Wife says we need to drain and start over

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aslinterpreter

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Oct 16, 2009
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Hello everyone! We didn’t put a cover on our pool after we closed it last year. Now it’s a nasty mess. I have already scooped out a ton of leaves and branches. My wife thinks we need to drain it and start again since it looks like a green / black swamp!
Any thoughts on what we should do?
It’s 40,000 gallons and has a sand filter and salt water generator
 

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Being a fiberglass pool makes a full drain a risky path forward as the pool could be destroyed.

It is most certainly possible to clear up that pool by following the SLAM Process process. Do you already have one of the recommended test kits?
 
No need to replace the water unless the CYA is sky high.

A bit confused, you say it's 40,000 gallons, but your signature says 10,000

Also that photo looks like a vinyl lined pool, not fiberglass.

Did you mean vinyl lined with fiberglass walls?

In any case, scoop out all the debris first so all you have is green water,
SLAM will go much quicker that way.

Do you have one of the recommended test kits yet?
 
borjis said:
No need to replace the water unless the CYA is sky high.

A bit confused, you say it's 40,000 gallons, but your signature says 10,000

Also that photo looks like a vinyl lined pool, not fiberglass.

Did you mean vinyl lined with fiberglass walls?

In any case, scoop out all the debris first so all you have is green water,
SLAM will go much quicker that way.

Do you have one of the recommended test kits yet?
Click to expand...


I have no clue why my signature says that!!

It is a vinyl liner and it’s 40,000 gallons

I would LOVE to vacuum to waste.... my only concern is that the filter basket in the pump gets filled up so fast I would have to clean it out every few minutes. Is there a trick I can use that would make it not fill up as fast?

I don’t have a test kit yet. I’ll order one this evening.
It’s still chilly here in KC but I would like to hurry up and get it going!!

Thanks everyone!
 
I was guessing you might be one of the rare cases where signatures got mixed up. I will go delete it, please fill in your actual signature as it was help us help you.

- - - Updated - - -

Highly recommend you order the TF-100 with XL options since we know you will need to follow the SLAM Process process.
 
As mentioned you do not need to drain it based on the current known information. If you are able to post a full set of test numbers we can certainly let you know if draining or partial draining is recommended.

For sake of conversations lets assume that your CYA and Calcium numbers are manageable, this would mean that there is no reason why you would NEED to drain. Following the SLAM instructions from the link in jblizzle's post is the recommendation. For a SLAM you may spend $100 or more or less on bleach. I am on day two of a SLAM after opening my pool over the weekend, so far I have spent $25 on bleach and expect to spend about $25 more at most. As a side note, I went to the pool store to pick up an O-ring for one of my valves and the guy in front of me spent $260 on chemicals to open his pool, based on their test results and recommendations, I will be at less than $80.

However if you do decide to drain the pool you want to know how much at a time you can drain, for a vinyl liner it is recommended that you leave at least 1' of water in the shallow end. At this point you would need to refill and would still need to do a SLAM.

So now you have the cost of replacement water and bleach, although it should be less bleach. If you do drain call your water provider and see if they offer any discounts for filling up pools, in my area they do not charge sewer cost for filling up pools.

Hope this helps.
 

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You can vac to waste with your skimmer basket catching the debris before it gets sucked into the line that goes to the pump.
 
Casey said:
You can vac to waste with your skimmer basket catching the debris before it gets sucked into the line that goes to the pump.
Click to expand...

I’m trying to figure out how that would work...??? My vac is attached to the hose that is also attached to the hole at the bottom of my skimmer. I have to take the skimmer basket out first to get the hose down in there. Am I doing it wrong?
 
You can get a vacuum plate that goes on the top of your skimmer basket, but that may not work if your main drain is plumbed into a 2nd hole in the skimmer.
Or get an inline leaf canister (and a short piece of hose if needed).
 
Its a process... and just takes time.

Even though wives are normally 99.99 CORRECT.

Follow the rules here for SLAM or shocking the pool with high does liquid chlorine 12%.

Get a good large leaf rake/ skimmer attachment for your pole. Just keep scooping out large debris.

Once the pool clears you will any remaining large debris --- get that all out before your vacuum the sediment or muck to waste.

SLAM or Shock again and brush the pool.

When dirt/ sediment settles to the bottom vac to waste.

IT WILL 100% CLEAN UP.

Just be patient and follow the process - there are a lot of experts or good advise here.. post pics and ask questions.. you will get it done.

B
 
jblizzle said:
You can get a vacuum plate that goes on the top of your skimmer basket, but that may not work if your main drain is plumbed into a 2nd hole in the skimmer.
Or get an inline leaf canister (and a short piece of hose if needed).
Click to expand...

That vac plate sounds like a great idea!! I’ll look for one now.

I just did my first test with the TF100. This is what I got
TC 0
Ph 8.2
Cya 0
TA 70

Thanks for all the help!!
 
aslinterpreter said:
That vac plate sounds like a great idea!! I’ll look for one now.

I just did my first test with the TF100. This is what I got
TC 0
Ph 8.2
Cya 0
TA 70

Thanks for all the help!!
Click to expand...

Gets some MA too! :mrgreen:

Thanks Jason. I didn't realize his hose goes right into a port hole. I'm so use to above ground pools.
 
A leaf gulper is THE BEST. OMG you guys told me about them on here i think. My pool is under TREEEEES galore, and the leaf gulper leaves me free to catch diving toys on the bottom instead of being a permanent swimming leaf catcher! :)

$20 or $25 at the pool store. BOOM.
 
CYA / chlorine relationship is confusing!

I started slamming my pool a couple of days ago. Reading through the charts and watching a couple of videos has really confused me about the CYA chlorine relationship. It looks like the more CYA you have the more chlorine you need, which seems to be backwards. In my mind, it looks like the more stabilizer you have in the water, the LESS chlorine you would need because the higher CYA level would prevent it from being lost.
Can someone help me understand this better? Why don’t I just keep the CYA at 0 during the SLAM so I can use less chlorine. Especially here in the Midwest right now where it’s still cloudy and chilly a lot more than it should be this time of year.

Thanks for he help!!
 
Re: CYA / chlorine relationship is confusing!

Because CYA/Stabilizer inhibits the ability of chlorine to work. It's one of those good thing/bad thing scenarios. It's good that CYA protects the chlorine from the sun, but it's bad that it reduces it's ability to work.
 

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