I should be closing escrow within a few weeks on my first home which includes a pool. I never owned or have to take care of a pool before. I talked to the owner and she says that either the pump or the motor (are they the same?) is not working. She said she drained the pool, which would be about 1 1/2 months ago. So now there's green algae and insects on the pool.
I've been reading on different forums and some say to "shock" the pool, while others say to drain the pool and acid wash it. Now if I drain the pool, I hear you have to get a permit (never knew that). So I'm trying to find the best approach to getting the pool ready for summer. Any help would be appreciate it.

 

I don't know much about pools, but I do know that if you drain it, you should re-fill it immediately. If it rains while the pool is empty (or if you have a high water table), the pool will float, and pop up out of the ground.

Other than that, if it's in really bad shape, I'd just call in an expert to clean it professionally. They'll get it properly clean, get the pH to the right level and tell you if you need to be concerned about anything else (cracking plaster, pumps, filters, etc). Then you'll have a good starting point and it will make it easier to maintain the pool for the rest of the summer.

 

In regards to the pump/motor I would recommend having it evaluated by a reputable pool company. There should be a service history tag on or near the pump that would indicate which company last worked on the pump, seek this company out for service history. Pumps/motors are expensive, if they need replacing you might adjust your price on the home accordingly.
Pools are expensive, all of the supplies are costly. And if you live in a high rainfall area are a PITA to keep clean/Ph balanced!

You can drain and power wash the pool yourself. Bring a sample of your water to a pool supply business and they will test your water and offer chemicals specifically for your water. Generally, once the pool is set-up and balanced, you can count on treating your pool with chemicals and cleaning daily.

Pools are very nice, but require constant up keep and maintenance. Evaluate the pump situation first and then total up the initial cost for one seasons supplies and see if you truly still want a pool.

I hope this helps.

 

i just had my pool redone because fo the algae too.. unfortunately, i drained it, paid my friends dad (pool guy) 350 to acid wash. he said that i can use the pool but it loked pretty bad so i decided to replaster the whole thing and upgrade my equipment since it was pretty old. needless to say, the pool looks great, and all teh work was done in 2 days... right now, my pool is getting the chemicals balanced and i cant use it for 4-6 weeks.

 

Contact a 3 pool specialist to come view the pool and ask them the same question....it is hard to say with looking at the pool and seeing how much it has deteriorated...

Pump and motor is probably the same thing..what kind of filteration system do you have?

 

I work at a Best Western and we have a pool for our guests which isn't very big. I've replaced the motor before which cost about $450...nvever the pump. I say get a professional to acid wash it for you. I'm sure it won't be too expensive. Also, you don't want to mess it up and have someone come by to do it agian.

 

If it is an in ground, do not drain it with out pumping the ground water from underneath or it will pop out of the ground and break all the plumbing connections. Mine has a pipe that runs under the pool for this purpose. Draining is best left to the professionals.

 

Since you replaced your equipment, can you PM what you paid for? I just want to have an idea of how much it would be.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies.