How to keep water clean without running pump and filter?

[mike83]

Hi, I'm a first time pool owner. Two weeks ago I opened my pool (21' round that came with the home I bought last winter), and with some help was able to get it up and running. It ran fine for about a week until I started getting a lot of water leakage out of the waste line, while the multivalve was set to filter. Long story short, turned out I had to buy an all new sand filter with multivalve. Because it has been raining all day today, and forecasted to rain all week, I've decided not to set up the new filter until after the holiday weekend, which I will be away for anyways.

Is there something I can do to keep the water from turning green or whatever else can happen to it without running the pump and filter for a week? Chlorine tablet in that floating basket possibly?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

You're pool should have about 9,500 gallons in it. If someone is going to be home, the easiest way to take care of it is to

1. Add 1/3 - 1/2 gallon of PLAIN Walmart (or other 8.25%) bleach to your pool EACH evening (not morning or midday!).

2. Purchase a cheap local OTO test kit (yellow/red drops) and use it each evening. Skip the bleach dose, if you get an OTO dark yellow or orange result.

3. If you have the slightest bit of slime-iness on the liner -- feel with your hand -- your first 2 doses should be 1 gallon each, and you should brush the pool AFTER adding the bleach.

4. Do NOT add the bleach in one spot, but 'walk' it around the pool. Wear old clothes and sunglasses -- bleach is hard on the eyes and on clothes, and somehow always tends to splatter when you pour in multiple spots.

5. Do NOT let anyone swim. The dirt load from swimmers will mess up the pool, if you aren't filtering.

BUT . . . if no one is going to be around, then.

1. Do as above, till the day before leaving. Especially, treat the pool for algae if any.

2. Order ASAP some polyquat (explanation and Amazon links here: www.poolsolutions.com/polyquat.html). If you order from Amazon, get 2-day shipping, and order today -- 2 - 3 quarts should be enough. What you don't use will keep indefinitely, if you keep it out of the sun.

3. Mix a double dose of polyquat in several gallons of water, and pour that around the pool.


Good luck.

[Watermom]

You can also use a clean broom or oar or something after you pour the bleach in to stir the water around and mix the bleach in as well as you can.

I had no power for a full week last summer after we had a major storm. I just poured in bleach every day and the water stayed clear until we got the power back on.