Here's a picture of the walls of my pool I just drained:
It's sandy. It's scratchy. It's smaller than sand but pretty prevalent. It's even on the metal ring of the pool light.
Is there a 'chemical' test I can run to identify the culprit?
Nice pool.
I dunno, but out of curiosity, did you check the hardness regularly before you drained it? I'd be concerned it's the plaster.
Leslies always tells me that the hardness is on the low side.
Here's my last report:
5 ppm Free available chlorine (HIGH, should be 1-4ppm) 5 ppm Total available chlorine (HIGH, should be 0.2 difference) 140 ppm Calcium hardness (LOW, should be 200 to 400 ppm)
Leslies always tells me that the hardness is on the low side.
Here's my last report:
5 ppm Free available chlorine (HIGH, should be 1-4ppm) 5 ppm Total available chlorine (HIGH, should be 0.2 difference) 140 ppm Calcium hardness (LOW, should be 200 to 400 ppm)
How long has it been that low? Hard to tell but it looks like the plaster might be in poor condition. Might be the residue. But it's just a guess. If the water lacks hardness it will leach it out of your plaster. Or so I'm told.
I try to keep my phosphates at zero.
I don't know. It's normally OK (last summer) but it was left alone all winter so it turned green so I drained it.
Do you think I should wash it with vinegar?
I dunno. I'll have to reserve comment. Someone with more experience will chime in eventually.
Maybe if you take a sample to the pool store they will know for sure what it is and how to clean your pool. Is the plaster rough like rough sandpaper?
Jim
I don't think draining in-ground pools is a good idea. Something about them popping up.
Refill it, turn on the filter.
Don't worry about a little crap on the sides of the pool. It's outside, it gets all kinds of crap in it all summer long.
It depends on the water table in your area. You don't dare drain your pool in Florida. Here, no problem. But you're right, he should know the level of the water table prior to draining.
Yes. Just like sandpaper. I'm assuming it could be calcium deposits but I have no idea if that 'is' what it is.
Is there a chemical test?
I don't know the level of the water table but out here our wells are all in the hundreds of feet range (like 500 feet deep) so if 'that' is any indication, then the water table is deeper than the pool.
Nah. What ya got is pitted plaster because the water has leached out the calcium. It leaves the plaster rough like that. My pool is the same way. Previous owners didn't take care of the pool at all. The only cure I know of is a new plaster job. On a pool the size of yours it's probably going to be expensive too. Right now might be a good time to get estimates because there are a lot of contractors looking for work. That's what I ascertained from your info and the picture at least. I don't know how to clean it up. I guess it depends on if you want to leave it in the condition it's in.
I'd like to say don't worry about it but I don't want to be responsible.
Interesting. It 'could' be that as it was a foreclosure. And, the pool is big (I'm not sure how you figured that out since the picture showed only about 3/4 of it as the rest still has water I'm pumping out).
So, maybe it 'is' pitted. I wish there was a test. I tried some vinegar today but I wasn't sure if it worked or not.
One thing I found about water lifting the pool out of the ground like a boat was there is something called "hydrostatic plugs".
What would a hydrostatic plug look like so I can open them up?
Here's the pool - would the hydrostatic plugs be in here somewhere?
Still can't figure out why you are draining the pool. Fill it, turn on the filter. You're done.
It was a green swamp!
Once I drained it - I figured I'd clean it while I could for maintenance.
It shouldn't have taken $150 in chemicals. Just liquid chlorine. A few gallons and you're done.
I've dealt with green pools this way more than once. Sometimes it takes a while. If that happens, more chlorine.
How much is the water to refill the pool going to cost.
Oh well, water under the bridge.
It's hard to tell from pictures but yeah a good filter system and some chemicals would have fixed it right up. I
Sure. The calcium that's in the water probably came from the plaster. You have to maintain the calcium level to keep it from damaging the plaster and other things too.
I don't know how to clean it. I've never done that. Looks interesting.
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