Opening our Pool Help

[RODNIQUE]

Hello;

We are in the mist of draining our 24' round pool to almost empty, to get it cleaned out of all the leaves and debris it has received during the fall and winter months. My question is, how do I make this as painless as possible. I know we have a lot of work ahead of us but with the above being said, what can we clean the vinyl with to remove all the nastiness off and what should we do as we start filling the pool back up once all the leaves and debris have been taken out. I haven't taken any readings of the water yet because it was in swamp mode. Also, we have an ionizer system on our pool which I've always had a hard time keeping it cleaned, would you recommend that I keep this system or do away with it. It is almost the same basics as you guys have with using bleach to shock and treat it but I almost always had to use other chemicals to just maintain it which I didn't do a very good job of.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RODNIQUE]

New comer here

Hi all;

We currently have a 24' round, 52" deep above ground pool with 250lb Pentair Sanddollar filter w/1.5 HP Dynamo pump. Unfortunately, we did not winterize it and it looks like a swamp needless to say. We just purchased the 250lb filter and have not installed it just yet. We plan on installing it within the next day or so. We currently have the same kind but a 150lb filter which we were told that it's not adequate and that's why I've had so much problems keeping the pool clean in the past for as long as we've been having the pool. Our pool does have an Ionizer on it and has since the day we purchased. We have to buy a new one every season because it is only good for one season. I'm really not sure if it's worth having it because I always have to spend a lot of money to maintain it which is the reason for the Ionizer is to not have to spend so much on chemicals. And also, not to use all those harsh chemicals. I would prefer a method that doesn't require all these acids (deathly afraid of acids)...lol Anyway, we are trying to get out pool back in line and have begun the process of draining it because we feel it's easier to do this way than try to turn green water clear again and we're also removing all the debris that's in it from the fall to this spring. Any help on this process would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: New comer here

Welcome to TFP!!!

99.9% of the time the filter has nothing to do with the water staying clear ... it is in fact a chemistry problem.
Forget the ionizer ... you need chlorine.

How old is the liner? If you drain it, it may shrink and be ruined ... that is going to cost a lot more than clear the water through chemistry and filtration by following the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process.

You also need to invest in one of the Recommended Test Kits so that you know what to adjust. The TFPC method is really just about understanding your pool’s chemistry and through accurate testing, adding only what the pool NEEDS and not what someone wants to sell you.

Have you discovered Pool School yet? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

 

[tim5055]

If you are not really attached to the ionizer system I would say ditch it. As you are already draining it all the way, clean up as much as you can then fill it back up. What is your water source? City water, well, pumping it out of a lake? The source will determine what you need to do as you add it to the pool.

We really don't shock our pools. We maintain a sufficient quantity of chlorine in the water at all times. To follow the pool care methods taught here you need to arm yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to care for your pool.

The knowledge is condensed in the Pool School link at the top of every page. It is a great community here, but we do ask that you read and try to understand the information being taught. Questions are always welcome and folks will try to direct you and teach you the methods.

The tools are not limited to the brushes, vacuum hoses and other stuff you use around the pool, but include the most important item - one of the recommended test kits. You can buy a kit at a pool store, but again the pool store kits generally won't cut it. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All these kits contain that test while very few other kits do. Think of it this way, do you see a doctor blindly prescribing drugs without seeing the patient or having tests run? Here at TFP we are going to ask for photos so we can see the condition of the water and are going to ask for a full set of test results.

Sometimes advice we give will be based on your geographic location and the weather in your area, so can I ask you to update your profile to have a state along with Lafayette... It could be Louisiana, Indiana, Alabama, Colorado or severl other states.

 

[jblizzle]

I merged these basically identical threads after Tim and I responded to each. Please keep related questions together so we are not duplicating effort. Thanks, jblizzle