My pool is out of control and swampy

[QuidStuprum]

. . . membership updated.

Just FYI -- if water costs aren't too high there, draining and refilling may be the option that pleases your family most. Chemical swamp clean-up can be slow. Drain, wash and refill can be faster . . . and less frustrating. It's not an option with vinyl or some fiberglass pools, but unless the ground around your pool is REALLY saturated, it IS an option for concrete pools.

Thank you, Doc. I am glad I found your site. My failings in maintaining my pool are a bit of an embarrassment for me. With this site's help, I endeavor to do better.

So when you stress "REALLY saturated" does that mean that I should be OK to drain my pool this weekend even if they are calling for a chance of rain for my area on Sat and Sun? I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area which is generally pretty dry. My pool is also surrounded by a concrete "decking". Would that help alleviate concerns of the pool floating up due to ground water?

BTW, I noticed your location is Chattanooga. I am originally from West TN and I am a graduate of UTK. I miss TN sometimes.

[PoolDoc]

Safe answer: dig a 2.5' deep post hole, and cover it. If it doesn't show water at the bottom, you should be good to go.

Re Chattanooga: my younger son, who used to think of Chattanooga as a bit of a dead-end, has now concluded that it's his preferred location. Florida and other places are nice to visit, but not for living. Flat doesn't make him happy, and a LOT of the land west of the Miss. is pretty flat. And he's decided that big cities are best visited online!

Ironically, there've been a few articles lately about how Chattanooga is becoming 'hip'. It's been an outdoor mecca, for awhile (local world-class hang-gliding, mountain biking & bouldering; near-by world class white water + lots of TVA water, Forest Service semi-wilderness, etc). But the redevelopment on the north side of the TN + the gigabit Internet (Chattanooga has the fastest available internet in the US) has brought folks here for 'cool'.

Who'd a thunk that redneck Chattanooga would be a hipster heaven?

[QuidStuprum]

Well, I think I am going to go for it this weekend and drain my pool and acid wash it to get rid of the trouble algae.

So, once I refill it from my municipal water supply, what should I add to the water? I have a SWCG, so I know I am going to have to add quite a bit of salt. I am just unsure what else I should add to start. I know I will likely need some chlorine stabilizer.

I have already ordered the Taylor 2006C kit and the K-1766 salt water kit listed at the link that Watermom gave me. They are on the way and should be here next week. Should I go ahead and get the HTH 6 way kit from Wal Mart? Should I wait to get the salt kit to start adding salt to my pool or can I trust the reading on my Hayward salt system to be close enough?

[PoolDoc]

1. You can add salt anytime you like . . . but don't turn the SWCG on till the pool is up and running with fully adjusted water.

2. Get dichlor if you can. If you have access to a Sams Club, that's your best deal for undiluted dichlor:
http://pool9.net/sams-dichlor50/
http://pool9.net/sams-dichlor24/
Other sources sell diluted dichlor, but if you can find a dichlor with 56% available CHLORINE, that should be OK. 24# of dichlor will add about 60 ppm of CYA to your pool

3. Once you have the pool adjusted, salt in, and CYA up . . . THEN turn on the SWCG.

[QuidStuprum]

I do not have a Sam's card and don't know anyone who does.

I looked around a little last night and today. Pardon my ignorance, but is this dichlor?



BTW, your links to the dichlor pages did not work for me

[Watermom]

Yes, that is dichlor. What brand is that and where did you find it?

(The links didn't work for me either. Thanks for letting us know so we can get them fixed.)

[QuidStuprum]

Yes, that is dichlor. What brand is that and where did you find it?
(The links didn't work for me either. Thanks for letting us know so we can get them fixed.)

It is called Chlor Brite. I got it at Leslie's pool supply. I believe it is their house brand.

[PoolDoc]

Yes. That's the right stuff.

Thanks for the tip on the links; they are fixed now.