Pool Problems!!! Need Help!!!?

Question

i am a new homeowner and never had a pool before. too many problems and don't know where to begin. initially, i tried shocking the pool and vacuuming. then used algacide/clarifier and vacuuming. cleaned the filter repeatedly when pressure built up at least 10psi.

main problems are:

1.loose plaster is chipping away, like small potholes all over with hairline cracks everywhere

2.black/green algae is present over and under the plaster

3.reddish stains on surface

4.open the main drain cover and no pump to be found

i don't the funds to pay a professional, so i was planning to do it myself with some help. this is what i was planning to do:

1.drain the pool

2.tsp and acid wash

3.patch plaster holes, since i don't have enough money to replaster, if possible paint

4.should i clean as much as i can then refill the pool and run chemicals to remove the stains?

5.or is it possible to paint over the algae and rust stains without them reappearing?

thanks in advance for the help

Answer 1

DO NOT START YET!

Make sure that you are in an area where you do not have water seepage. Thin of it this way, If you dig a hole as deep as the pool, will it fill up with water? If you live in a coastal or marshy area, it just might.

If the answer is yes, talk to a pool supply house before you drain the pool.

I took over taking care of several pools in the Houston area. I drained and cleaned 4 of them. I was very careful and had not problems doing this. A neighbor did the same thing. but when he did it, it had rained for several days and actually rained the day he drained his pool. Then he discovered a strange but true fact.....Swimming Pools Float!

He discovered this when his floated 3 feet out of the ground. He no longer has a pool.

Check with the national Swimming Pool and Spa ***. about classes. They offer classes on pool care for professionals. they are not very cheap, but they will save you a ton on money in the long run.

Answer 2

The TSP and Acid should take out any stains you have...if they don't....they will never come out. Make sure you use the best paint you can find for pool finishes....and let it dry at least a week before you fill the pool....you want it to cure up good and hard before the water is added.