Cleaning a pool that has not been looked at for some time may turn into a nightmare that you do not want to take on. However, if the pool has not been sitting for too long, you can still save it without removing the water.
Luckily, there are ways to clean a pool that has been sitting for a while with the water still in it. Even if it sits for years, there are still ways you can get it cleaned and restored to use it for its original purpose.
We will show you several ways to get your pool ready to be used and enjoyed by the whole family. Keep reading to learn how it is done.
How to Clean a Pool That Has Been Sitting
There are many questions that need to be answered before you can settle on a solution.
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If There is no Water in the Pool
If the pool was without water during the time it was sitting unused, there are several things that need to be done. The first thing you need to do is to assess the overall condition of your pool to see if there is any damage.
Check the Filter System
The filter system is going to have some debris stuck in it that needs to be cleared out for it to work properly. After the debris is cleaned out, you need to check the electrical part of the system to see whether it is still working.
If the filtration system is damaged, the best thing to do is replace it so that it can last another couple of years.
Check for Leaks in the Pool Body
The next step is to check the body of your pool to see if you can find any cracks that may leak water. If the cracks are small, you want to patch them up, but with larger damage, you need to reline the pool.
This is all necessary to be done for pools that are in the ground and have had no water in them for a long time. It is also a good idea to scrub all the debris from the walls of the pool with the appropriate cleaning compounds.
It is a good idea to use an acid wash on the pool after it has been drained for much better results. After the fixing and cleaning have been done, you can fill the pool with water and follow the instructions in the next section.
If There is Water in the Pool
There are different ways to take on this problem to get the pool cleaned even if there is water in it.
If You Can Drain the Water
If there is water in the pool and the water is dark with algae, the best way is to drain all the water from the pool. Before you drain the water from the pool, use a trash pump to clean out all the dirt that accumulated in the water.
This machine will clean the water and the pool in less than an hour, so you can drain all the water from the pool. This way, you do not need to worry that the debris will damage the filtration system.
After you have drained the pool, you should fill it up immediately with water, and do not drain the pool soon after heavy rain. After you fill the pool with water, start using pool chemicals to get the pH and calcium hardness levels balanced.
You should keep working and testing the levels until the water in the pool starts to turn into a blueish color. It is a good idea to add a pool clarifier to the water to help you get rid of the extra particles in the water.
A good way to lighten the stains to help clean the water is to set the multiport valve on your vacuum to the filter setting.
If You Can Not Drain the Water
If you have a fiberglass or vinyl pool, you will want to avoid draining the pool and try to fix the water in the pool instead. You can get rid of algae in the water by adding chlorine to the water to kill off all unwanted bacteria.
Just keep cleaning with the net until it comes up clean and you cannot find any more debris in the water of the pool. After this process is done, you can run the filter for 24 hours or longer to clean the system thoroughly.
Keep using the filtration system until the water is completely purified and there is no debris in the water. You can make use of a net and leaf bagger to remove almost all of the organic debris from the pool.
Make use of commercial pool tests and follow the instructions so the pH and chlorine levels in your pool are correct. After this, you can also use a pool shocker until the water turns a blue-gray color, which may take some time.
Be prepared to use a lot of chemicals to get the desired results, which may measure 5 to 10 pounds for 10,000 gallons of water. You can use flocculant to help drop the dust particles to the bottom of the pool for later extraction.
Another way is to use a clarifier to lighten the particles so that they can move to the surface and be sucked into the filtration system.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to clean a pool that has been sitting, you can get that pool ready for fun again. Maintaining a pool is never an easy job, but if you perform regular maintenance, keeping your pool healthy will be a much easier job.
If you do not have the time to maintain the pool, there is always the option to make use of professional pool maintenance services. The great thing about a pool is that it is a great way to entertain the whole family and leave you with time to relax.