Opening up the pool and need help!

I just bought a new house that has a large above ground oval pool in the back. During the winter it was covered, no other winterization techniques were applied.

I used a sharp vac to suck the excess water off the cover but it must have had a small hole somewhere because I noticed the water level in the pool dropping; it was leaking on to the cover and I was sucking it out.

Well after I realized this I attempted to remove the cover but it was so heavy from taking on water that I couldn't get it off without dumping the excess water (and the leaves) into the pool. When I initially removed the cover, the water wasn't that bad, slightly green but still mostly blue. Now it is more green than blue.

I have started using the net to collect the leaves from the bottom of the pool and am using the vacuum to remove them as well.

I bought sildate (I prefer it to chlorine) and an algaecide as well but

I don't know what to do with them. What is the step-by-step process to

getting my pool ready for swimming? Do I have to get all the leaves from the pool before I start adding stuff to it?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Reply to
Dee5
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Here is all that i find about clean your pool...

Cleaning your pool is a must to ensure bather comfort and protect your equipment. How to clean your pool is simple, and we've asked pool professional John Kistler to fill us in on the whys of pool cleaning.

Steps:

  1. Use a manual brush and pool vacuum on all areas of the walls and floor at least once a week, even if your pool is equipped with an automatic system, says John Kistler of Sunflower Pool & Spa in Salina, Kansas. There are some places in every pool that the automatic cleaning systems miss.

  1. Pay particular attention to corners, stairs and other hard-to-reach areas that get little circulation.

  2. Keep your pool maintained. A clean pool is also a function of a working filtration system and proper pH levels. Use a sanitizer to help fight bacteria, and shock the pool on a regular basis (see How to Shock a Pool) to help keep it clean and crystal-clear.

Tips: Pool brushes come with handles of varying lengths, and many have telescoping handles - so a large portion of the work can be done from poolside.

Frequently cleaning algae-growing areas keeps bathers more comfortable, saves wear and tear on filtration systems and saves money by preventing situations that require costly chemical remedies.

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Let's face it--the only thing essential about a swimming pool is that the water be fresh and clean. Let's face something else, too: Achieving this can involve more chemistry than you may have seen since junior year in high school--if then. Don't worry, though. Here are all the important concepts and terms you need to know to keep your pool clean. Just be sure to follow all manufacturer's directions on the package of a chemical carefully.

Balancing the water

Steps:

  1. Note: The three factors mentioned here--pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness--all affect one another, so it will take some trial and error to get all three in the proper range at once. Also note that before you add any chemical--especially an acid--to the water, you need to first turn on the pool's filter.

  1. Use a water-testing kit to measure the calcium hardness (how "hard" or "soft" the water is). The proper calcium hardness is between

200 and 400 parts per million (ppm).

  1. Following package directions, add calcium carbonate dihydrate to raise calcium hardness; add sodium hexametaphosphate to lower it. Carefully pour the chemical mixture into the pool at various spots a foot or two (about half a meter) away from the sides of the pool.

  2. Measure the water's total alkalinity. This figure should be in the range of 80 to 150 ppm; 100 to 120 ppm is best.

  1. Adjust the total alkalinity by adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to raise it or sodium bisulfate (dry acid) to lower it.

  2. With a pH tester, measure the water's pH. The proper pH for a pool is in the range of 7.2 to 7.6.

  1. To lower the pH, add sodium bisulfate or liquid muriatic acid. To raise it, add soda ash (sodium carbonate).

  2. Add more chemicals as needed until the water is in balance.

Treating water with chlorine

Steps:

  1. Scoop chlorine granules into water in a nonmetal container, following package directions. Always wear goggles and rubber gloves when handling chlorine, and always put the chlorine into the water--don't pour the water over the chlorine.

  1. Stir for about 30 seconds, and leave for 30 minutes to settle.

  2. Turn on the filter. Reaching as far into the middle of the pool as possible (perhaps by standing on a diving board), pour the chlorine into the pool. Discard any sediment left in the container.

  1. Add chlorine three to four times a week for a pool in heavy use.

  2. Occasionally--no more than once a week--you may need to superchlorinate (also called shock) the pool to burn any built-up bacteria, algae and ammonia. Following chlorine package directions, make a solution for superchlorination (it will be three to five times as strong as normal chlorine).

