I just purchased a house with a pool - algae, plumping and general help needed

[FLDude]

Hi All,

I recently closed on a house with a swimming pool and have never had one before, I’ve been doing my research for a few weeks and found TFP which has been really helpful.
I ordered the TF100 test kit which got delivered today. The pool is covered in algae and currently probably has no chlorine in it, there is a dedicated vacuum port on the side of the pool with a vacuum plugged into it. The skimmer has only one pipe opening in it and there are only two pipes going into the pump. It’s worth mentioning too that the pool has a floating weir skimmer and I bought a replacement basket for it today as the old one was completely broken. The pool definitely needs re-plastering as well which I’m planning to do within the next two months or so. I’ve attached a few pics to the post as well and I’m really hoping you can help me with the below questions I have. The plan is to slam the pool asap but I need to deep clean the sand filter first, determine the plumbing is working correctly and test the water.

Here are my questions so far:

• One pipe is for the vacuum and the other for the skimmer going into the pump. Which pipe is for the main drain? Is it tied into the skimmer pipe or the vacuum pipe? Is there any way I can tell it’s got suction aside from getting in the pool?
• Should I keep my vacuum in the pool and the valve open on the pipe to it all the time or only when I want to use it and have the valve closed on the vacuum and fully open on the skimmer when I’m not vacuuming? Assuming the skimmer pipe is indeed the drain pipe as well. Also, worth mentioning that the dedicated vacuum port in the pool has a spring-loaded cap on it.
• My waste pipe seems to go into the ground, any way of me finding out where it goes, I did a backwash and couldn’t see where the water was going to?
• I wanted to do a deep clean of the sand filter, given my current setup am I going to be able to unscrew it from the pipes as i see a couple unions, one on the pump as well?

I have algae in the pool and it needs plastering so my plan of action is as follows:

1. Deep clean sand filter
2. Test water
3. SLAM the pool and get it back to normal swimming levels again
4. Once that’s done do another deep clean of the sand filter
5. Start getting quotes for plastering
6. Potentially change out my sand filter for a cartridge or de filter
7. Buy a robot cleaner

Are my priorities above in the right order or have I got them mixed up?

Any and all advice and feedback is welcome and I appreciate you taking the time to look through this

Thanks!

*Edit: I noticed from the pics you cant see but there is also a union on the waste pipe which runs behind the filter

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hello!! Congrats on the new house and pool

You've got a nice simple set up there.... suction vac sends debris to the main line going into the filter. Skimmer goes to the filter. Lots of pipe space on the return lines available for the Salt Water Chlorine Generator you're *going to want* down the road. Trust me on that.
That waste pipe may be hardlined right into your sewer or to the street?

So you've got algae.... perhaps some stains from poor chemical choices too? Once you get that pool cleaned up with our help you may find you can hold off on the new plaster job. Lets see.

Before you go taking things apart....how about we run a full panel of tests? One at a time, read the instructions and the read them again as you perform the test. Write the results down.

Tell us-
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt if applicable

Did the prior owners leave any chemicals behind?? Tell us what they are, please.

Don't use any chemical in the water except LIQUID CHLORINE (Walmart, Lowes, HD, bulk from Pinch-a-Penny). Until we know more about your pool, its size and test results, just add half a gallon of Liquid Chlorine per day and brush it around. This will buy us time to figure out the health of your water before the green monster takes over.

Pool Care Basics
PoolMath

Maddie

 

[FLDude]

Thanks for responding so quickly, i had a look and it doesn't seem like the owners left any chemicals behind. Yeah i went i got some liquid chlorine from home depot yesterday, i'm in tampa, FL and it worked out at $4.50 per gallon, is that a good price or could i get it cheaper from somewhere else?

I just tested the pool (haven't put any chlorine in it yet) and the results are as follows. According to the test there is literally no chlorine in the pool. I've uploaded a pic of the clear tube which indicates no chlorine/didnt turn pink.

Here are the rest of the results:

FC 0
CC 0
pH 7.34
TA 100
CH 425
CYA 100

As for the plumbing, how can i tell which line the main drain goes into the pump from? The vacuum line or the skimmer line?

Last question, i uploaded a pic of the pool, how would i go about measuring the size of the pool? seems to be a tough shape to measure.

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

Great job on the testing!
With that CYA, get 10 ppm FC in there now. Do a rough measurement of the pool and get a volume. Hard for me to get perspective by the picture, but 20000 gallons might be a round number. I would put 2 gallons of 10% (you got a reasonable price) in right now.

Then do the extended CYA test. Dilute the pool water 1:1 with tap water. Use that for the pool water in the test. Double the result.

 

[Mdragger88]

Since your cya tested above 90 u need to do the diluted cya test to get a better idea of the actual cya level so u know how much water to exchange (SLAM Process is impractical at cya over 80ppm)
Step 8

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric Acid (CYA) is the chemical name for what is commonly referred to as Stabilizer … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Mdragger88]

For the liquid chlorine- call around & see if anybody offers refillable jugs w/ deposit. It’s quite common in florida.
Pinch a penny is a place that is often mentioned.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Dude,

Most likely, your main drain is plumbed into the bottom of your skimmer. I suspect there was once a little "door" that you could close in the bottom of the skimmer that would turn on the main drain.

Main drains are just not needed, so I would not spend 10 seconds even worrying about it. Just use it as is. In fact, you can just have then remove it when you get the pool replastered.

