Can Spring Sludge Ruin My Filter?

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading the plight of others with algae this spring and I'm among `em. I haven't done the chems yet because I don't know what I'd do with the readings because I'm afraid to turn on the pump. Read further and you'll see why.

I just took the cover off of our 16X32 AG pool (with vinyl liner and 6.5 deep end) and YUCK! Last year was green but with the help of Ben's kit and the advice here I got it cleared up and running. I put it "to bed" for the winter using Ben's advice for winterizing and used the typical black woven pool cover. It was a mild winter here in western PA and April was untypically warm. I probably should've taken the cover off then but knew the weather wouldn't stay that way. I think that cover is awful. It seems to let all the blowing dirt drift right down into the pool.

The stuff in the pool is nasty, sludgy green/brown and is laying on the bottom in a layer as well as making the water green/brown. I can't even see the bottom of the deep end. I've hooked up the pump system but am concerned that if I try to vacuum all that stuff out somehow I'll gum up the filter even if I put it to wash. Is that a viable concern?

Another issue is that when I reached down into the water with a scrubbee to see if the stuff comes off, it only does a little. Have I somehow ruined the liner so that nothing I do will get it off? Or if I can start the pump and get the circulation going and balance the chemicals will that remove it?

Will I have to drain the pool and scrub it with some sort of cleanser? Is that even possible?

It's terrible to be so afraid of screwing things up but I am. This was a major investment for us and it's been a major challenge to maintain, let alone use, since it was erected in Oct of `03.

I almost wish I lived in Florida or some place where they have pool services that deal with this stuff so I wouldn't have to. I know - that's blasphemy on this list but I'm such a wimp. Any and all advice gratefully accepted.

CoffeeBean

Step #1....Take out Ben's test kit and test your water. Post the results and you'll get lot's of good help.

After considering my post I realized that no one can really help with the chemistry without numbers so I dug out my PS233 and tested.

As I figured I have

FC - 0
CC - 0
TC - 0
pH - 7.2
Alk - 80
CAL - 120
Cya - 0

I'm still baffled about why the overgrowth of algae. I bumped up the CL levels and added a quart of Polyquat before closing the pool down thinking that I'd have a clearer opening this year than last. My numbers were solid at that time and the water sparkling clean.

I'll be heading off to get some Clorox tomorrow.

Thanks for any other suggestions, especially about the filter clogging up with sludge or not.

CoffeeBean

Well, thinking about it a little, I guess you could scoop out as much as you can....I would rather let the filter do the work.

Do you have a sand filter? If so, you'll just backwash pretty frequently during cleanup. I don't know about DE or cartridge.

You're gonna' need a ton of Clorox...probably double what you think. Since you have no CYA, I would put it in mostly at dusk....you'll get more use out of it rather than let the Sun burn it up.

You probably know the drill, bring the Cl up to shock level and keep it there. Run your pump 24/7. You'll get there.:)

Thanks Dave for your replys.

I have a sand filter. I was reading another person's post about cleaning up the algae mess and he was saying how his pump got clogged every 30 minutes or so. I, like him, can't stay up 24/7 to tend to it.

Do you think I've got irrepairable damage to the liner or will the staining disappear once I get some CL into it? I'd hate to think I'd have to buy a new liner since this one is only 2.5 years old.

CoffeeBean

I don't know about your liner.....time will tell but my money is on the Clorox.

Your Sand Filter is the most forgiving for taking in junk. I doubt you'll have to backwash very much.....but you'll have to backwash.....less and less as your water clears.

Thank you for your help. I dumped in 12 of the 3 quart jugs of Clorox tonight (that's all I had time to buy and dump - spent 9.5 hours on the road today). Tomorrow I'll start washing it out.

If you CYA has dropped to 0 while the pool was closed expect to go through a LOT of bleach before the chlorine is holding!

Hmmm. Well, I have always been pretty aggressive with Cl but 9 gallons is a pretty big hit.....somewhere around 32-36ppm depending on how many gallons in your pool.

Did you calculate that prior to putting it in?

My bet is you'll still be fine because you've got so much junk in your pool. However, I think I'd back off that big of a dose next time....maybe cut that in half.....around 15ppm max.

On a positive note, that'll sure kill a lot of algae!! Don't be surprised if your filter pressure is waay up tomorrow. (and most of that Cl gone!) Just backwash it out and start again. As I posted earlier, the need to backwash will lessen as you clean out the goo.

Keep us posted as you progress. Add chlorine as often as you can....just don't add so much :)

I must confess that I didn't do any calculations re: the CL dump for 2 reasons; 1) I figured that I have so much "stuff" in there and 0 CL that it couldn't hurt especially if I was careful about not getting it on the liner and 2) although I'm a fairly smart woman I can't seem to deduct from Ben's table just how much ppm = on the CL test nor just how much a gallon of CL is = to in raising PPM. If you have any quick & dirty helpfuls on that I'd be eternally grateful. The pool place estimated my pool around 16,000 gal, give or take. I have a 52" with a 6'5" deep end with an 18" "ledge" surrounding that. (Doughboy never answered my e-mail or returned my calls)

I never dreamed that I'd need so much chem & math someday when I was slogging through the courses.

Thanks for the encouragement.

CoffeeBean

Bean,

Download bleachcalc from any of mwsmith2's posts....I use it constantly.