
I closed the pool pretty well- drained below everything, covered, then a Leaf net on top. (Previous owner omitted leaf net and I had a major problem last year) Note to self and others: always use the leaf net.
After removing the leaf net this year, I peeked under the cover - Ughh Green and murky!
Remembering last year- I thought what the heck - if it's already green and murky and I don't have a zillion leaves this year, forget draining the cover. I pulled it off and half way through the process I realized the pool was really pretty clean, not nearly as bad as it looked at first peak - but by then there was no turning back! the cover was already half off and the water and filth from the cover poured into the pool. Now it was Green and murky!
The filter started up fine - needed a few tweeks in the plumbing but that was it.
I started adding Bleach and vacuuming, brushing, skimming (repeat Ad Nauseum)
It began improving, the green began to fade but not entirely - the water is still very cloudy
Bromine level is High (5-10) Free Chlorine (5)
Question: Last year I was sure I had read that shocking a Bromine Pool with Chlorine kind of rejuvinated the Bromine. This seemed to work well for me last year. But I just read on another site that adding Chlorine to a bromine system was Dangerous and a terrible thing to do - Which is correct?
I got impatient and reasoned that the Shock would not be effective as long as there are leaves, Pine needles, worms and toads at the bottom of the pool. I attacked the "as yet unseeable" bottom with the vacuum. Note to self : never vacuum what you can't see Now I have leaves Pine needles, worms and toads somewhere under my patio, far from the vaccum port and far from the filter - Drain rooter time for me!
Lesson learned - Short cuts take me far from where I want to be.
Final question - Will the sanitizer eventually reduce the cloudyness? or is it time for a flocculant?
1st My pool is a "Bromine" sanitized pool, not my choice it was already that way, and changing over to BBB is still a bit beyond my beginner skills at this point, maybe next year.
I closed the pool pretty well- drained below everything, covered, then a Leaf net on top. (Previous owner omitted leaf net and I had a major problem last year) Note to self and others: always use the leaf net.
After removing the leaf net this year, I peeked under the cover - Ughh Green and murky!
Remembering last year- I thought what the heck - if it's already green and murky and I don't have a zillion leaves this year, forget draining the cover. I pulled it off and half way through the process I realized the pool was really pretty clean, not nearly as bad as it looked at first peak - but by then there was no turning back! the cover was already half off and the water and filth from the cover poured into the pool. Now it was Green and murky!
The filter started up fine - needed a few tweeks in the plumbing but that was it.
I started adding Bleach and vacuuming, brushing, skimming (repeat Ad Nauseum)
It began improving, the green began to fade but not entirely - the water is still very cloudy
Bromine level is High (5-10) Free Chlorine (5)
Question: Last year I was sure I had read that shocking a Bromine Pool with Chlorine kind of rejuvinated the Bromine. This seemed to work well for me last year. But I just read on another site that adding Chlorine to a bromine system was Dangerous and a terrible thing to do - Which is correct?
I got impatient and reasoned that the Shock would not be effective as long as there are leaves, Pine needles, worms and toads at the bottom of the pool. I attacked the "as yet unseeable" bottom with the vacuum. Note to self : never vacuum what you can't see Now I have leaves Pine needles, worms and toads somewhere under my patio, far from the vaccum port and far from the filter - Drain rooter time for me!
Lesson learned - Short cuts take me far from where I want to be.
Final question - Will the sanitizer eventually reduce the cloudyness? or is it time for a flocculant?