Tips For Muddy Pools After A Storm In Roseville

The high winds and heavy rains of a storm can deposit dirt and debris into your pool, not to mention if they are also accompanied by flooding can also gush nearby mud along with its various contaminants into the water, turning your once clean, sparkling cool blue pool water into a murky, unsafe mess.

Restoring your clean pool after times of storms can present its share of challenges, the main issue for many people being simply not knowing where to start; however, the following tips can help get you through the toughest storm mess for a cleaner, healthier pool worthy of enjoying again.

Inspect the Pool for Damage

Storm damage to your pool can vary from just a few bits of floating debris and cloudy water to a downright murky pool full of contaminants that can take several steps and several weeks to address. Therefore, the first thing to do after a storm, flood, or mudslide is to inspect your pool for any signs of damage, which will provide you with a general idea of the work to be done.

More serious damage to your pool following a storm may be better addressed by a professional pool service roseville who has the proper knowledge and supplies to safely restore your pool's condition.

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Don't Empty The Murky Water From The Pool

The sight of the murky, muddy water in your pool water may cause you to want to drain your pool and begin afresh; however, it is never a good idea to remove all the water from your swimming pool because the upward force of the underground water can thrust the pool out of the ground.

Therefore, set your focus on simply cleaning the murky water in your pool, which may seem impossible at first, but with much patience and these tips can be successfully done.

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Remove All Dirt And Debris From The Pool's Deck

Cleaning the area surrounding your pool first will help prevent additional dirt and debris from reentering the water as you clean it, which will help make your job easier.

Simply use a brush and a hose to wash away any dirt and debris that have settled on your pool deck and surrounding areas.

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Remove Any Large Debris From The Pool

Using a skimmer or leaf net attached to an extendable pole, remove any large pieces of debris that may be floating in the pool. At this point, focus mainly on ridding the pool of large debris, as the smaller deposits in the pool will be removed later using a vacuum.

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Remove Any Debris From The Pump Strainer And Skimmer Baskets

If your pool is especially murky, the pump strainer and skimmer baskets may contain a significant amount of debris. Therefore, they will need to be thoroughly cleaned before running your filtration system; otherwise, the dirty parts could cause your system to clog up.

You may even find that you need to clean the pump strainer and skimmer baskets often throughout the cleaning process, depending on the amount of debris in your pool.

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Remove Debris From The Filter And Backwash It

The filter will also need to be cleaned and back-washed of accumulated debris that has made its way into your pool before running the filtration system to also help prevent it from becoming clogged. Again, you may find that you need to clean the filter several times throughout the cleaning process, depending on how dirty the pool is.

Before cleaning the filter, be sure to consult the manufacturer's instructions to prevent damaging it.

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Check The Electrical Parts For Signs Of Water Exposure

Before restoring power to your pool, it is important to ensure the inner components of the electrical parts have not been exposed to water, which can damage the system.

Provided your electrical parts are free of water, it should be fairly safe to restore power to your system; however, should you detect water inside the electrical equipment, do not restore power to your pool. Instead, contact a professional, such as swimming pool maintenance roseville, who can arrive promptly at your home to inspect and safely repair the electrical equipment to help prevent safety issues, such as electric shock, as well as serious damage to your electrical equipment, which can be costly.

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Restore The Proper Water Level

The heavy rains of a storm can spew huge amounts of precipitation into your pool, which can greatly increase its water level. Therefore, after heavy rainfall, you will need to siphon the excess water from your pool, using a sump pump or other device, to restore the proper water level, which should be just to the point that half the skimmer opening is above the waterline.

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Use a Vacuum to Remove Fine Debris and Sediment From the Pool

After restoring power and the correct water level to your pool, you can begin deep cleaning the pool to remove any remaining particles and sediment.

Using an automatic pool cleaner or a pool vacuum, clean the bottom of the pool, working your way from the lower water level end of the pool towards the deeper end. It is also important to keep an eye on the filter gauge throughout this process to prevent the pressure from significantly increasing. If the pressure increases too much, stop and clean and backwash the filter to prevent clogging the system.

If your cleaner allows, you may even vacuum the debris and dirt to waste to help prevent the filter from becoming too dirty too fast.

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Scrub the Pool Tiles

Once the pool is vacuumed of all fine debris and sediment, you will also need to scrub the tiles using a brush to further remove any remaining debris. After thoroughly scrubbing the tiles, run the pool vacuum again, and repeat these steps until the water is clear.

The tiles should also be scrubbed again over the next few days, and allow the filter to run throughout the day and overnight, if possible, to get the water crystal clear. You should also be sure to check and then clean the skimmer baskets and filter often, so they remain unclogged and able to perform effectively.

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Check Your Pool Water for Phosphates and Nitrates

Floods and mudslides can increase phosphates in your pool, which feed algae and contribute to their growth. Such occurrences can also increase nitrates in your pool, which feast on chlorine, and thus also contribute to algae growth.

Therefore, following a storm, you may also need to treat your pool with a phosphate remover to help prevent algae growth. However, you will first need to test your pool using a phosphate test strip to determine if phosphates are indeed present, as well as to determine the proper phosphate treatment for your pool.

When in doubt, contact roseville pool service companies who can test and properly treat your pool with an effective phosphate remover for best results.

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Crank up the Chlorine

The after affects a storm can leave your pool filled with contaminants, which can contribute to bacteria and algae growth; therefore, you will need to re-balance the water, which can be done by upping the chlorine content, also called shocking the pool.

Increase the chlorine level in your pool to 30 ppm, or 3 lbs per 10,000 gallons of water, which will help balance your water chemistry, as well as bleach any organic stains left behind after the storm.

Keep brushing your pool tiles twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, to help detach any stains, and also allow your circulation and filter system to run nonstop until the water is clear, which can take anywhere from about 72 hours to a few days. You should also remember to clean the filter as well as the skimmer baskets often to enable your system to properly do its job, which will provide you with clean, healthy water before you know it.

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