# Home swimming pool advice wanted



## hoppery (Mar 11, 2019)

Hi
I have recently moved to Madrid from Cape Town. My house has a pool and I was wondering when the best time of year is to "bring it back to life"
Currently its covered and has not been used for over a year so there are things living in it. 
I have been advised that, rather than bother trying to clean the current water to rather just empty it refill as it will be cheaper.
Whats the best time of year to start this process so that its ready for summer, March/April/May?
I dont want to have to maintain it until I have to if you understand what I mean?


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Personally, I would empty it now and do a thorough clean.

Is it tiled?

If not, it may need re-painting.

Either way, empty it and give it a good power wash and then clean off all the calcium residue. 

Start filling almost straight away or at least by mid April.


----------



## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

There are ways to recover a bad pool, one where the water has 'turned' and life has evolved 

But it requires specialized equipment and chemicals.

I would just check the water quality to ensure all chemicals are gone, pump it out and use it to irrigate any plants (why waste all that water) or store it for future irrigation and start again.


----------



## Bodega (Apr 20, 2016)

There are lots of things to consider before emptying a pool. Near the top of the list is to determine how the pool was bedded when initially built. There should be a paper trail back to the original contractor if you need help. Many pools have a loose sand slurry pumped in to fill all the uneven spaces and provide support underneath the pool. During the wet months, ground water will seep into the sand and can turn an empty pool into a boat, exerting tremendous upward pressure, and can lift the pool out of the ground.
Also, if your pool is tiled, the water in the pool acts as a heat sink, helping to keep the tile surface from overheating. The tiles are quick to crack if the pool is left empty in warm, sunny weather, due to expansion of the tiles. 
A pool professional (no, I am not a PP, nor do I have anything to gain from this recommendation) might be a good investment for you. Not necessarily to do the work, but maybe to visit and give you peace of mind about doing the work yourself.


----------



## hoppery (Mar 11, 2019)

Hi

It is tiled and in otherwise good condition. Thanks for the advise I now have my weekend(s) project sorted!

I have seen the price of chlorine granules here in Spain they are 5x the price of what I used to pay in Cape Town! I am investigating putting in a salt water chlorination rather!

I really appreciate the feedback.

Thanks!


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

hoppery said:


> Hi
> 
> It is tiled and in otherwise good condition. Thanks for the advise I now have my weekend(s) project sorted!
> 
> ...


Chlorine granules are really only used to shock the pool.

General maintenance can be carried out using liquid chlorine (quite cheap) and salfumant (acid). I also choose to use tablets (3 in 1, 4 in 1 ...) but many Spaniards don't.


----------



## hoppery (Mar 11, 2019)

snikpoh said:


> Chlorine granules are really only used to shock the pool.
> 
> General maintenance can be carried out using liquid chlorine (quite cheap) and salfumant (acid). I also choose to use tablets (3 in 1, 4 in 1 ...) but many Spaniards don't.


Top tip! Where can I get hold of liquid chlorine in Madrid?


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

hoppery said:


> Top tip! Where can I get hold of liquid chlorine in Madrid?


Some pool shops might sell it - expensive though I suspect.

I get mine from our local Co-Op


----------



## Baldrick (Mar 5, 2012)

Firstly you need to ascertain what type of construction the pool is. If it is fibreglass then I would strongly recommend you get advice from the company that installed it before you empty it. In extreme circumstances, a pool can "float" out of the ground, on ground water. This can also happen to tiled concrete pools so beware. I have been involved with pools for 17 years and I have seen two catastrophic events due to people emptying their pool without considering the height of the water table.


----------

