Some advice would be appreciated. We have inherited a 4x9m swimming pool at our property, which looks “ok” but has clearly seen better days. We are minded to drain it, clean it and re-fill it again. It is ten years old and has not been used for two years. I imagine once we remove the cover the water will be an interesting colour! We could treat it, but I think we would not want to swim in it really!
When it comes to filling it up again, rather than running a hosepipe across the garden I was wondering if there are water companies who would supply a tanker of water (approx 75m3). This has to be cheaper and quicker than a hosepipe, surely?
Be careful if you empty it because if the liner is 10 years old, it is likely to distort and be difficult to hug the wall of the pool when re-filling causing all sorts of problems.
There are a few pool experts on SF so please wait for their advice.
If it is chlorine system here is what I suggest
Clean/hoover out as much dirt/muck as possible. Do chlore shock until water is clear - can be repeated several times
Change 1/3rd of water each time - i.e. pump out 1/3rd with suction hose at the bottom of the pool. Refill then check for ph etc etc. This can also be repeated several times.
If your pool is 4 x 9 and average 1.5m deep (standard type of depth) then only 54m3 total water is needed.
This way you can avoid the liner moving - most important point as mentioned by Michael above
Good luck and enjoy the swimming
Phillip
If its concrete - no problem, good idea to get a local pool specialist to give everything a check - pumps, pipes etc. Otherwise the cleaning method applies whether liner or concrete. My pool is Waterair with liner, so I was recommended to leave at least 50cms of water - weight in the bottom to hold the liner down, when it needed a major clean out after being neglected by the previous owner
Is that a pic of your pool before it was left to deteriorate Ady, if it is the one then it looks like it is plastic lined.
When a new liner is fitted they use powerful vacuum cleaners to suck out the air between the liner and concrete wall while it is being filled with water, that is ok when the liner is new and flexible but after 10 years it becomes less flexible so if the water is removed and replaced the liner does not hug the wall so well so then it is easy for it to split and let water leak into the wall.
To check if there is a liner in the pool, press your finger into the corners it will feel spongy if it is lined.
Hi there, what no one has said is that you need to check the height of the surrounding ground water.A modern looking pool like yours will have a special inspection pipe.It’s just a one and a half meter length of four inch pipe vertical in the ground next to the pool, somewhere, and you look in it or poke in a length of bamboo.The point being that even if the pool is made of heavy concrete it will rise out of the ground like a boat as you empty it, if the ground is waterlogged…
Hi Peter,
yes a friend in Pau has the same issue. He has a high water table/ underground waterway underneath his pool.
If he empties it then it will float like a boat. It seems this is not un-common.
I suggest you do as Phillip Cox originally suggested.
Drain a 3rd of the water. Have the filtration system checked over, fire her up, filter the water and clean the bottom of the pool with hoovers. Once you’ve removed the dust and debris, shock the water with Calcium Hypochloride.
Just wondering if you got an answer to the water tanker question? We are half way through a pool project and having filled an above ground temporary pool with brown tinged well water this summer, want to find out how we can get a delivery of clean water without having to connect to the mains! I’m particularly interested as our place is only up the road near Loudeac. Cheers Chris
Round our way we are still on water restrictions and it is illegal to fill private pools at all, no matter what colour the water is. Does that not apply to your department?
