Pool hasn’t been opened in a few years. Help!

[Redbama81]

Hi All,

I’m needing some help getting this pool up and running. The pool hasn’t been used or covered in a few years. Just moved in and we know nothing about how any of this works. We assume with a little research to start by cleaning out all debris. We have a leaf gulper that hooks to water hose and a leaf rake so we can have both going at the same time. It’s a vinyl liner. Also, I have read on many post about pressure gauges on the pump and ours doesn’t have one. Apparently the pool has never had one. Liner was put in just a few years ago and only used one season and has been sitting for I think 3 years. After we get most of the junk out of the pool do we just start the pump and start adding store bleach to do the slam method? I have the test kit that is recommended on this site. Any help would be so appreciated. This is going to a diy project as well. We are both pretty handy and love learning new things. Just a lot of conflicting info out there. Kind of on a tight budget as well. So hiring someone isn’t in the cards. I went to pool store and they were saying thousands for chemicals to get it up and running. All the brush and overgrown stuff will be cleared out in the next two days and going to pressure wash the concrete deck around the pool.

 

[Newdude]

Hey RB and belated Welcome !!!

We have helped fix way worse, more times than I can count. In almost every case, it's cheaper and far easier to drain and start over. See Draining - Further Reading

So long as you have somewhere OK to dump the existing water, you'll save a ton of headache and expensive chlorine (these days). Vinyl liners need a little over a foot of water in the shallow end to keep the liner in place, but if you drain/fill that far twice, you'll only have to battle whatever mixed in the meantime.

 

[dleonard1122]

Hi and welcome to TFP. Newdude and other will help you out, I'm just commenting to let you know we're happy to have you, and so that I can follow along for the ride and see how great this looks when it's all cleared up.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Your equipment has be gobbled up by a green monster … I live in the desert so I have no idea what that green stuff is but it looks ferocious!!

Anyway, you need to work on that equipment pad. You need to clear all the overgrowth and weeds as the only thing I can see in those pics is a sand filter and some PVC pipes . Is there a pool pump buried in there somewhere? Truth be told, leaving pool equipment dormant for years is never a good thing and while I think the filter and plumbing will be fine, you might have a dead pump on your hands. At the very least you’ll need to actually FIND the pump, check the electrical wiring and make sure everything is operational. Without a functioning pump and filter, you can’t do all that much with the pool.

Good luck. It will be nice to see a sparkling swimming pool at the end of this thread … take lots of pictures along the way and post them so you can see progress.

 

[Newdude]

Some Motivation for ya.

We got you now.

 

[Oly]

North Carolina, what a wonderful place for plants. Amazing how the vines can take over like that when left alone. Looks like a you have some work ahead of you but it sure is going to be a beautiful transformation and watching the progress will be rewarding. TFP is the best resource for all your questions and is full of encouragement, welcome. Congratulations on the new place and looking forward to pictures of the finished product.

 

[Redbama81]

It’s in there somewhere! Those are vines and they are everywhere but getting them out little by little. I will check the pump. Pool is full of debris so working on that first. Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

 

[Redbama81]

Thank you!! Those vines are out of control but getting them out a little at a time. It’s a job for sure.

 

[Redbama81]

Some Motivation for ya.

We got you now.

Thank you so much!! I need all the good vibes and motivation. Each day is getting better and better. We have this leaf gulper thing that attaches to the water hose but the mesh net keeps coming off into the swamp. Any tips and tricks to get that stay on the machine?

 

[Oly]

Don't assume you only have leaves below the surface. I'm guessing there is a significant root mat down there packed with leaves and decaying debris. There may be branches and tree limbs as well as advanced aquatic animals. I would start by pulling the vines out of and well away from the water. Getting too aggressive may damage your liner liner so beware. I would suggest lowering the water level next to help expose what is down there. Get some more data on what you are trying to remove before deciding which tools to use.

 

[Newdude]

Any tips and tricks to get that stay on the machine?

I have never seen one in person. Hang tight and maybe someone will know.

