How to Clean a Dirty Above Ground Pool
Having a pool in your backyard can make hot summer days a lot more bearable. Unfortunately, aboveground pools require a lot of maintenance to stay clean and safe. If your pool has become excessively dirty, or your water has gone untreated for an extended period of time, it may become discolored, or emit a foul odor. Unclean pools can present a danger to the health of people who swim in the water, and can be unsightly to look at. Luckily, cleaning your pool is fairly simple, and should only take about an hour to complete. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- pH solution or stabilizer
- Chlorine "Shock" treatment
- Water testing kit
- Pool skimmer
- Cleaning solution and brush
- Pool vacuum (optional)
- Algaecide (optional)
Instructions
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1
Skim the surface of the pool for leaves, dead insects, and other debris. Tap out the pool-skimming net every few swipes to avoid recontaminating the pool.
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Scrub the walls of the pool using a cleaning brush coated with a mild detergent. This ensures that built-up dirt and debris will not filter back into the water after it is chemically treated. Do not attempt to vacuum the pool at this point if the water is dark green, as doing so may lead to clogging or pipe damage in the vacuum.
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3
Test your pool water using a litmus strip or pool-testing kit. According to poolcenter.com, you'll want to aim for a Ph value between 7.2 and 7.8. The recommended chlorine level is 1.0 - 2.0 ppm. The alkalinity level should be between 80 and 120 ppm. Your testing kit should have a color key to determine the value for your pool. If your levels are too low, you'll need to chemically treat the water.
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Empty the contents of one bottle of chlorine "shock" treatment into your pool. For best results, move around the perimeter of the pool while pouring the product into the water for the best mixing and coverage. Depending on your pH levels, you may also need to add stabilizer or pH solution. Allow the chemicals to settle in the water for about 24 hours, while leaving the pool filter running. You may need to backwash the filter if there is a large amount of debris in the water. This is usually done by turning a knob near the pressure gauge on the outside of the filter. This will cause a large volume of polluted water to flush out of the hose connected to the filter, lowering the internal pressure of the filter and opening up more space to contain debris.
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Test the pool water after the chemicals have settled. If the chemical levels are approaching recommended values, simply continue to maintain the water while running the pump. If the water is relatively clear, you may wish to connect your pool vacuum to your pool's filtration system to vacuum the bottom of the pool. Submerge your vacuum underwater for 15-30 seconds to equalize the water pressure. Then run the vacuum slowly across the pool floor to gather up dirt, sand, and other debris. If the water continues to have a green tint, you may need to add algaecide to the water to keep it clean and clear.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Swimming pool and pool house image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
