How can I remove dirt and dead algae from an inground swimming pool?

Answer 1

Since you said "dead algea", I'll assume you've shocked and flocked.
The best way to prevent the debris from coming back into the pool is to vacuum to waste.
Just turn your valve to waste and turn on the pump. The debris shoots out onto the ground and won't bypass the sand in the filter and re-enter your pools inlets.
When you're done, put your valve back to filter and fill your pool to replace the lost water.

Answer 2

Depends on the quantity of dirt. If a an inch or two or three, it can be vacuumed to the waste line. I'm not sure about more than that. Pump it to the filter, and it would be clogged in minutes.

First add chlorine to kill the algae so you can see the bottom, any insect larva, and the physical condition of the upper part of the pool.

May as well take a water sample to a pool supply store. If the calcium is bad, they may recommend changing the water. But you could have black algae that eats through the shell.

Best plan is probably pump it out. If a lot of dirt, use bucket and shovel. I did that in 1994 for about 3 feet of clay in the bottom of a pool, with a foot or so of water above it. Good exercise.

Then have the pool acid washed. Fill it up, get the chemicals balanced by a pool service. Get all the equipment cleaned and checked. Filling a pool is not that expensive, maybe $35 for the water. Get the filter running for a day.

Then dive in.

Answer 3

Algea is a common swimming pool problem. It usually appears as a greenish growth on the floor and walls of the pool and gives a green tint to the pool water. The only swimming pool chemical that will kill an algae growth is chlorine based swimming pool “shock”. The elevated chlorine level makes the pool water conditions unlivable for anything organic, and algae quickly dies.

Before adding a dose of chlorine pool shock, the pool walls and floor should be brushed to remove as much of the algae as possible. This will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to kill and clear the algae. The swimming pool cannot be used until the algae is dead (since you refer to the algae as dead, you may have already shocked it) and the chlorine level of the pool water has returned to the safe range of 1-3 ppm.

The pool filter system should be running when the chlorine pool shock is added, and the filter system should continue to run 24 hours a day until all signs of algae have completely left the pool. Monitor your pool filter system closely and thoroughly backwash or clean the filter each time the pressure rises 10 psi. above the normal operating pressure. The dead algae that your pool filter collects may quickly dirty the filter, and need to be cleaned out frequently. If the conditions of the swimming pool does not significantly improve after 12-24 hours of filtering, add a second dose of chlorine pool shock at the increased rate. Once the algae is dead it will turn a white or grayish color, and it will be suspended in the pool water or settle to the floor. When there is no longer any sign of the color green in your pool, thoroughly vacuum the swimming pool. The pool filter should be backwashed or cleaned to be sure that dead algae is not trapped inside the filter. If the filter is not thoroughly cleaned the algae may quickly return.

Vaccuum the pool once again and the problem should be solved.

Answer 4

If this pool has been ignored for a very long time, you may have real difficulty in cleaning up the mess. IF superchlorination does not turn all the algae white and make it easy to dislodge, then I would say...probably not. You will have to empty the pool, bring in some real labor and scrub, scrub, scrub...and hopefully, you will not have to replaster. Be very careful if you have to empty the pool .. do so only if it has been dry for a while, otherwise the pool can pop out of the ground if there is sufficient water in the ground. Also, you must do all this cleaning in a big hurry...do not allow the plaster to completely dry out..spray it often as it is cleaned. Old plaster will shale away if you allow it to dry. Refill the pool as quickly as possible, and if it starts raining hard, be prepared to fill the pool no matter where the cleaning process is at....Once you have it clean, keep the pH correct (about 7.6) with acid, and keep it chlorinated. Filter at least 4 hours a day, but check with your local health department , they may require longer....here it is 6 hours per day by law. Good luck, you do have a real mess on your hands.

Answer 5

If the algae is dead,vacuum it out, then backwash, rinse if your filter has the option, then back to filter. If the algae is still growing, green & slick , you will need to shock the pool first then vacuum. Then add a good algaecide. A solar cover( they are relatively inexpensive) can help keep your pool clean & you will use less chemicals as the sun won't be able to gobble up all your chlorine. I live in a rural area & our cover has been a wonderful help in cutting costs & keeping the water clean. It really can warm your water too so be careful it doesn't stay too warm or you may have algae problems again. Try to keep your pool water balanced and shock every week or two & you should do fine. Good luck.

Answer 6

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RE:
How can I remove dirt and dead algae from an inground swimming pool?

Answer 7

it out, then backwash, rinse if your filter has the option, then back to filter. If the algae is still growing, green & slick , you will need to shock the pool first then vacuum. Then add a good algaecide. A solar cover( they are relatively inexpensive) can help keep your pool clean & you will use less chemicals as the sun won't be able to gobble up all your chlorine. I live in a rural area & our cover has been a wonderful help in cutting costs & keeping the water clean. It really can warm your water too so be careful it doesn't stay too warm or you may have algae problems again. Try to keep your pool water balanced and shock every week or two & you should do fine. Good luck.

Answer 8

A net works best for leaves...nothing better as the automatic cleaners ALL get clogged with leaves. So if you have a lot of leaves, use a net until you cut down the trees :)

As far as algae, if it's dead and you can't see to the bottom...use a chemical called DROP and FLOC . It's amazing. Pour it in, wait...wait...wait....then all the algae falls to the bottom of the pool and you just vac it out. If you can, after the waiting and the vacuuming, wait another day for everything to settle again, then vac one more time. Use shock to keep your pool clear all year.

Answer 9

if you have water in the pool, which I assume you do, the first thing you must do is to get the dirt and other particles to the bottom of the pool.. this is best done with granular aluminum sulphate.. you should be able to buy some at the local pool supply or a chemical company.. scoop up a good hand or cupfull and broadcast it, by throwing and scattering, across the pool.. cover all areas. Aluminum sulphate will latch onto the particles as it sinks and take them to the bottom.. the next morning.. use your vacum to pick up the bottom clutter.. you won't get it all the first day but if you do it everynight you should be able to have a clean pool in a few days.. the first thing you will notice the first time you use the aluminum sulphate is how sparkling clear your water is the next morning.. if your pool is empty.. that is another matter..

Answer 10

Usa a good algicide. You can buy it at home depot or any pool store. I use it during the hot summer months as part of my regular maintenance routine and dont have to worry about algea.
To clean the dirt adjust the skimmer so that all the suction is comming from the drain and brush the dirt towards the drain. You can also buy a roller suction cleaner that connects to a cleaner pole and the skimmer. It rolls along the bottom and sucks up any dirt and debris.
Once you get it all clean use clorine tabs in a floater and add some acid now and then. Its easy if you use the algicide on a regular basis.
Good luck

Answer 11

Take your water to a pool store and have it tested..they will tell you the proper balance of chemicals to keep it clean. To remove it you have to brush the walls and floor and then vacuum. It really doesn't take a lot of work to maintain a swimming pool. It's like keeping your house clean, vacuum regularly and keep your chemicals balanced. You can buy a test kit at a pool supply store and test the water yourself. Be VERY cautious about shocking your pool, it does NOT need to be shocked frequently as someone suggested. It needs to stay balanced. You can also purchase algacide that when used correctly, will keep algae from forming. Make sure you are running your filter correctly and flushing your filter as often as you should as well.