Help Solid Green Florida One Year No Circulation
- Thread starter flowda
- Start date
Welcome to TFP ! 
You can start by reading through our Pool School Section .
It would be helpful to know what type of chlorination the previous people were using before you.
Do some reading, make a trip to the store to get lots and lots of bleach and when you think you have enough get more. You should also get yourself a reliable test kit. most here use the TF100 test kit (available through this forum) or the testing kit sold by Taylor.
Get your list of questions ready and ask away there are all kinds of people here with tons of experience !!
Keep posting pictures as you get control of your pool. In no time you will have a crystal clear pool you never
thought you would have !!
It would also be helpful if you listed your pool size and equipment in your signature so when we answer your questions we will better be able to help you. Also a full set of numbers from a test would help us to see where we stand chemical wise and be ble to give you more advice.
Good Luck !
You can start by reading through our Pool School Section .
It would be helpful to know what type of chlorination the previous people were using before you.
Do some reading, make a trip to the store to get lots and lots of bleach and when you think you have enough get more. You should also get yourself a reliable test kit. most here use the TF100 test kit (available through this forum) or the testing kit sold by Taylor.
Get your list of questions ready and ask away there are all kinds of people here with tons of experience !!
Keep posting pictures as you get control of your pool. In no time you will have a crystal clear pool you never
thought you would have !!
It would also be helpful if you listed your pool size and equipment in your signature so when we answer your questions we will better be able to help you. Also a full set of numbers from a test would help us to see where we stand chemical wise and be ble to give you more advice.
Good Luck !
Welcome to TFP!
You want to start with an evaluation of the equipment, is it all there, does the pump run, are the any significant leaks. Then work on getting all of the solid debris out of the pool that you possibly can. Once you have the great majority of the debris out and the pump running and the filter filtering you can start fighting the algae. A good write up on fighting algae is Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis
You want to start with an evaluation of the equipment, is it all there, does the pump run, are the any significant leaks. Then work on getting all of the solid debris out of the pool that you possibly can. Once you have the great majority of the debris out and the pump running and the filter filtering you can start fighting the algae. A good write up on fighting algae is Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis
Unfortunately, I will not get possesion of the house for another 5 weeks so it will get worse. There is no electricty on the house soooooooooooooooo. Will it hurt to throw bleach in it without the pump running?
There isn't any point in adding chlorine until you are fully prepared and ready to start fighting the algae for real. Any chlorine you add now will get used up almost instantly and the algae will just grow back in a day or so.
If you do have some access, you should get a water sample and test the water. If the PH is way off that is worth adjusting sooner rather than later. With a little more access, you could get a pole and net and start seeing what you can dredge up from the bottom.
If you do have some access, you should get a water sample and test the water. If the PH is way off that is worth adjusting sooner rather than later. With a little more access, you could get a pole and net and start seeing what you can dredge up from the bottom.
- May 3, 2007
- 16,934
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
To kill algae requires quite a bit of chlorine and by the time you are done, it might have been faster and cheaper to just replace the water given the size of your pool. You will still need chlorine to kill what is left over but not nearly as much. It also depends on what you pay for water. Something to consider.
I know you guys just hate 
pool store products, but I'd sure consider some ProTeam System Support when the time comes....
pool store products, but I'd sure consider some ProTeam System Support when the time comes....I would have to second System Support. 
It's not cheap but it is designed to clear a pool such as this quickly (usually within about 48 hours) and it will make any stuff on the bottom float to the top so it can be easily skimmed out!
The stuff really does work!
It's not cheap but it is designed to clear a pool such as this quickly (usually within about 48 hours) and it will make any stuff on the bottom float to the top so it can be easily skimmed out!The stuff really does work!
I would have to agree with mas985, drain it, while its draining start skimming the water getting the big stuff out, if you don't drain it, just remember while your tackling the algae and running the pump/filter 24/7 you will have to watch your pressure and clean the filter appropriately.
Positive note, nice palm trees next to the pool :-D
Positive note, nice palm trees next to the pool :-D
Draining has advantages and disadvantages. Before draining you need to be sure that there isn't any chance of the pool floating out, ie you need to know that the water table is below the bottom of the pool. Draining is most worth it if there is really a lot of stuff on the bottom. Once drained you can go into the pool and really get everything out all at once. Draining is also a great idea if any significant amount of fertilizer has gotten into the pool. The disadvantage to draining is that it doesn't necessarily take care of the algae. The algae can grow right back while you are refilling. So draining isn't such a good deal if there isn't much on the bottom to begin with.
