replace swimming pool wat

[barry martin]

David:

DF> My sister's pool water is chronically green... She just spent $70 on DF> various chemicals as recommended by the pool supply dealer and two DF> weeks later it is just as green as ever... My question is whether she

Algae problem? Presumably she has tried shocking the pool (dump a lot of chlorine in it -- don't swim in it for a few days).

DF> could just pump the pool dry and replace the water in it with city DF> water? We figured that the pool has 28,000 gallons and the cost to DF> replace the water would be around $40... The pool supply person just DF> scared her by telling her that it would take about $100 worth of DF> chemicals to get the city water up to the right levels of PH, chlorine

That price sounds a little high. I used to run pool at the apartment complex (would teach new managers the quirks) and I don't think the management was spending nearly that much.

DF> etc... It would seem to me that there must be a lot of nutritious DF> stuff in solution in that pool water (after 20 years worth of kids DF> peeing in the pool )that with the addition of sunlight would quickly DF> turn green... Or am I wrong in that assumption and is the water DF> essentially pretty clean of organics in solution?

Has the pool ever been emptied? Here in eastern Iowa the pools are winterized (and they do turn a deep green when idled); in the spring pumped out, the walls cleaned and fixed as necessary, then flled with two garden hoses.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Not Quites: I'm Just Enthused about Harry.

[EmptyWallet]

make sure your alkalinity is right. That generally pulls the PH into where it should be, but check that too. Then your chemicals will work properly. Otherwise, without balanced water, you use far too many chemicals and have H2O problems. Use test strips to check.

Then just shock and have your chlorinator set for a reasonable amount depending on swimming load.

Most pool companies just LOVE to oversell the amount of stuff you really need.

I helped a chum setup his pool as described, and like mine we use about 1/2 of what the pool company would like to have me use, never any additives and our water is always crystal clear.

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Bingo.........

We empty ours every 2 or three years due to excessive calcium buildup is all--as we did this year.

Knowing in advance the total alkalinity of the water to be used to re-fill, its a given we always need to add about 75 lbs of sodium bicarbonate.............

After that its just keeping the chlorine residual level up--I dont think we have shocked even once so far this year.........the pool has been in service beginning in mid May, requiring only residual chlorination to keep algae from forming.

If theres one thing I know its that if the total alkalinity isnt corrected first, adjusting the ph and keeping the water clear can become an expensive and frustrating effort.

[Dorot29701]

I'm in FL and people don't drain their pools unless there is something major - like refinishing it - going on. We are charged a "penalty" if we drain the pool too often...at least in my county.

Most of the times, shocking a pool with liquid chorine will do the trick. Find out what caused the green - some algae will do it.

Down here we have chain stores like Pinch a Penny that will test the water free and tell you what you need. You don't have to buy what they suggest - you should be familiar with the usual needs of a pool and who has the best prices. You can get a home test kit to check ph of water.

Dorothy

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Im in rural Washington state, and there are three producing three wells on the estate.........so yes, it might make a big difference where you live.......

Agreed.

Yup.