I need to clean my inground pool. It's a disgrace! Help?

Question

I live in Florida and have a pretty big pool that is uncovered. ( no screen). I want to get it running like normal again but it is completely green. I need the cheapest way to clean it and maintain it. Please Help

Answer 1

I live in Gainesville and would have this problem , maybe twice a year. To maintain a in- ground pool you must take a reading first thing in the morning and another at night to see the PH/ acid reading. I used several pool kits where you put the pool water in a tube and tested. I discovered that If I went away on vacation I actually had to make sure the ph was several degrees above normal so when I returned I could still reclaim my pool water. When the pool had turned color and was in the dark green area it cost more in chemicals than pumping half out and putting new water in and using chemicals. I bought several books on pool maintenance and now have no problems.

First things first, Take a test and run a tube test and see where you are on the ph/acid /alkaline chart and judge by that reading how much to add. I have brought my pool back several times by adding and waiting, checking ph and adding chemicals as needed for alkalinity / ph levels. The water has to be in a certain range on your chart to start to clear. Also, This is a big plus. Add three to four gallons chlorine. I once added five gallons to my pool when it turned green from a long vacation. You cannot add too much when over chlorinating your pool. The chlorine is what is the gate keeper for a clear pool. If you do not have supplies go to your local pool supply and get several charts, pool kit, chemicals Clean-plus Ph and Alkaline chemicals and six gallons chlorine as stock pool chemicals. This will take time and lots of testing. The first day will be just testing and adding chlorine and Clean-plus for the ph. Do not vacumn if you can not see the bottom. Skim off everything on top of water and take your ph/ alkaline test, add chlorine and while you wait go to pool maintenancee on-line and read pool clean up articles. Go on-line and order a total pool maintenance book for reading. You can clean the pool and bring it back all you need is time , testing and adding chemicals.  My next door neighbor bought ahis house with a green pool and it cost him several thousand dollars to clean and start up to use. Take that first test and see what you have and  then add chemicals  then to shock the pool add lots of  chlorine. This has to be a week maybe to see a clear pool again. The water will slowly return to a clear color and within the normal chart with lots of love and care.

Answer 2

  Patience and effort... and a little $$.. You got some good advice on helping your problem and some advice that I would be hesitant to use....

  So lets cut to the chase and get your pool clean in a couple of days... #

  #1--- water chemistry is Most Important .. Chlorine levels between 1-3, (not your case for this cure) . Your going to SUPER-SHOCK with 5 gallons of SHOCK.. NOT BLEACH .. bleach is 6% sodium hypochlorite and shock is 14% sodium hypochlorite...ADD THE SHOCK AT NIGHT.. the sun kills it's effectivness. The afternoon before you Super Shock, your going to take your pool-brush and scrub the sides and bottom, to break the algae's hold. (you thought the water was green before)lol. Now backwash the filter. after backwashing ... YES it does Work ..pour an Algaecide around the perimeter of the pool....now add shock when the sun goes down...

         Next morning,.. what have you got? ..A good bit of the algae has died and sank to the bottom... Vacuum the bottom with the valve in the "WASTE" position .. do as much as you can before you have to add water to the pool. you just dumped 100's and 100' of gallons of water on the ground...This is why I'm not to concerned about  PH .. ALK and Calcium Hardness.. your just concerned with removing the Algae.. Then you can concentrate on the waters' balance.. PH 7.2--7.8... ALKALINITY 80--120 and Calcium Hardness 200-400... P.S. baking soda is used to raise the Alk.. and soda ash is used to raise the PH... Yes it is true that the soda ash effects the Alkalinity .. the same is true that Shock will raise th Ph ...  but think of this.... you just added 30 lbs of "Arm and Hammer" to raise the Ph but you just put the waters' Alkalinity off the scale ..  know what I'm saying?  Sodium Hypochlorite 14%= SHOCK...... adjust Ph with Soda Ash or Muriatic Acid...use Baking Soda to increase Alkalinity and Calcium Chloride to increase CALCIUM HARDNESS......... Now  go out there and repeat the Algae removal process and never never add any chemicals directly to the skimmer

Answer 3

Cheapest way to get started is to add at least one gallon of straight bleach to the water.  Start the filter and add it slowly at the intake or skimmer.  Wear old clothes that you don't mind staining and avoid splashing.  You will definitely have to vacuum the bottom and to avoid clogging your filter do the following.  Using the leg of a pair of pantyhose or a single woman's knee high stocking, remove the hose from the vacuum brush and place the top of the knee high over the end of the hose then stuff the rest into the hose.  Now place the hose back onto the brush.  When you vacuum, all of the heavy sediment will get stuck in the stocking and not in the filter element.  As you pick up the sediment the stocking will stretch and fill up forming a fat cigar shape.  When the stocking is full, remove and empty it and start again.  This will save you the time and work of cleaning your filter.  Once you have removed all of the sediment and algae you can go back to using the proper chemicals to maintain your pool water.  To save some additional money you can use ordinary baking soda to balance your ph level.

Answer 4

Unfortunately pool companies will sell you anything that you will buy. Take a few minutes to review this important information -

http://appliancequickfix.com/POOLSTUFF.h...

Answer 5

i own a pool company please see email

Answer 6

I do this for a living the quick way is to drain the pool with a sump pump and wash down with a hose,net the big c**p out then drain the water you used to wash down pool...then chlorine wash the entire pool with 20-24 gallons of chlorine...leave the chlorine in the pool then refill and rebalance the water

Answer 7

You need to just go to the local pool store and they can help you out a lot.  More than likely you are going to have to shock the pool many times, because so much algae has grown and is living in your pool.  The "Shock" which is a chemical will kill most things living in the pool.  Just go to the pool store any they'll help you out.