Bought foreclosure with in-ground green "swamp" pool

[PoolDoc]

You're making good progress!

Do these things:

1. Get some DE (10lbs is plenty) and add 2 cups to a skimmer. Watch the pool returns. If you see DE shoot back into the pool, then your filter needs service. If not, you're good to go.

2. Assuming your filter is OK, add 2 more cups of DE to the filter. Back wash the filter whenever the pressure has increased 5 psi over the 'clean' pressure. DE will cause your filter to 'clog' up, much faster, so keep an eye out. Add more DE after each backwash.

3. Using a label dose -- NO MORE! -- of clarifier, will usually help in situations like yours, with dead algae and a sand filter. Do NOT overdose: too much clarifier can work in 'reverse' and make it harder to clear your pool.

4. If you do need to service the filter, I'd recommend opening the shell -- it's not THAT big a job, and you are much more likely to get things fixed properly. Be CAREFUL, when you re-assemble the filter that there's NO sand on the O-ring, or on either the top or bottom O-ring groove. Sand doesn't usually need to be changed, but there are exception. You can take the dome off, and get a sample of sand. If it's in balls or all gummed up and sticky, it should be changed. But, it doesn't really 'wear out'.

[CarlD]

Two cups of DE sounds like a lot to me. For the test of the filter looking for blow back into the pool, of course it's right. But generally, for maintenance purposes, 1/3 to 1/2 cup is usually enough in a 200# sand filter. More than that and the filter clogs requiring back washing to get the DE out.

But...you can always add MORE DE to find the ideal level.