Opened the pool (uh, swamp) today

[Melensdad]

So today I go to open the swimming pool.

Green, wait, no, its not green, its actually BLACK water in there. WTF

Apparently the pool cover that came with the pool sucks. It allows rain water to drain into the pool and debris to seep under the cover. So the stupid willow tree (that I wanted to dig out when the pool was installed) somehow shed its leaves under the cover into the bottom of the pool.

Looks like I have about a week of work in front of me to get this mess cleaned up.

Did I mention that I don't even like pools?

 

[bczoom]

Pools and willow trees DO NOT MIX! I'd get rid of one or the other.

I know little about pools but would a heavy dose of bleach help some of the clean-up?

 

[Melensdad]

Bleach and salt will help, but honestly right now I'm filling it to the max with water and then will begin to vacuum out the debris. I've got the vacuum set up to simply discharge the water straight out to the yard, that will get the junk off the bottom. Then it will be a matter of shocking the hell out of the pool with chlorine, algaecide, etc.

Once the bulk of the crap is gone then I'll dump in some SALT and turn on the salt/chlorine generator.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

All I remember about the pool we had growing up was that it was fun when I was young but when I got old enough to clean it - it stopped being so much fun.

 

[pirate_girl]

Inground pools are more trouble than anything else, or so my friend Roxanne now thinks.
She's thinking about having her hubby John take theirs off the property and just use the pond for swimming.
Their pond is very clean and nice to swim in.
Besides, the tree/leaf problem was always the biggest thing they had to deal with.
It sure looks pretty at their place though with a willow and sycamore tree near the pool.

 

[Melensdad]

Well I'm making some progress???

But I can tell you that I will use a different cover and different system for closing the pool at the end of this season. It should be crystal clear when it gets opened if it is closed properly and IF (this is the big IF) the cover is secure over the winter. I have some ideas on how to keep the willow leaves out of the pool!

In the mean time I'm heading back out to do some more work.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Bob, I share your feelings about pools and you have my sympathies. We've had a pool since we came to the States in 1985. It was fun for the first couple of years and then it just became work. The only reason we still have one is because "the boss" won't let me fill it in. She likes it.

About 4 years ago, after a particularly bad start up where I literally spent weeks and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars trying to get and keep the algae under control, I finally broke down and got a company to look after it for me. Life suddenly got a lot, lot simpler.

 

[Melensdad]

... only reason we still have one is because "the boss" won't let me fill it in. She likes it.

I got out voted on the pool 1 to 0. Because I don't even get a vote on matters such as this.

 

[squerly]

About 4 years ago, after a particularly bad start up where I literally spent weeks and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars trying to get and keep the algae under control, I finally broke down and got a company to look after it for me. Life suddenly got a lot, lot simpler.

Yep, best money you can spend. Before that, everyone at KMART knew me as Shock-it-Squerly...

 

[Melensdad]

You'd be surprised how much affect SUPER SHOCKING the pool has on black water.

The water is no longer black. Its cloudy but clear(ish). Swamp water smell is gone! There is stuff (pond scum) that has risen to the top and need to be skimmed. My plan is to go out early and skim the pool, over-night should give it plenty of time to let the shock work its magic.

I think we are on the road to recovery!