Part two....Hardware issue complete; Now onto the fun part!

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wchamp1983

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May 13, 2014
30
Providence, Rhode Island
Greetings everyone! Happy post memorial day weekend! Summer is around the corner and I am staring at this pool wondering how the *#@! I am going to get this kid ready in 3 weeks:





Moved here in the late fall, and just had a quick new cover put on this and the pump and filter winterized by a pool guy. It hadn’t been touched in 3+ years so fast forward to April where we called said pool guy to come open it up for us. We previously cleaned out as much solids as we could before he arrived. He uncovered it, opened all the returns and whatever else there is and went to plug the pump in and nothing. Had it looked over and it would cost more to fix then to just get a new one (Old Jacuzzi model too bummer). So as we were not planning on this, we had to save some money up and I needed to do some research. Here we are now the end of May.



I have been lurking on this site the past month reading as much as I can, learning, laughing and watching other peoples swamps turn into pools again so hopefully it can be done. I have a new pump/filter/swg in my kitchen waiting to be installed. Thinking about doing it myself, because if I wait for my husband it could be next year LOL. My only concerns regarding install is that I am really unfamiliar with the pool filter itself and the hoses. Ive tried to read up about it. Ill share a picture of the previous hosing if anyone wants to give advice:

(There is a black hose you can’t see laying on the ground, the other end is buried, and I don’t know what it goes to....)


On to my next issue.......The skimmer is under the deck. Someone put a layer of decrotive bricks under the wood layer and than the deck wood its self. The skimmer is on the buried side. How do I vacuum this pool once I am able to get the electronics up and running?


(P.S. There is a wire running around if you can see it...is that the ground?)

(Not exactly much clearance for any attachments)

I am somewhat familiar with what I need to do once I have functioning parts. My tf-100xL should come anyday. I ordered last week.I did try testing it with strips and almost everything was zero so...Ill wait LOL. Also, purchased 30 gallons of bleach at Wal-Mart, some baking soda and borax. Ive just been cleaning what I can. Now I am just picking up sludge.

Any suggestions on how I can switch the pumps/filters in an easy fashion?

What should I do about Vacuum?
 
Re: Another hot mess that needs some fine tuning....

Well... in simplest terms, the lines fro0m the skimmers and the main drain (if equipped) go to the nose of the pump. The hose coming up out of the pump goes to the filter inlet.

The other hoses leading from the pool wall go to the filter outlet.

If there is a mystery hose, it probably goes to the filter waste port for backwashing. Odds are, it leads off to a low spot in the yard somewhere. You could always try running the garden hose through it and see where it starts bubbling up.

The lines look like flexible PVC. So it should be relatively simple to plumb it all together. You might even be clever and cut the existing flex pipes a foot or so away and be able to unscrew the stubs from the existing equipment for reuse and then just glue things back together with a coupling.

There has to be some way to access the skimmer basket to empty it.
 
Re: Another hot mess that needs some fine tuning....

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the reply! I see your from CA. I just moved to RI from San Diego. Hope your doing ok with all the fires.

Ill inspect the hoses a little more. Im going to remove the old equipment anyway, so Ill save what can be saved. Is it possible that the basket is accessed from the poolside? I peeked as far as I could but its black in there. I couldn’t see a basket. Its a short wide entrance. There was a water bottle in there that was removed but nothing else seen. We were going to just cut an access hole, until we saw under the brick is a metal lip, assuming thats holding the liner so there went that idea.......
 
Re: Another hot mess that needs some fine tuning....

Ok so hardware problems semi figured out for now. Everything is running and waiting for some liquid love to be added. TF-100 came today and here are my results after two tries.

PH- 6.8
Cl-0
Ca-50ppm
TA-40
CYA-0?

Are these results even possible? Pool has been sitting for 3+ years.
 
What don't you believe?

I would first add some borax to raise the pH into the lower 7s.
Then add 10ppm of FC and test the FC and CC after 30 minutes.
Depending on the results of that, you may want to add 30ppm of CYA into the water and then start the SLAM Process.

You may also want to read these:
Defeating Algae
Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis

CH does not matter for your vinyl pool. The TA is a little low, but that can wait.
 
Re: Another hot mess that needs some fine tuning....

wchamp1983 said:
Ok so hardware problems semi figured out for now. Everything is running and waiting for some liquid love to be added. TF-100 came today and here are my results after two tries.

PH- 6.8
Cl-0
Ca-50ppm
TA-40
CYA-0?

Are these results even possible? Pool has been sitting for 3+ years.
Click to expand...
Very possible. First, raise pH and TA. If they left any chemicals behind, tell us what you have, and we can tell you if any of it is useful. Otherwise,or add 53 oz by weight or 51 oz by volume of borax. Let it mix for at least half an hour and recheck it. If you're below 6.8 pH, it will still read as 6.8, so you might still be under. Try again.

When pH is correct, raise FC to 10. Let it mix half an hour and brush things while you wait impatiently. Then run the powder chlorine test and look at FC and CC. Even if FC doesn't turn pink, do the CC test. Your pool might have developed ammonia, that's what we're checking for here. Post results and someone will be along to advise you.

If you don't have ammonia, then you can add the CYA via sock and get on with the SLAM!
 
Ok no chemicals left behind (or if they were, my husband tossed them back in the fall).

Took one box of borax to get pool to a pH of 7.2 so that was the easy part. I think the rest may be harder!

4:30pm:
pH-7.2
TA-20
Added 3 bottles of bleach (121 oz 8.25%)
Brushed, Raked then thunderstorm came..

