I had just about gotten my pool ready for the summer, just completing a SLAM to get everything under control, when we had flooding rains last night. The pool is now brown due to dirt, grass, and other debris from the yard that was washed into it. In the past I have used flocculant in these situations, but now that I have discovered TFP and know that TFP in general does not like flocing a pool, I want to ask advice on the best way to proceed. Is this a situation that calls for flocculant (used correctly, not into the filter) or should I continue SLAMing with lots of vacuuming to waste off the bottom?
Recovery from flood
- Thread starter Rsmith1
- Start date
Hi, welcome to TFP! If you are able to vacuum to waste then you could use flocc to bind up the dirt and get it out. If you use flocc, do 1 treatment as directed. After you have vacuumed to waste, refill the pool and leave the pump off overnight again and follow with another vacuum to waste. After that begin the slam process and brush the pool daily. Any remaining dirt should filter out.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,252
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP. Seems a few folks from your area have arrived here today with the same problem.
How have you used flocculant "correctly" before?
That is what we recommend. Along with lots of patience as the sand filter slowly clears the water.
Thanks for the quick replies Zea and Allen. A friend told me about TFP last year after the pool store had finally annoyed me enough, and I have been using the advice from here successfully since then. It has been quite a few years since the pool has flooded this dramatically, but I recall putting the specified amount of flocculant in the pool, circulating (not filtering!) for an hour or two, then turning off the pump for a day or so to let things settle out overnight, then vacuuming to waste. In less dramatic flooding situations since the last bad flood I have basically done what TFP calls SLAMing, before I had learned that term and the exact technique.
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,204
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Even processes/chemicals we have people avoid for good reason do have their time and place. It's all about understanding effects and possible consequences. It sounds like you have good grasp of the situation.
Yesterday a user forgot to recirculate during the first step. Instant sand/goo mess in filter.
Yesterday a user forgot to recirculate during the first step. Instant sand/goo mess in filter.
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
@Rsmith1 We didn't get nearly as much rain as you (about 4" at our place) but it was in the period of a couple of hours and I saw the mess it made of the pool when we got back from our tornado shelter @ 4:30 AM. Anyway, around 9 this morning, I started up the filter, got out as much of the larger debris that I could see and threw the robot in. I have only had to clean the robot once and there wasn't too much in the way of larger debris in it. I started SLAM immediately and am brushing the side/bottom hourly. Here is the improvement JUST TODAY. So, I would stay far, FAR away from the Floc since it can really gum up your filter. Since it is most likely just dirt, my SLAM might be overkill, but better safe than sorry. 
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,252
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Many folks have only a BACKWASH setting on their sand filter and no RECIRCULATE or WASTE settings. If you can RECIRCULATE or drain to WASTE you have more options.
We have more rain (not sure how much) forecast for tomorrow evening, so my best move is probably to use the filter and robot today (the sun is out now) and see where I stand when we have a few clear days and a holiday weekend ahead. However, I cannot even see the first step through the water at this point, so I am not sure if filter + robot will do the trick any time soon. If I don't seem to be making much progress I may very carefully try the flocculant since I do have all the different options, including recirculate and waste, on my valve. I just installed the new sand filter myself since the old one (the fiberglass body) started leaking after 22 years of Oklahoma heat/cold, so I have no intention of gumming it up by running floculant through it.
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Yeah, yours is a bit muddier than ours was. I think our soil is more sandy than what you have up north.Here is what the pool looks like now; more farm pond than dirty swimming pool.
View attachment 102405
Or maybe the rest of your yard is in better shape than ours . At least your pool seems well on the way to recovery. Hope you don't get too much rain out of this next system. I grew up in OKC and my parents still live there....
. At least your pool seems well on the way to recovery. Hope you don't get too much rain out of this next system. I grew up in OKC and my parents still live there....
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Thanks. We are having a housewarming/pool party on Saturday so *really* hoping we can get it recovered by then. Thankfully for us, we lucked out in that the previous owner worked in the landscape business and did a great job making the yard look great. Now, I just have to make sure and not kill it! I did notice this AM that all the area drains were plugged with debris, so that is probably what happened...no place for the water to go but in the pool and with it raining so fast and hard, there was no way the overflow could keep up.Or maybe the rest of your yard is in better shape than ours
Good luck with yours, I will be watching for updates!
How did this turn out? I essentially have the same issue. I have been filtering, vacuuming, dolphining, etc. and I don't seem to be making any progress. Getting pretty tempted to try the floc if it doesn't seem to be an issue as long as you do it correctly.
It filters out for me. It takes a couple of days to get clear. This happened several times. Last time I just let the pump run on the normal schedule.
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