How long does it take for your pool to clear?

[kaybinster]

I always wonder why some people have these problems. I have had my pool for about 9 years and never (am I just lucky?) have had any problems. I typically take the cover off the pool, drain the antifreeze out of the lines, start the pump and filter, shock the pool, turn the heater on and then go swimming. When I open the pool it is always crystal clear the way it was when I close it in the fall. Is this a function of my cover? I have a FOXX pool that has a vinyl cover much like a liner. There is a track above the liner and it locks into that just the way the liner does. It covers the pool so it is fairly airtight and nothing gets in it over the winter.

[bethsg]

I have just opened my pool for the 3rd time, and while the water isn't crystal clear, its just a bit dirty, I can still see the bottom clearly, and within a couple of hours of the bleach dump, and throwing my barracuda in... it's perfect. A day or 2 of adjusting this and that with my store bought chems... and I flip on my SWC and I am ready to go...
I think one thing I learned on this forum was to close late and open early. I don't close my pool until mid Nov (Balto MD area) and I open in mid april. As I am closing in NOV... I keep walking the pool making sure there isn't a speck of crap in the water before the mesh cover goes on.... sure some stuff will manage to make it through, but no big chunks. The idea at this point is the water has cooled down enough, along with the air to not let things fester.
THis year I am helping a friend switch to a SWC, since they literally spend a thousand bucks on chems per season. They tell me when they open their pool it's always a green mess... I am afraid of the challenge... but they never open before Mothers day, and they close in early SEPT... and I think that is their problem.

[leejp]

I'm on my 2nd season with a pool and while I've had some algae growth along the liner surface each year, it's swimmable chemistry-wise in a couple of days. I do have to wait a month for the water to warm up though..

Since I've been reading this forum, I've become the "pool expert" amongst friends/acquintances. We know a couple who bought a house with a pool and have done NOTHING for the years they've had the house (2 seasons as well). The cover's been on and it's an absolute mess.

Given that it's a fairly large IG pool... Do I drain, clean up (how?) and refill (could be costly given the water rates around here) or attack with mega doses of bleach and backwash the filter multiple times?

[CarlD]

Do the last.

Since the algae is sticking to the liner, be sure to brush the pool everyday while fighting the mess. That's a big chunk of your problem. Vacuum everyday to waste--yeah, you lose water, but it's still LOTS cheaper than draining and refilling.

Be sure to keep your FC high--check it 3x a day, morning, when you get home from work, bedtime, and add bleach as needed. Your FC should be at least 15ppm (assuming 30ppm of CYA or more) all the time--aim for it.

Remember Carl's Rule of Thumb: 1 gallon of 5.25% bleach adds 5.25ppm to 10,000 gallons. 1 gallon of 6% adds 6ppm to 10,000 gallons. For 20,000 gallons, you need 2 gallons to get the same raise.

If this gets you confused, download MWSmith2's bleach calculator program and just plug in what you need, and how many gallons your pool is. It's free and it works! (and it won't infect your PC...)