Depending on your water costs and your high CYA, it would probably make more sense to just drain and refill the pool rather than spend more money on a doing a SLAM.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[wireform]

Welcome, great info off the bat. I wouldn't worry about deep cleaning filter until you see reason for it. Make sure the gauge rests on zero when pump is off so the pressure will be more or less accurate. Give it a healthy backwash and note the clean pressure for your system at the given rpm as a future reference point. By the way you have a nice size filter compared to most Florida setups which I'm not convinced needs to be changed out as they all work as long as the chemistry is where it belongs. Your biggest issue is the elevated CYA which will complicate slamming and make it more costly. Do the diluted CYA test to know the drain and fill percentage needed. Pool doesn't look bad at all and should clean up pretty fast given you don't let the algae work itself any worse. The stains from what I can see may lighten up and even brush out when all said and done. I would suggest you look into a SWCG now and get that over with as to me it more a necessity then a robot for the chemistry side of things.

 

[HermanTX]

For the liquid chlorine- call around & see if anybody offers refillable jugs w/ deposit. It’s quite common in florida.
Pinch a penny is a place that is often mentioned.

@FLDude Yes Pinch A Penny should be a slightly cheaper price however you have to purchase the 2.5 gal jug for about $8 then you just have it refilled each time. After 10 refills you get a free refill. Also PaP runs lots of deals such as 10% off refill, or buy one get second at 50%, etc. So over the long run it is cheaper to purchase LC from PaP. Also, the other benefit, it will tend to be fresher because they have their storage tank refilled by distributor more often, whereas gallon jugs from HD or Walmart could sit on shelves for weeks or longer.

 

[TampaKathy]

Do you know how deep the pool is? Looks like it's not too deep. My guess is that the pool is about 30x18, 4.5 feet ave depth so that works out to about 18k gallons. If you do get it replastered, check the meter before and after filling up to see how many gallons it takes (assuming you have a water meter). If you're on a well you can buy something to attach to the hose to measure...speaking of...are you on a well? If so, you will want to test for iron.

 

[jsygrls]

Yes Pinch a penny is the best place for bulk chlorine . Just a quick suggestion, purchase the two returnable fill jugs to begin with and the TRAVEL TUB THAT ACCOMMODATES the two jugs that fits perfectly. It will protect against any accidental travel spills .

 

[FLDude]

Ok so i poured 2 gallons of liquid bleach into the pool and just did a diluted cya test and it looks like my CYA level is 140. Does that mean i need to empty the pool?
Any ideas on how to measure a pool with the shape that i have?

Thanks all for the help so far

 

[Mdragger88]

If u want to dilute cya by 50% you would need to replace 50% of your water. It’s proportional.
You can try this calculator to get a better idea of your volume

Pool Volume Calculator

Check out Pentair's easy-to-use pool volume calculator to calculate the volume of your swimming pool water by choosing the shape, dimensions and depth.

www.pentair.com

Along with the one at the bottom of this page

PoolMath

Discover the calculator behind the perfect pool, PoolMath. Dealing with pools has allowed TFP to become the original authors of the best calculator on the net.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[mknauss]

In your area, do you have surface water nearby? Lakes, ponds, etc?
Draining can allow the pool shell to rise or 'pop'. So it cannot be done indiscriminately.
To lower your CYA, you do need to drain/exchange about 75% of the pool volume.

For volume, measure the pool and put the data on a piece of paper. Along with depths. Then do your best to average length, width, and depth and put into the calculator posted above.

 

[FLDude]

Yeah i'm surrounded by 4-5 lakes and ponds all within about a mile of the property and also about a 5 minute drive from the gulf of mexico.
If i work everything out correctly is this something i can do myself or would it be better for me to hire someone to refill the pool?

 

[mknauss]

Read Draining - Further Reading
The Exchange process is the safest for you to use as the water level in the pool does not change.

In you area, you get rain that likely overflows the pool. Does the pool have an overflow?

 

[FLDude]

I'm not sure what a pool overflow is? i have that drainage system which is in the pic of the pool above but thats all i know. We get a lot of rain here during the summer months but unless there's a huge system or tropical depression/hurricane the pool wont overflow. My Dad's had a pool down here for 20 years and its never over flowed if that helps.

 

[mknauss]

I would be surprised if a pool is built in Florida without an overflow.

Look for a grated opening along the water line tile. Look in the skimmer for an outlet above the normal water line.

 

[FLDude]

I checked around the pool and in the skimmer but cant see anything. There is a tap and hose attached to a pipe by the pump but when i open the valve there's no water flow whatsoever. There's also the waste line coming from the filter into the ground. Ive attached some pics so it makes more sense to you. Its also worth mentioning that my pool area is elevated, the surrounding yard slopes downwards and there is a run off drain like the opening of a sewer pipe right at the back of my yard for drainage going into an easement, its probably about 12 ft below my pool level, would that mean i dont have to worry about my pool popping out if i just drained it and refilled it?

There's also a huge pvc pipe coming out the ground which i have no idea what its used for or even has anything to do with the pool.

 

[mknauss]

I suppose you do not have an overflow --
Do not know what the big loop of pipe is for. Looks like an air opening, but for what, do not know.

If you wish to risk draining, that is up to you. I still recommend you look at the article I linked to above.