Floods and storms can both wreak havoc on your swimming pool, and it can be a painstaking task to restore your pool to its best. However, the fact is that it can be done, and it won’t overwhelm you if you’re organized about it. In this article, we’ll share with you all the steps you need to follow to clean your swimming pool after a flood or storm. But before we get to the steps, let’s understand how a flood or storm can damage your swimming pool.
For starters, during floods and storms, a diverse array of pollutants make their way into a swimming pool. These pollutants include waste, mud, microorganisms, and grass clippings. Quite simply, the longer a flood or storm lasts, the more pollutants get into the pool, which can lead to a variety of issues such as:
- Dirt accumulation at the pool’s bottom
- Pool wall staining
- Overworked pool equipment
- Pool sanitisers rendered ineffective
Another potential problem is pool overflowing, i.e. the water exceeds the pool’s maximum capacity. This can lead to water flowing into other areas of your property and contaminating them. This is why cleaning your swimming pool after a flood or storm is imperative.
Step 1: Gather the right supplies
Before you start cleaning your pool, it’s important to gather the correct cleaning supplies, which include:
- Water clarifier
- Pool shock
- Filter cleaner
- Test strips
- Brush
- Leaf skim net
A water clarifier will clump together microcontaminants, which will make it easy for your filter to trap them. Without one, your filter will fare poorly against the small pollutants and instead of getting them out of the water, will circulate them right back in.
Shocking the pool comes in handy for removing bacteria and waste. We recommend a calcium hypochlorite shock as it’s readily available and incredibly effective. Calcium hypochlorite pool shocking products are also high on affordability.
Cleaning your filter is also essential after a flood or storm as the filter will likely become clogged as a result of the pollutants that make their way into the water. It will ensure that your filter is able to run efficiently for removing contaminants from the pool once you turn it on.
Test strips are effective in terms of checking the pool’s pH. The ideal pH range of a swimming pool is 7 – 7.6. If the pH level is over 8, swimming in the water is likely to lead to skin rashes. Likewise, a pH level of 7 or lower can cause a stinging sensation in swimmers’ eyes.
A brush can help in removing dirt stuck to the pool’s flooring and walls, and a leaf skim net can remove leaves and other plant material on the pool’s surface.
Step 2: Inspect for damage, skim floating debris, and clean pool surroundings
Before you start using the supplies, put some time into inspecting for the damage caused to your fibreglass swimming pool by the flood or storm. Start your inspection by taking a close look at the pool’s electrical components and equipment. If you find that they aren’t working properly, reach out to a professional and have them serviced.
After you’ve finished your inspection, it’s time to take the leaf skim net and get all floating debris out of the water. While there will be several contaminants settled at the bottom of the pool, some will float on the surface. Cleaning the surface can be helpful in terms of making the pool shock more effective.
Also, check your pool’s surroundings for dirt and debris. If you find any, clean them up as well. Ignoring the pool’s surroundings can be costly, as winds may carry the dirt and debris to the pool and add to your cleaning work.
Step 3: Scrub the floor and the walls, and clean the filters
Once you’ve successfully completed step 2, it’s time to get the brush and start scrubbing. This is arguably the most gruelling part of the pool cleaning process, as you’ll have to scrub both the floor and the walls. Doing this will ensure that any pollutants stuck to the pool’s hard surfaces come unstuck and can be removed by the pool filter.
Now that the pool floor and walls are scrubbed, you need to check the filters for excess clogging. A filter cleaner can make the clogged dirt loose, following which you can flush it out to get your filter working at its best again. Simply soak the pool filter’s cartridges in the filter cleaner. A few minutes of soaking should be enough to loosen the clogs. Take the cartridges out and scrub them with a soft brush.
Before you put the filter back together, check for damage to the cartridges. You shouldn’t run filters with damaged cartridges. So, if you detect any damage, reach out to a professional and preferably get the cartridges replaced.
Step 4: Shock the pool, run the pump, add the water clarifier, and test for pool pH
You’ve done the hard part, and now it’s time to shock the pool with the calcium hypochlorite product. The recommended amount of pool shock is 3 pounds for 10,000 gallons. However, you might need to put in more if there’s excess contamination.
After shocking the pool, you should turn on your pool pump and keep it on for a day or two. This will make sure that the pool shock works its magic on every inch of your pool. Keep running the filter occasionally too, as it’ll keep getting the contaminants out.
Post-shocking, there’s a chance that the pool water has an unclear or cloudy appearance. If it does, it’s most likely due to tiny contaminants. This is the perfect time to use the water clarifier, which will clump the contaminants together and allow the filter to flush them out from the swimming pool.
Last but not least, after everything’s done and dusted, you should check for the pool’s pH level and ensure that the pool water is safe for swimming.
Wrapping up
Now that you’ve successfully cleaned your pool after the flood or storm, it’s time to get into your swimwear and take a deep dive in!
Sponsored post by Barrier Reef Pools