  1. Add the chlorine solution to the pool after sundown, if possible, as the sun's rays break down chlorine.

  2. Before allowing anyone to go in the pool, test the residual chlorine level to make sure it has gone back down below 3.0 ppm. This will take at least several hours.

Keeping the water dirt- and debris-free

Steps:

  1. Remove any leaves from the pool with a leaf net each time you go swimming.

  1. Empty and rinse off the strainer basket of the skimmer once or twice a week, and as often as daily during falling-leaf season.

  2. Keep the deck clean by regularly sweeping and then rinsing it with a garden hose.

  1. Use a cover over your pool as often as possible.

  2. Thoroughly clean your pool filter at least monthly. Clean a sand filter by backwashing: Reverse the flow of water through the filter for
2 to 3 minutes until the wastewater is clear.

  1. For a cartridge filter, remove the filter cartridge and wash it with a hose with a high-pressure nozzle. Replace the cartridge.

Overall Tips: Don't add harsh chemicals to the water through the pool skimmer, as that could damage the equipment.

Take water samples for testing from at least a foot (30 cm) below the surface for a truer reading.

Chlorine also comes in a more expensive but convenient liquid form, and in tablets and sticks that you place in dispensers to slowly dissolve.

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take care

David The HandyMan

Reply to
David The HandyMan

I would find a pool supply in your area, bring in a sample of water. They can test your water tell you what you need. It takes awhile to learn pool maintenance, but it's really not that hard. I have a in ground pool I treat it the same in the winter as the summer. I do run the filter less and it takes less chemical in the winter. If you keep on top of things your way ahead of the game. I test my water every 3 days in the summer heat and have it tested once a month. My only suggestion is find a pool supply your comfortable with. From my experience with Leslie's pool supply I would will suggest staying away from them. They did not become the largest pool supply being honest. Pools are just like a boat but instead of Gas & $$$$ there Chlorine and $$$$

Reply to
Sacramento Dave

you must remove all leaves and dirt. chlorine arrives in our tap water in buffalo ny. but you will use a shock or heavy dose of granular or even faster liquid or even chlorine bleach daily and run filter pump continuously and vacuum daily until green algae water is sparkling clear. once the water is beautiful then you can oxygen shock it to eliminate chlorine and start using your favorite sanitizer.

Dee5 wrote:

Reply to
buffalobill

How can you "prefer" something you misunderstand. You're ripe for the taking when it comes to chlorine.

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

I apparently need to explain myself: I am sensitive to chlorine and would like to use as little of it as possible if you don't mind. If you don't have anything useful to volunteer on the original post then please keep your comments to yourself.

Reply to
Dee5

Pool sanitation is all about poisons. You must kill everything in the pool but your actual bathers. Use of poisons requires intelligence and care.

You'd rather poison your water with heavy metals than with chlorine.

You'll be best off using chlorine knowledgably and under careful control. Your "sensitivity" if genuine is likely due to misapplication.

The various non-chlorine swindles are made for suckers who just wanna believe that chlorine is their problem and something else will disinfect but won't be a problem.

Say, do you also believe chlorine turns your hair green?

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

I had to dump my cover into my pool when opening it last week. Long story..I was alone and couldn't pull it out so I just let it go. Pool was completely green. I manually took the leaves out (I bought a leaf type skimmer thing..worked really well) I threw in shock. I ran the filter at the same time. I had to backwash the filter every half hour or so. I probably did this about 5 - 6 times. I let the filter run all night. Got the few remaining leaves the next day and the pool was fine.

Reply to
jtees4

jtees4 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

You're supposed to pump or siphon the water off the cover before attempting to remove it. Many pool owners who do thei own pool openings use a sump pump for this.

Reply to
GoHabsGo

For the people who offered helpful responses, I thank you. I have another question: I have removed all the leaves, been running the filter, and shocked the pool. The water is now blue as it should be but it is cloudy. Will this clear up on it's own or do I need to add something else to clear it up?

Thanks again..

Reply to
Dee5

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