Well, thank goodness Irene has passed & is out of here!
For many folks up and down the East Coast, the weekend of August 26 - 28, 2011, starring Hurricane Irene was a wild ride.
Tons of rain. Strong & damaging winds.
We rushed to store everything away, Hurricane Irene came & went. Now it's time to put our property and our lives back together. By Sunday afternoon, many of us were able to get out and start the clean up process. That process also includes our swimming pools.
For many, the pool collected some leaves & twigs (like mine above). For others, let's just say there was a lot more. Now comes the rest of the clean up (get your home, yard & other important chores done first; the pool can wait a little bit).
Here are my suggestions of what to do next:
If you have power, you're in very good shape. Here are your steps:
1. Run the pump, scoop out the leaves & heavy debris.
2. Vacuum out the fine dirt & light debris.
3. After the cleaning is done, test & rebalance the water as needed - pH, total alkalinity & calcium hardness.
4. Add a good strong dose of Shock - 4 to 5 times the normal amount - (BioGuard Burn Out or Smart Shock are our preferences) & algaecide (BioGuard Back Up or Algae All 60). DO NOT add these until the debris is out of the pool. Any leftover debris will quickly consume the shock & algaecide.
If you DON'T have power (like me), it's a bit tougher. Here are your steps:
1. Scoop out the leaves & heavy debris.
2. Do your best to remove the fine dirt & light debris.
3. After the cleaning is done, test & rebalance the water - pH, total alkalinity & calcium hardness. The 2 most important components are the pH & total alkalinity. To make these adjustments without the filter running, add the adjusting chemicals to the pool water, then take the leaf net & simply walk around the pool perimeter for 10 - 15 minutes to help distribute the chemicals in the water. This isn't the best, but it will suffice.
Retest the pool the following day before going to the next step.
4. Add a good strong dose of Shock (4 - 5 times the normal amount) & algaecide (an initial dose). DO NOT add these until the debris is out of the pool. Any leftover debris will quickly consume the shock & algaecide. To add these chemicals without the filter running, add the them to the pool water separately - algaecide first then shock treatment (you may want to add a completely soluble type of shock treatment such as BioGuard Smart Shock), then take the leaf net & simply walk around the pool perimeter for 10 - 15 minutes to help distribute the chemicals in the water. Be sure to separate the chemical additions by 30 - 45 minutes. This isn't the best way to do this, but it will suffice and put you much farther ahead instead of doing nothing (hey, Labor Day weekend is just days ahead).
Until power is restored & you can run the filter, walk around the pool with the leaf net in the water 2 or more times daily to help keep the water from becoming really stagnant. It will be normal for the pool to loose its clarity and become cloudy or hazy. You are focusing on preventing the pool from becoming an algae monster. Remember that you want to close the pool as clean as possible when the time comes.
Once the power is back on, run the filter 24 hours daily until the water is clear.
Since it's only the end of August, there's still some good swimming & pool fun left. Hurricane Irene was a bump in the road of pool care for most of us. Be thankful that the inconvenience of not having a filter running is the least of our problems.
Now about all that frozen meat in the freezer... It's barbecue time!
Click here to purchase the chemicals mentioned above.
Questions? We would be happy to hear from you to answer any questions. Call or email, we'll promptly answer you. Here's how to reach us:
Email: techhelp@parpools.com
Telephone: 203-377-0100.
Follow ParPools.com on the web:
Remember that you can view ALL of our Pool, Spa & Backyard videos at YouTube. Become a subscriber & be notified when new videos are posted. YouTube.com/parpoolspa
Friend or Like us on Facebook for the latest sales & information notifications: FaceBook.com/par-pool-spa
Follow us on Twitter: @parpools
ParPools.com is located in Connecticut USA, Eastern Time
Comments