"milky, slightly green color" = dying, not dead algae. Maintain a DARK yellow test result with OTO drops until pool is cloudy gray or blue, with no green.Originally Posted by 12ofus
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
"milky, slightly green color" = dying, not dead algae. Maintain a DARK yellow test result with OTO drops until pool is cloudy gray or blue, with no green.
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
Do I need to backwash often? What do I do when the water is cloudy blue or gray?
27 round AG pool
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
Like always: backwash on a pressure increase. For most filters 3 - 6 psi increase works out well.
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
Yes, backwash whenever the filter pressure increases by 8-10psi over clean filter pressure. And, when you get to the point where you have cloudy blue or gray (dead algae), you continue to keep high chlorine levels and run the pump 24/7.
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
My water is now just cloudy and slightly bluish gray. You can see your foot on the bottom through the cloudiness. Our ph level is starting to drop slightly. What can we do to clear the water? The pressure gauge is broken on our pump, so it always reads "0". We have been backwashing whenever the water coming back into the pool isn't as forceful.
27 round AG pool
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
You need to buy a new pressure gauge. They are cheap. Keep the chlorine levels up and keep filtering. It takes P.O.P.--- Pool Owner Patience.
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
That's reasonable.
But there's no 'quick' way to clean up dead algae in a typical AG pool, because their filters are too small. They manage OK so long nothing is wrong, but not so well for clean up. Where you have 2 seasons worth of swamp, I'd allow 2 weeks for clean up.
PoolDoc / Ben
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
I'm new to forums and how to navigate around them, so I just found and read PoolDoc's reply. We knew it wouldn't be a quick fix, I just want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. We have spent over $200 on bleach (Walmart) and I'm keeping the chlorine in the bright yellow/orange range.We also went ahead bought a small bucket of chlorine tablets and we're keeping one in the basket. We figured we'll need them anyway and maybe that would help keep the chlorine level up while we go buy more bleach. The ph side of the tester is nearly clear. I cannot afford the expensive test right now. Do we keep adding bleach every day like this until it's clear? Does it matter about the ph right now? In my first post watermom said to load up on borax as well. When will I use that? My kids ask me a hundred times a day about the pool and I don't really know myself what to tell them. I really appreciate y'all answering my questions. We're trying to be hopeful our pool will be okay eventually.
27 round AG pool
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
Once the algae is dead -- no more green -- you can drop back to medium to dark yellow, with no orange. However you should brush the pool thoroughly before you drop back.
See if you can find the HTH 6-way kit, sold by some Walmarts. It's made by Taylor and is a partial replacement for the K2006.
The borax is just to raise your pH, which will drop once you use the tabs a bit.
What does the water look like right now?
PoolDoc / Ben
Re: How to clean an above ground pool after 2 seasons of non use
The water is clean-looking, but not clear. There are no more critters floating in the jar sample. The test shows a bright yellow and a slightly below ideal for the ph.. We replaced the gauge yesterday and are still backwashing when the pool intake is slow, but that has been less frequently.
27 round AG pool
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