Advice for cleaning a pool after being exposed to smoke, ash, soot

[bellbound]

My backyard burned up a couple weeks ago when the wildfires ripped across the Los Angeles area. Fortunately my house is ok, though my pool is full of ash, debris, soot, chemicals, etc. I am not going to use the pool until at least next summer, so I'm thinking of draining it, cleaning it and refilling with clean water.

1. Are there any issues with turning off the pump, filter and letting the pool sit empty for 6-7 months, and at that time filling it back up?
2. What type of cleaning should I consider having done to it when the pool is empty?
3. Any other advice?

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

It is never good to drain and leave a gunite (I assume you have gunite) pool empty. You can have significant plaster issues.

Others in your situation just filtered the pool water clean and maintained the chemistry as a normal pool. Really no issues. There have been a number of threads on the forum over the past few years.

Take care.

 

[bellbound]

I will spend some time searching the forums. My concern is with houses that burned around me, and the chemicals that may have gone airborne and landed in the pool. I also had railroad ties in my backyard that burned so all of that may have ended up in my pool also.

It has been at least 10 years since the pool was drained, and had its water replaced.

1. How often is it recommended to drain/replace all of the water in a pool?
2. If I decide to drain it and replace the water, is there some type of cleaning that I should look into whether a routine one done after draining OR one for my situation?

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

You decide on if you need to drain based on water chemistry tests. The forum advocates pool owner testing. Most times the reason to drain would be because of very high CYA or CH. Most anything else can be managed. How do you test your water chemistry?

No special way to clean. Do not use a pressure washer. It can easily damage your plaster. Really no need to clean. Just filter the water in the pool.

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[bellbound]

I just added my signature. I always planned to do my own testing, and bought my own kit based on info on this site, between work and kids, I sadly never got to that point, and I don't want to take over now with my current situation. Do water chemistry tests show elevated levels of the types of chemicals that I am concerned with? The types of things that normally would not end up in pool water, but could after houses in close proximity burned to the ground? Possible asbestos, household chemicals, fluorescent lighting, etc.

Thanks for your help.

 

[mknauss]

No residential owner testing kit would test for those contaminants. Sounds like you wish to drain and refill your pool. Do so. Just be aware of the hazards. Hire a professional pool service to do it if you are concerned.