6:15pm
pH-7.2
TA-50
FC-0.5
CC-4
Added 3 more bottles

8:15pm
TA-70
FC-1
CC-6

Should I just keep adding? How do you tell if there is Ammonia?
 
wchamp1983 said:
Should I just keep adding? How do you tell if there is Ammonia?
Click to expand...
Yes.

The scientific way would be to buy an ammonia test kit at an aquarium store. But the fact that you have such high CC tells me enough. Your pool is going to go through bleach like a teenage boy through milk until it finishes reacting with the ammonia. You'll see CC start to fall off and FC start to hold better when you get there.
 
Good Morning! Day 2 of this fun. My pool-stored neighbor keeps staring at me with my test kit, while he has his little strip container. Its kind of funny.

IMG_0129_zps0a6255e4.jpg~original
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Mr. Richard: I read your post in the middle of the night and almost woke my husband laughing.
So I went and checked out the “teenager” this a.m and this was the results:

0830

pH-6.8 (7.2)why the drop?
TA-50 (70)why the drop?
FC-0.5 (1)
CC-4.5 (6)

Fed the teenager some breakfast (3 bottles)

My plan is to go every hour today, recheck and bleach as necessary until my FC is up, if that ever happens. IS that appropriate?
 
You got it. Just keep hammering at it with bleach. I have no explanation for the pH and TA changes. Who knows what sort of weird chemical reactions are going on with the chlorine and the ammonia and the test reagents? If you reread the SLAM directions, you'll see that we say to set the pH and then forget it for the duration of the SLAM. Once that chlorine starts holding and rising, the pH test reagent will reacting with the chlorine and will read higher than it actually is. Just worry about FC & CC. It will lower your anxiety level.

I borrowed these pictures from this thread to demonstrate

Normal sample
attachment.php


Same pool water but with high FC
attachment.php

​


How freaked out would you get if you didn;t know that in advance? :mrgreen:
 

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Whew. Long day of bleach, brush, rake, empty skimmer, change DE, wash, rinse and repeat.

10:30

FC-0.5
CC-5
Added 3 bottles

IMG_0130_zpsd5812799.jpg~original
[/URL][/IMG]
Noontime photo-op

1200

FC-0.5
CC-5.5
Added 4 bottles (an extra for good measure :)

1345

FC-0.5
CC-4
Added 4 bottles (starting to think maybe a nice garden would suit the household better)

1530

FC-7
CC-1
The tides have finally turned thank you thank you.
Added 3 bottles


Late Afternoon! Progress

1645

FC-21.5
CC-1.5
Ummmmmmmm? Ooooops.
Nothing Added

1800

FC-18.5
CC-1

Ok so that was definitely a strange day. I thought nothing was happening and then BAM! So what is next? Stabilizer?

Heading out to Target to pick up some bleach and something to hold the DE. The bag it came it will not do it. (P.S. DE filter=lots and lots of work on a swamp-like pool)
 
Black to Green to Blue in 5 days; Green Haze still lingering. What should I do next?

6/1/14 0915

FC=6.5
CC=0.5
Added 3 bottles

(Look! Bottom of the shallow end)

1600
FC=3.5
CC=1
Added 4 bottles
Started Stablizer sock 54oz (level of zero since before start)

(My husband told me my sock invention wouldn’t float. I knew those bottles could do something)


1730
FC=24
CC=1
Let it ride overnight
(another end of the day, still green)


6/2/14 1500

(The deep end! and wrinkles; and i don’t have a vacuum that works yet boo)
FC=2
CC=0.5
CYA=0
Added 2 bottles
Missed the am dosing
1630
FC=5.5
CC=0.5
Added 2 bottles


TODAY 1500



FC=5.5
CC=0.5
Added 2 bottles

1630
FC=13.5
CC=0.5
CYA=0 (Sock still has stuff in it, i gave it a good squeeze)
Vacuum working; no solids left, only dusty bunnies or whatever it is LOL

(Husband thought wed have to drain black pool or get rid of it LOL; definitely not this much progress in 5 days)
Thank you!!

So I have a green haze in the deep end and we’ve gotten everything. What gives? Just let the filter do its thing and keep the FC up? The CC has been low consistently. I feel like it almost looks more green even if its clean now. I don’t know. Thoughts opinion or advice welcome.

Also, My FC goes away everyday, but I think I need stabilizer which I keep reading at zero. I got some and added 54 ozs and its still dissolving. I don’t want to over add and have that problem but I need some in the pool. Is that a hurry up and wait kind of chemical as well?
 
Re: Black to Green to Blue in 5 days; Green Haze still lingering. What should I do ne

wchamp1983 said:
Also, My FC goes away everyday, but I think I need stabilizer which I keep reading at zero. I got some and added 54 ozs and its still dissolving. I don’t want to over add and have that problem but I need some in the pool. Is that a hurry up and wait kind of chemical as well?
Click to expand...
CYA takes a few days to dissolve. It will dissolve faster if it has water rushing over it in a sock in front of the skimmer or sitting in the skimmer. Whenever it floats within reach, give the sock a squeeze.
 
Re: Black to Green to Blue in 5 days; Green Haze still lingering. What should I do ne

At first my sock was HUGE. My skimmer is rather small and there is no way it will fit in there. Hence the floating contraption. I try to keep it near the water coming into the pool, but it escapes once in a while.

I do have a SWG but I will add it after everything is cleared up. Well, everything is no longer swampy so when is the best time to do that? I have 40 gallons of 12.5% left so I think i will be a while anyway.
 

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