Simple Solutions for Repairing Flood-Damaged Swimming Pools

Bethesda, MD 5-22-18 – After a heavy rain, many pool owners face the task of cleaning up a soggy mess.  Once home interiors are restored, attention turns to repairing outdoor damage, including swimming pools.

Local BioGuard® dealer Anglo Dutch Pools and Toys recommends the following simple steps for getting swimming pools back into tip top shape:

1. Ensure that the pool is safe to work around. Flood water and debris can damage physical structures and electrical components making the area potentially unsafe. If the pump motor was flooded, have a certified electrician inspect the area before proceeding.
2. Once the area is considered safe, remove all solid debris from the pool.
3. For in-ground pools, examine pool edges and the ground around the pool for damage. For above-ground pools, inspect the pool structure.  Seek help from a professional pool builder or repair service to correct any structural problems.
4. Drain down any excess water from the pool.
5. If you can vacuum your pool to waste, use a floccing agent such as BioGuard’s PowerFloc® and vacuum the waste. Flocculants are chemical compounds that when added to water cause suspended agents to sink. BioGuard’s Power Floc requires the pH of the water to be 7.6 to 8.0, adjust using BioGuard BP 200 to increase pH.   Once everything settles on the bottom of the pool, the previously suspended articles can be vacuumed. If you cannot vacuum to waste, BioGuard Pool Tonic is the most effective remedy to help clear your pool water based on your filter type. Pool Tonic will take the tiny particles and make them adhere to each other.  This makes big particles that can be removed by the filter.  You will have to watch your filter closely. Depending on the amount of contaminant, your filter back pressure may increase quickly and will need to be backwashed or rinsed.  You may have to backwash or rinse your filter several times during clean-up.
6. Circulate the pool for 24 hours, and then test the pH, Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness (or take about a pint of water to Anglo Dutch Pools and Toys for a quick, computerized chlorine demand analysis). Make adjustments as needed.  For chlorinated pools, apply a double dosage of a chlorinating shock product such as BioGuard’s Burn Out 73®,Burn Out 3®, or Smart Shock®.  If using a non-chlorine, biguanide system such as BioGuard’s SoftSwim®, add both sanitizer and a double dosage of the shock product.  Circulate pool again for 24 hours.

7. Monitor the chlorine level for the next 24 hours to ensure you can maintain a 1 - 4ppm level. Add chlorinating shock as needed to maintain levels.  For biguanide pools, monitor sanitizer level (holding 40ppm) and shock levels (maintaining 40ppm - 60ppm) for 24 hours.  Add products as needed to maintain proper levels.
8. Clean the filter using a cleaner such as Kleen It® or Strip Kwik®.
9. After water is balanced and sanitizer levels are stable, you can resume use of the pool.

For more information on the effective use of BioGuard pool and spa products, visit Anglo Dutch Pools and Toys – 5460 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816, 301-951-0636, www.anglodutchpoolsandtoys.com.