Congrats on the house!
You have to weigh out the small risk (potential dammage about water table) vs cost savings for draining. I beleive the response about draining as an option was intended more for the time (adding chems, testing, brushing, changing filters/backwashing) and the monetary value of the bleach opposed to your time for a drain/clean and the local cost for water refill. But with the refill you have a chance some algae could still be behind (even with cleaning/powerwashing/etc) and have to still fight it. The battle should be much easier though.....
Either way you will have a fan of interested readers that would like to see your progress. If possible include your approach, pics, and water test results as you go. Some of the gurus here may be able to give additional advice if you need any deviations beyond pool school articles.
You won't need luck, you will have the knowledge and support through TFP!
You have to weigh out the small risk (potential dammage about water table) vs cost savings for draining. I beleive the response about draining as an option was intended more for the time (adding chems, testing, brushing, changing filters/backwashing) and the monetary value of the bleach opposed to your time for a drain/clean and the local cost for water refill. But with the refill you have a chance some algae could still be behind (even with cleaning/powerwashing/etc) and have to still fight it. The battle should be much easier though.....
Either way you will have a fan of interested readers that would like to see your progress. If possible include your approach, pics, and water test results as you go. Some of the gurus here may be able to give additional advice if you need any deviations beyond pool school articles.
You won't need luck, you will have the knowledge and support through TFP!
Which is why Budster and myself suggested Proteam's very excellent product System Support. Both of us work in the industry and this product is not as well known as it deserves to be, IMHO. It is designed for pools such as this to clear them quickly and economically and it is the only product of its formulation on the market (sodium percarbonate) being sold for this usage. (the amount of chlorine needed to clear this pool would very possible cost quite a bit more than the System Support and Dry acid needed.)H2O_Keeper said:
Thank you all for your help. I will be glad to share my progress when it starts. I have no access to the property until I get the keys in April. Will see you all at that time. Any other recommendations will be eagerly read. One other thing....I have always had a DE filter. This is a cartridge, should I keep it or upgrade to DE before I start? :?
Well, in your case, both are going to add to your workload clearing the pool....especially DE.
Unless you drain and refill, you are gonna have a bunch of garbage trapped in your filter as you start the clearing process. Carts will need to be cleaned frequently and DE's will need to be backwashed and charged many times. If a sand filter has any advantages, it would be in clearing a nasty pool. You simply backwash and keep on truckin'.....perhaps 10 times or more as you keep filtering out the junk.
BTW, I am in favor of clearing your pool with plain ole' Clorox and following the regimen Jasonlion suggested. It can certainly be done with any of the three types of filters but will simply require some more work with either DE or a cart.
poolgeek.com sells ProTeam System Support here for $80.73 for 25 pounds. It's pure sodium percarbonate at 157.01 g/mole for 1 sodium carbonate (105.99 g/mole or 67.5%) and 1.5 hydrogen peroxide (1.5*34.015 g/mole or 32.5%). However, though the consumption/usage of chlorine is an acidic process, this is not the case for hydrogen peroxide (because it's half-reaction consumes twice as much hydrogen ion).waterbear said:
For 0.675*25=16.875 pounds of sodium carbonate it takes 256 fluid ounces of full-strength Muriatic Acid (31.45% Hydrochloric Acid) to compensate for pH, but the TA will be increased substantially so accounting for that it would take a total of 488 fluid ounces of acid to get back to the original TA (not added all at once, but via the Lowering Total Alkalinity procedure). It's around $8 per gallon for the acid so that is $8*488/128 = $30.50.
For 0.325*25=8.125 pounds of hydrogen peroxide, this is equivalent to 16.935 pounds of chlorine gas or 16.2 gallons of 12.5% chlorinating liquid which would produce around 203 ppm FC in 10,000 gallons. The cost per gallon of chlorinating liquid (where I buy it) is around $3.65 per gallon so this would be $59.13.
So, the cost comparison is $80.73 + $30.50 = $111.23 for using the ProTeam System Support and acid vs. $59.13 for chlorinating liquid.
It's still cheaper to use chlorine, but it takes longer and doesn't have the extra benefits of making stuff rise from the bottom of the pool.
Richard
I really, really, really like having a cartridge filter myself. In the instructions that came with my cartridge filter, (a Hayward) they did suggest if you have heavy cleanup, ie. Spring opening, to install a 3 way valve in order to vacuum to waste. I just bought a 3 way valve for mine, myself, and am going to install it soon. Something to think about.