In over my head... Pool full of leaves and algae. HELP!!!

[Thurge]

Hi folks.

Last year I bought a house with a pool and I started using the info I learned here to maintain it. I had a few slip ups were I got lax with maintenance but overall I would call it a success. I was enjoying my pool so much that I left it open too long. Fall came and my pool was overloaded with leaves. I tried to get them out but it's a lot of work and I'm not physically in good enough shape to do it. So I never closed my pool. Now the season is only a few weeks away and I have an overwhelming mess to deal with. I guess I need a guide on how best to approach this problem. I'm thinking turning the pump on would be a bad idea with all that crud in the water. Should I just start bleaching it until it is clear enough to see the leaves? I know I'll probably have to hire somebody to help with this but I don't know what approach I need to take. Also the level of the water is kinda low. It's just below the jets. I'm thinking I may have a leak somewhere not really sure how to deal with that either, if there is a leak. I know how to get the water clear when there isn't a bunch of crud but should I balance first and then clean or clean first and then balance? Or maybe I should try to do both at once? Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[duraleigh]

Clearing a neglected pool most always starts with netting out all the physical debris that you can.

 

[JasonLion]

You should read Turning a Green Swamp into a Sparkling Oasis.

 

[Divin Dave]

get yourself a couple more nets, and case or 2 or maybe a couple pitchers of "refreshements", and couple of pizzas or some porkchops for the grill and call all your friends! It would prolly be less expensive than hiring someone and would prolly make the task as enjoyable (term used loosely) as it can be. Thats what we do every spring at one of my friends house! Lots of fun actually!

 

[CUTiger78]

Clearing a neglected pool most always starts with netting out all the physical debris that you can.

+1!

Besides getting a pool "leaf rake" for your skimmer pole, a "leaf gulper" is an easy to get debris off the bottom of the pool. It's water-powered (screw your garden hose to it) and fits onto the end of your skimmer pole.

Here's a picture of a leaf gulper I found online:

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Good luck!

 

[Casey]

Can you please tell us where you are located. Did you drain the pool last fall and call it a day or did you leave it full? Did it freeze? This is why location is key to know...