Pool Drain and Refill (Phoenix: how much, to buy, maintenance)

[johnp292]

I'm going to pump out our pool soon due to high levels of cyanuric acid.


A couple of questions...


- Should I replace the sand in the filter at this time? If so, can I do that myself or do I need a pool guy?


- Is there anything else I should do while the water's out?


- Water's pricey here in Anthem. I'll guess about $9/1000 gals to refill the pool. Sewer rates are capped. For an 11,000 gallon pool, am I better off having a water hauler refill it vs using the hose?


Thanks for any ideas!

[LBTRS]

That is $99 to refill the pool. Where do you think you're going to find someone to haul in 11,000 gallons for less than $99?

It is time to do mine also. I'll hire someone to drain it, acid wash it and seal the tile. The water is going to come from my faucet.

There are companies that will come and run your existing water through an RO so you don't need to dispose of the old water or buy new water.

[skydude24]

You don't need to replace the water for high levels of cyanuric acid. You can use something similar to this: Bio-Active 14430 Cyanuric Acid Reducer

You need to replace pool water for water hardness. When water evaporates the minerals remain in the water. Your water will continue to become harder and you'll eventually need to replace it.

Replacing the sand is something the average homeowner can do. Search youtube for videos explaining how to do it. You don't need to drain the pool to change the sand. Also, sand only needs to be replaced every 5 years or so.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

That is $99 to refill the pool. Where do you think you're going to find someone to haul in 11,000 gallons for less than $99?

It is time to do mine also. I'll hire someone to drain it, acid wash it and seal the tile. The water is going to come from my faucet.

There are companies that will come and run your existing water through an RO so you don't need to dispose of the old water or buy new water.

That was why I asked. I have no idea what water hauling costs.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by skydude24

You don't need to replace the water for high levels of cyanuric acid. You can use something similar to this: Bio-Active 14430 Cyanuric Acid Reducer

You need to replace pool water for water hardness. When water evaporates the minerals remain in the water. Your water will continue to become harder and you'll eventually need to replace it.

Replacing the sand is something the average homeowner can do. Search youtube for videos explaining how to do it. You don't need to drain the pool to change the sand. Also, sand only needs to be replaced every 5 years or so.

Well we've been here just about 4 years now and I'm pretty sure the people before us did as little maintenance as possible, so I'm sure it's 5+ years since its been replaced. When I brush the sides now I get a lot of white residue off, plus algae became an issue last summer.

I know you don't have to drain the pool to change the sand. I was thinking more along the lines of removing any deposits trapped in there at the same time.

By the way, based on the reviews of that product I would not even consider using it.

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by johnp292

Well we've been here just about 4 years now and I'm pretty sure the people before us did as little maintenance as possible, so I'm sure it's 5+ years since its been replaced. When I brush the sides now I get a lot of white residue off, plus algae became an issue last summer.

I know you don't have to drain the pool to change the sand. I was thinking more along the lines of removing any deposits trapped in there at the same time.

By the way, based on the reviews of that product I would not even consider using it.

I agree. There is just too much that can go wrong with that product. It's pricey as well.
You don't need to drain the entire pool to get your CYA in check. Specially if you have a sand filter. I just backwash often, but just a little bit at a time. You would be surprised how fast your CYA and your calcium levels will drop just by draining a little water every few days. A few inches a couple times a week and within a few weeks, you are good to go.
One of the things that causes your CYA to go up is the use of those chlorine tablets. Those have CYA in them so your CYA is constantly being added to your pool. If you can limit how much you use those and use good old fashioned bottled chlorine, most of your CYA problems go away. I still use those tablets because I have to keep my calcium levels in check but I use them sparingly and I add liquid chlorine every few days as needed. I've had the same water in my pool for 5 years now and it is crystal clean and I have zero problems with my pool turning green. Well, I guess it isn't the SAME water as 5 years ago since I backwash often but I don't drain my pool every few years.
Maintaining a pool is actually quite simple if you do some research. I add nothing but chlorine and muriatic acid and my pool stays crystal clean and trouble free for the most part. I add chlorine every other day in the summer but just a cup or two. The muriatic acid is added in very small quantities maybe once every two weeks or so and keeps the PH in good shape. I keep the calcium level in check by backwashing often. Oh! When I backwash, I do add a half cup or so of DE to the sand filter. That really helps with the filtering.
Pretty simple really. Just a test kit and some diligence and my pool stays trouble free all year long and costs me almost nothing.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by maverick974

I agree. There is just too much that can go wrong with that product. It's pricey as well.
You don't need to drain the entire pool to get your CYA in check. Specially if you have a sand filter. I just backwash often, but just a little bit at a time. You would be surprised how fast your CYA and your calcium levels will drop just by draining a little water every few days. A few inches a couple times a week and within a few weeks, you are good to go.
One of the things that causes your CYA to go up is the use of those chlorine tablets. Those have CYA in them so your CYA is constantly being added to your pool. If you can limit how much you use those and use good old fashioned bottled chlorine, most of your CYA problems go away. I still use those tablets because I have to keep my calcium levels in check but I use them sparingly and I add liquid chlorine every few days as needed. I've had the same water in my pool for 5 years now and it is crystal clean and I have zero problems with my pool turning green. Well, I guess it isn't the SAME water as 5 years ago since I backwash often but I don't drain my pool every few years.
Maintaining a pool is actually quite simple if you do some research. I add nothing but chlorine and muriatic acid and my pool stays crystal clean and trouble free for the most part. I add chlorine every other day in the summer but just a cup or two. The muriatic acid is added in very small quantities maybe once every two weeks or so and keeps the PH in good shape. I keep the calcium level in check by backwashing often. Oh! When I backwash, I do add a half cup or so of DE to the sand filter. That really helps with the filtering.
Pretty simple really. Just a test kit and some diligence and my pool stays trouble free all year long and costs me almost nothing.

Well said. I do just about the same (CYA levels on my pool seem to be able to control via running the ridiculous builder installed water feature).

OP, check out troublefreepool.com, very educational (maybe a little much with the push to buy the test kit, but hey, there's no such thing as free anything)

[locolife]

Just curious have you considered a service such as this: Phoenix Pool Cleaning FAQ | Get Phoenix Pool Supplies | 602-741-2315

I've seen this and others out there that claim they can remove the deposits and soften the water without having the waste and cost of draining/refilling the pool. Curious to know if anyone else on here has used it or tried it. Our pool has never been drained but it's only about a year old, I'm pretty set on finding a way to minimize the need for dumping 10000+ gallons if water down the drain when it does need to be drained. We paid more than $99 to fill it up last time, you get put into a higher cost per gallon when you use that much water in 1 month, I believe our total was closer to $250. The way things are going you can expect the cost of water to only increase from here on out.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by locolife

Just curious have you considered a service such as this: Phoenix Pool Cleaning FAQ | Get Phoenix Pool Supplies | 602-741-2315

I've seen this and others out there that claim they can remove the deposits and soften the water without having the waste and cost of draining/refilling the pool. Curious to know if anyone else on here has used it or tried it. Our pool has never been drained but it's only about a year old, I'm pretty set on finding a way to minimize the need for dumping 10000+ gallons if water down the drain when it does need to be drained. We paid more than $99 to fill it up last time, you get put into a higher cost per gallon when you use that much water in 1 month, I believe our total was closer to $250. The way things are going you can expect the cost of water to only increase from here on out.

I checked that web site, thanks. It does say if its been more than 4 years or if there is algae it may be better to drain, and I have both.

[take57]

FYI - I understand you don't want to drain a pool while the weather is on the hot side. Puts the plaster integrity at risk