June 30, 2008
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
As I posted here, with another update posted here, our pool turned on me. A once sparkling pool turns to muck. Most of the sand in the sand filter got spit out onto the bottom. The cause seemed unique to me. As, none of the "pool experts" could help me. To refresh, I let the water level get way too low. And then, coincidentally, the kid from next door tossed a toy over the fence which managed to get lodged into the skimmer just right. It jammed the flap into a closed position. Which means that the pump started sucking air. Which means the sand, in the sand filter got agitated and worked it's way up into the outlet hose for the pool.
So, I drained the pool down below the level of the skimmer and took the sand filter apart. Dumped what sand was left and used the shop vac' to get the rest. Then Mike and I went to Lowe's and got some more sand for pool filters. We put that in and I tried to wash it the best I could. Then, I backwashed the pump, rinsed it and closed it. Then, I added water to the pool to get the level back up the the filter. When I had drained it down, I had put the cover back on. When I filled it, to the proper level, I checked the water itself. The water was clear, but I could see a lot of green on the side. I held off running the pump until I received the Spring Start-up Kit from In the Swim. I had a box of one pound shock packages from Leslie's Pools kicking around, but none of the other chemicals, like algaecide and clarifier, that come with the kit. When I removed the cover, I was shocked to see that the water, in a matter of a couple of days, had gone from being clear to a dark muddy green. And, it stunk. It smelled like raw sewage. So, I did a big no-no and threw in three packs of the Leslie's shocker. It took that much to get rid of the smell. The first picture is the way the water looked after it got shocked. It's a much lighter green, than it was when I first took the cover off. The In the Swim Spring Start-up package arrived and I followed the directions. Shock, algaecide, clarifier. I got rid of the green, but the water was still cloudy. So, I repeated the steps. A little more clear, but still slightly cloudy. So, I put in my trusty Miraclear, and it came out sparkling clean. Keep your fingers crossed that it at least lasts through the summer.
Posted by Valkyre at June 30, 2008 01:47 PM