One way or the other, the crud on the bottom needs to go. Tread gently, there is no telling what's down there as said above. Pointy sticks or even sharp tools are possible and one time a member found a deer. But every scoop put helps, even when it tests your patience.

 

[Redbama81]

A deer? I better not find a deer lol.

 

[Newdude]

Agreed.

Especially one of the ones with the big pointy thingies.

 

[an1vrsy]

Welcome to TFP! Congrats on your new to you house. The pool will be a wonderful place to hang out when you are done. Just a couple of things I’ve noticed that is good. Your liner holds water, that’s good. You are willing to have at it, that’s great! You found TFP, most excellent.

Hopefully water is fairly inexpensive in your neck of the woods. Look for a plumbing cleanout so you have a place to drain the water to. It may not be legal in your area to just drain it into/onto the street.

Continue to ask questions here on TFP. I am truly amazed at the wealth of knowledge here. Good luck, you got this.

 

[clambert1273]

Some Motivation for ya.

We got you now.

Shall I post my before & after this yr

 

[Newdude]

Shall I post my before & after this yr

To show actual, real world members having been in OPs shoes ?????? YOU BET !!!!!

Here's mine. When we were moving, the realtor called and said the picture taker was coming in 4 days and the pool had to be open. Cool. No problemo. *record scratch*





I dumped about half on the spot



The chlorine went to work *this fast*




By the time it was full with a 1.5 inch irrigation pipe, it was technically good enough for pics (total elapsed time 9 hours)



On day 4 it was brochure quality.



Yours will likely be more of a battle @Redbama81, but when I tell you that we got you, we GOT you.

 

[clambert1273]

This yr 4/22-5/5

 

[clambert1273]

To show actual, real world members having been in OPs shoes ?????? YOU BET !!!!!

Here's mine. When we were moving, the realtor called and said the picture taker was coming in 4 days and the pool had to be open. Cool. No problemo. *record scratch*

View attachment 495421

View attachment 495422

I dumped about half on the spot

View attachment 495423

The chlorine went to work *this fast*

View attachment 495424


By the time it was full with a 1.5 inch irrigation pipe, it was technically good enough for pics (total elapsed time 9 hours)

View attachment 495425

On day 4 it was brochure quality.

View attachment 495426

Yours will likely be more of a battle @Redbama81, but when I tell you that we got you, we GOT you.

I had a lake ducks and all

 

[Redbama81]

Don't assume you only have leaves below the surface. I'm guessing there is a significant root mat down there packed with leaves and decaying debris. There may be branches and tree limbs as well as advanced aquatic animals. I would start by pulling the vines out of and well away from the water. Getting too aggressive may damage your liner liner so beware. I would suggest lowering the water level next to help expose what is down there. Get some more data on what you are trying to remove before deciding which tools to use

To show actual, real world members having been in OPs shoes ?????? YOU BET !!!!!

Here's mine. When we were moving, the realtor called and said the picture taker was coming in 4 days and the pool had to be open. Cool. No problemo. *record scratch*

View attachment 495421

View attachment 495422

I dumped about half on the spot

View attachment 495423

The chlorine went to work *this fast*

View attachment 495424


By the time it was full with a 1.5 inch irrigation pipe, it was technically good enough for pics (total elapsed time 9 hours)

View attachment 495425

On day 4 it was brochure quality.

View attachment 495426

Yours will likely be more of a battle @Redbama81, but when I tell you that we got you, we GOT you.

Thank you so much!! Yours looks great! It’s going to be a battle for sure!! We are determined to knock it out. We got all the vines off today. Started draining water down with a sump pump. Scooped out about 12 bags of debris which was mostly leaves. Nothing to scary yet lol. We are alternating scooping out with a leaf rake and working on landscaping around the pool. We weren’t having much luck with the leaf gulper hooked to the hose bc the bag kept coming off into the swap. Going to pick up some zip ties and a larger mesh bag and hopefully then we can use it.

 

[V___25]

I cannot wait to see these results. This is going to be amazing!