I bought the house at a great price but agreed to treat the pool myself. The owners told me that there is nothing wrong with the pump they just haven’t maintained it since the house went on market. Which has been about 6 months. The pool looks like there is algae, I can’t see the bottom… and there’s a gigantic dead frog in there… God knows what else. It’s just gross.
How do I fix this and turn it into a sparkling (and clean) pool? If you can give me steps that would be awesome thanks!
Obtaining a proper replacement for my pool pump had been on my mind for a while. But after searching the web, I found this source that provided answers I needed and was able to make use of. You can give it a shot also.
Backwash the filter (turn off pump, turn filter handle to backwash setting, run pump for a minute or two until clear-ish water is coming out of the filter, turn off pump, turn filter handle back to normal position), and make sure the pump is on 24/7 after that. The pump itself shouldn’t need any maintenance (other than cleaning the strainer whenever you see it filling up with debris) unless you hear strange noises coming from it. Clean out any large items (frogs etc lol). Shock with chlorine, repeat for several days if necessary (this is the only way to kill existing algae). Once the water starts to get clear (which may take a week or more), add algecide, and take a water sample to a pool shop. They can analyze and tell you what else to add to get your chemicals back in balance. They will ask for the size of the pool, so if you don’t know actual water volume then take rough measurements of length, width, depth, (and shape) and they will figure out volume for you. They can also give you advice on how to maintain the balance after you have the water crystal clear.
Semi-obviously ……. don’t swim in that thing till the water is clear! Wear gloves when handling chlorine (I always wear sunglasses or safety glasses too) and be careful not to splash it on any clothes you don’t want bleached.
1. Drain Pool
2. Shovel out as much debris as possible.
3. With a power washer, gently power wash the pool interior.
4. Pump this water out.
5. Disassemble filter, and clean.
6. Fill pool
7. Recharge DE filter if applicable
8. Super chlorinate to minimum 20ppm
9. Add a poly quat algaecide at recommended dose.
10. Run filter 24X7 for several days
11. Steps 5 and 7
Or pay a pool service 5-600 dollars to do it for you.
I personally think chlorinated pools are gross. Who wants to be swimming with all those chemicals anyway? Your pool sounds like it could use a good cleaning though. I’d remove and compost the dead frog. Try using a long handled net to fish as much growth (if any) off the top of the water as possible. You may be able to see better this way. I’d try to drain the pool and take a scrubby brush to it. After that, just refill. It shouldn’t be cloudy anymore and there won’t be any dead matter or strange particulates. As for the algae, hopefully it will be much decreased from scrubbing but I would leave a little bit. It keeps the pool clean and filled with oxygen. The water should be clear enough for you to see but not too "sparkly." In nature, if you see a clean crystal pond or lake, that means it’s dead and has been polluted by too much run off. The same goes for your pool. Good luck!
sounds like it needs shock treatments but you should get some advice from a Pool specialist.
I’m sure they would guide you & give you free info.
1. Get the dead frog out of there – ewww!
2. Your pool probably needs a good vacuuming. You can get everything you need to do that at a pool supply store. They can show you how to do it, too.
3. While at the pool supply store, invest in a good water testing kit. This will tell you if your pool needs chlorine (which it probably does) and acid (to level out the Ph)
Oh and be sure to clean the filters with a power hose after you vacuum.
YOu could call up a pool cleaning service to clean it up and then your can further maintain it afterward!
Take all the water out and fill it back up with a garden hose.
Get a five gallon bucket and a large container of chlorine. Put the granulated chlorine (shock) in the bucket and dilute with water, then pour into the pool around the edges. While that’s working, clean the skimmer baskets and the basket on the pump. If you have a cartridge filter, open the filter container and clean the cartridges. If it’s sand or DE, you’ll have to backwash. If the shock doesn’t get all the green out, retreat. Start the filter and let it run for 24 hours. Once you can see the bottom you can use your net and pole to start cleaning any debris on the bottom. Clean the filter again. Retreat with shock and use the pole and brush to vigorously brush down the sides and bottom. Clean the filter again. Now, take a water sample to a reputable pool supply store and they usually test it for free and tell you what you need to balance the chemicals in the pool. Once it’s nice and clear and the chemicals are balanced you can enjoy your pool. I spend about an hour a week on mine, at the most. Keeping chlorine tabs in the chlorinator and keeping the baskets and pool sweep empty is most of the work. I don’t have to shock until the water temp rises (we live in North Texas).