Flooding, dirt mulch in pool

[aylad]

I would definitely go for the DE filter, from everything I've read both here and elsewhere, it'll do a much better job of filtering, and at a lower long-term cost. If it were my pool, I'd shock the *&%^ out if it with bleach, brush daily (at least once if not more), and keep the filter going 2/7. If by leaving it off overnight enough stuff settles on the bottom to vaccuum out, that's also an option. I think you can probably get it back to shape in 10 days, but it's going to take some effort. I have never used floc in my pool, but everyone I've talked to that has says that it creates more cloudiness than they started with....I'd save the money and spend it on bleach instead.

Good luck!

Janet

[GJMIV]

3 days of "floc'ing" and I finally lost my patience.

So I called around and got a local guy called "the Pool Doctor". He gave me the same options (drain/refill, floc, filter, clean, etc.) and also offered another solution. He said for $300 he'd have it clear in less than 48 hours or I won't pay.

OK!? Get on it, I said.


Showed up about two hours later with a portable high-capacity DE filter and a pump and a vaccuum.

I don't think he knew what he was in for - it was probably a little worse than he imagined - but he started vaccuuming blind. He pulled out about 2 wheelbarrows-full of mulch and leaves.

Then he started filtering in the early evening. By midnight it was looking better but not great. Next morning we could see the shallow end a bit, things were getting better. He was managing chemicals this entire time too, by the way.

Went to work - came home at lunch - a little better. He had stopped by and set up an additional filter on the other side of the pool.

End of workday - much, much better, but still cloudy.

Woke up this morning - CRYSTAL CLEAR. Little bit of mud on the bottom. Guy called me this morning and asked how it looked - I informed him that it was ok and he said he'd drop by later and vaccuum one more time, scrub it all down, transfer ownership to all of my equipment and take his stuff. He said "jump in when you get home".

Unreal. $300. I gave him $350.



Conclusions...

1. NEVER MULCH AROUND THE POOL. Replacing all of the mulch with stones and building walls around the beds.

2. ENSURE APPROPRIATE DRAINAGE FOR DOWNPOUR CONDITIONS. I had the irrigation folks out yesterday and they are working on a plan to divert water from heavy rains.

3. SCRAP THE CARTRIDGE FILTER. I'm going to install a DE Filter and build it so that both filters can be used when needed. I'll put in a valve diverter that allows me to run the water through either filter in case of a failure or if we don't have materials, etc.

4. MAINTAIN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH A GOOD POOL SERVICE COMPANY. While I intend to fully learn the intricacies fo pool service and maintenance, you never know when you'll need help from somebody that knows your pool. Or somebody that can help you when you are gone or overwhelmed with other things. These guys were good. Thank GOODNESS.


Pictures to follow. I learned a ton from the experience and with the right filter I think I could probably have recovered from this on my own at an even lesser expense. Of course maybe not as fast, but for less $$$.