During May everyone is thinking about the upcoming graduation for their kids, their neighbors kids, or their friend's kids. However, for the few that have a pool, it is now time to clean it up and get it ready for the next seven months. I started having a pool sometime around the year 2000, though it was always kept clean and was easy to maintain. My most recent pool was a green lagoon when I moved in last December, and it stayed that way until May.
I realize that not everyone who has a pool will ever let it get as bad as mine was. The swamp I am referring to had at least two 5 gallon sized buckets full of leaves in addition to twigs and rocks. The algea was so thick you could not see deeper into it than you could a regular puddle of mud. Some of the valuable things I learned while resurrecting this beast are:
Pool shock is going to be your best friend. There are four kinds of pool shock:
1. Calcium Hypochlorite--This is the cheapest pool shock but also the absolute strongestest when viewed in terms of oxidation power. The shock I received packed 68% available chrlorine strength (I also received some 73% that was rated "Super Pool Shock"). The only downside is this product is corrosive and will need to be pre-dissolved before adding it to your pool. Also, you can not swim for eight hours after adding it.
2. Lithium Hypochlorite--Packs also half the chlorine strength as calcium hypochlorite. It is safe to put straight into the water and swim.
3. Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione--This product has an acid mixed in with it to help neutralize the water. This also allows it to be used during the day because the sun won't be so potent on it.
4. Potassium Monopersulfate--This is the most expensive product of the four. It is safe to swim in immediately, is calcium-free, and does not have any chlorine in it.
In order to clean up the water, shock is going to be needed. There is no way around it. You are going to need shock and lots of it. A typical swimming pool will have a chlorine amount of approximately 2.5 parts per million. When shocking a pool you will shoot for a desired 5 parts per million. When resurrecting a pool like mine, shoot for a whomping 30 parts per million, which is more than any market test strip can measure.
For my pool, I tossed in nine pounds of shock on Day 1. When I came out 12 hours later the water was no longer green. Instead it was a reassuring blue. I took a pool sample and brought it to get examined. It showed 0.5 ppm chlorine, or basically nothing. It also showed that my ph level was above 8.6, the highest their machine would read.
Before we continue, allow me to explain what makes algea so strong and where they thrive. A pool that is stagnant, or not circulating is a breeding ground for an algea bloom. When I tossed in my shock I put it on recirculate. Algea will also bloom in pools with a ph level above 7.6 and when algea starts growing it will continue to push the ph level higher and higher. To neutralize this problem I threw a gallon and a half of muriatic acid in. The higher ph level will also work against any chlorine you put in. In other words, the muriatic acid not only lowered the ph for better algea control it also allowed for my chlorine to be more effective.
After putting all of these chemicals in and allowing them to circulate for an hour I added in two quarts of flocculant. This stuff goes in on the surface, gathers small clumps of matter, and drops them to the bottom of the pool. This stage requires the pool circulation to cease for 24-48 hours. Once there all you need to do is vacuum it out to waste and your pool is ready for swimming! Your pool will go from swampy lagoon to crystal clear water in less than 3 days!
