Another swamp, is it worth it? Drain or gain?

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Coonspool

Coonspool

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LifeTime Supporter
Mar 31, 2013
87
Princeton, Indiana
Hello all, newbie here.
First year of trying to open pool...and this is what I got.
At the moment I can tell you I have done nothing to it.
You'll have to forget the "How did you ever let it get like that!" questions.
I had knee replacement surgery in December, didn't go well....and we'll leave it at that.:(
Pool did have a cover on it, but storms in December ripped the cover off, approximately
2-3 trash bag full of leaves are currently resting on the bottom, as well as all the scum
and algae that you see.
My dilemma is, should I just drain the rest of it and clean up, or is it worth it to just fill her
up and start cleaning from there?
Approximate cost of water is about 280 dollars to drain and
refill. I figure I'll spend that or more refilling, labor involved and cleaning with chemicals?

I just received my tf100 kit, don't know what to do yet.
I also just got a leaf sucker vacuum that works off of the garden hose.

I would think it would be easier to drain and refill...but I am not so sure...any advice?
 

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Either way you'll have to get all the leaves out with a good leaf rake. Do you remember what the water chemistry was like when it was closed, specifically the CYA level?
 
Also, the water level already looks pretty low so you wouldn't be able to drain too much more anyway. You have to leave a foot or two or risk unseating your liner.
 
Welcome back! :wave:

Test the CYA & CH levels. If high, you'll need to drain anyway, so you might as well just bite the bullet and get it over with and drain some water. If it's decent, you can clear that mess.

You'll have to clear it anyway, because you don't want to completely drain that pool lest the liner shift. Also, a good wind when the pool is empty and a wall could collapse and bend things and, well... you can imagine the rest. So you'll have a foot of yucky water to deal with no matter what.

Whether you drain some or not, it's your call. But mostly it depends on test results. Worse-looking pools than your have been successfully cleared. $280 will buy a lot of bleach.
 
The reason I ask about the CYA is because in some cases soil bacteria will convert the CYA to ammonia over the winter. If your CYA was high at closing and you were unlucky enough for this to happen, you will have a high ammonia level. In that case, doing a partial drain and refill would be the best option. You can get an ammonia test at a pet store or Walmart.
 
I will go get some chem readings right now. That was one reason I didn't want to drain it, its been pretty windy here. Thanks for quick replies, will be back in a lil bit, I'm guessing pool is pretty close to 2/3rds the way full of water.
 
Cl 0
Br 0
pH >8.2
CH 225
CYA <20
TA 120

Actually the water was a lot clearer than what I thought it was going to be, stirred it really well and draged a pitcher thru it and it was really clear, I guess thats good!
On another note, I think the pool is closer to 1/2 full, rather than 2/3rds. That's another story......
 

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Awesome! :goodjob: Unless you somehow had a high CYA at close, chances are you don't have the CYA to ammonia conversion issue.

Being half full is a double edged sword.

Pro: It will take less bleach to reach shock level for the SLAM process.
Con: You will need to find a way to get the water circulating/filtering.
 
Well from as clear as the water was, I think I am just going to start with this leaf vacuum contraption, I gotta get them out anyway! Maybe I just have more mold and algae problems than anything? I'll wait to decide on draining after I see how this contraption works.
 
Just be careful with the leaf "vacuum" since it adds water. You don't want to fill up too much or you'll need a lot more bleach when you start SLAMMING.

You could also use one of these:

Leaf Rake

0001474664025_215X215.jpg
 
Give your review of the leaf grabber thing.

You have to fill the pool anyway to get the skimmer working so you can filter, so have at it!

Post pictures! We love to see progress. You could end up on my list of Inspirational Green-to Clean stories, with these:
First Time Shocking with Bleach
Pretty black pool
A little encouragement for those with algae and new to BBB
Frog Filled Green Swamp to Oasis---Work in Progress!!!
Before and After Pool Pics
Before and after!
A final picture set of how well the BBB method works!
 
Well the leaf bagger contraption works pretty well....so far, got 3 bags out in 20 minutes! I got it off of fleabay around 25 bucks, I'll let you know more later. I don't think I'm entitled to a list of inspiration, don't think it's as bad as I initially thought.$_12.JPG
 
Coonspool said:
Do you think I should start adding any shock or bleach to it yet? Or should I wait till I get water up to filter?
Click to expand...
When that leaf grabber stops grabbing, then it might be worthwhile to add bleach, but I wouldn't. It kind of depends on how many days it takes to fill the pool so the pump starts working. Whatever bleach you add now will go to work trying to oxidize the leaves, so it would be a waste of money, really. Ideally, you have pump circulation to keep the FC mixed, so that when you test, it's accurate.
 
I'm sorry....I must just be dumb......dumb....dumb.....didn't know I was so ignorant....but I am. I can't make heads or tails out of where to start now. My pool is full, for some reason I just can't figure out how much to add...what to add....when to add? What is the most important part for me to monitor, Free chloride, Combined chloride and CYA or just the chloride for now. Looks like I should add 16 gallons of bleach, does that sound right? Man that sounds like a lot even for youalls slam method. Is there something I'm not reading somewhere that I need to?
 
Coonspool said:
I'm sorry....I must just be dumb......dumb....dumb.....didn't know I was so ignorant....but I am. I can't make heads or tails out of where to start now. My pool is full, for some reason I just can't figure out how much to add...what to add....when to add? What is the most important part for me to monitor, Free chloride, Combined chloride and CYA or just the chloride for now. Looks like I should add 16 gallons of bleach, does that sound right? Man that sounds like a lot even for youalls slam method. Is there something I'm not reading somewhere that I need to?
Click to expand...
Relax! It's pretty easy. How about you run all the tests and post the results? We can walk you through the rest.

If CYA is still less than 20, I see you only needing 2 jugs of Clorox 8.25% bleach for the first dose. You will need a lot more, but not all at once.
 

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