The Above Ground Pool...More Like A Pond
by Lucas S
The former owners left their 18' above ground pool. It hasn't been used in a couple of seasons and they never put a winter cover on it. It's just like a pond. What would be the best way to clean the pool? Should I drain it and clean it and fill it back up with water or just hook everything up and dump a large amount of chlorine in it? I just wanna know the best way to do it and the quickest way to do it. Thank you in advance. Thanks for the question Lucas I will assume that when you say your pool is now a pond, the water level is down, the water is green and thick with algae, and the walls and floor are covered with black and green slime. If this is the case, and you don't have a huge investment in the pool already, I would suggest you drain and clean it. You can do a very light acid wash, normally a 4:1 ratio. 4 parts water and 1 acid. You'll probably need to scrub a bit to loosen any slime that's adhering to the floor and walls. Rinse very well and drain that out the best you can. You can use a power washer, BUT, do this at a far enough range that it won't affect the liner. A wide spray would be best. Or use a garden hose with an adjustable nozzle. If you simply rinse it off with your thumb on the hose, you're going to have alot of excess water. You can go to this page for all the links to chlorine, pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. They will show you what to do and how to do it. Swimming Pool Chemistry I would suggest getting a Taylor FAS-DPD K-2006 pool test kit. It's the one most pool professionals use and will give you the most accurate readings: Water Testing Kit Pool Water Testing Be sure you test your fill water with your kit. This way you'll know what going into your pool and you can make the right adjustments. There's no guessing involved. You might be able to get pool water delivered to you. This is already balanced out and it should be ready to go. Pool Water Delivery The question didn't mention what kind of filtration you have, but this site has all three kinds of filters, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Be sure to check out the pool Q&A page. There's lots of great information there as well: Swimming Pool Questions and Answers Hope this helps and good luck with your pool. Robert |
