Any Pool Experts Out There?

This is the best place to look for answers to anything. I'm sure someone will come to the rescue!

What a bummer!  I don't have a pool, so I'm no help there.  Just stopped in to sympathize.

Karen - About ten years ago we moved into a house with a pool in Tennessee.  It had a cover on it but stuff still got in and was it ever gross!  I'm talking sludgy, slimy water. The home had been vacant almost two years!  Amazingly, those pool people came in and scooped out a bunch of garbage . . .including a few dead mice . . .and did their chemical magic.  Within three days the water was crystal clear and with some scrubbing, the pool liner was like new.  Good luck with it!

Karen, you came to the right place!!!!!  First, clean out all debris from the pool with net.  Second, clean out all the traps and any part of the filter you can reach.  Third, sweep down the sides and every part of the bottom of the pool you can reach.  Then, take a sample of your pool water to your nearest pool supply company and ask their advice.  When you go, know your pool size and the material of your pool liner.  Here, ours are mostly cement or pebbletech.    I'm sure they'll tell you to use some type of "shock" chemicals - chlorine with some other sanitizing ingredients.  And, they'll tell you how long to run your filter.  You'll be surprised that the staining you think you may have, will be gone.  Oh, when you first put in the chemicals, there will be at least a 24-48 hour waiting period before it's safe to swim.  If the stains persists, again ask your pool supply company.  But, pool cleaning and treating is just a way of life here in AZ.   You will be pleasantly surprised what a difference 48 hours of treatment will make. 

Karen, looks like you already got great advice from Juli.  I was at a friends house this past Saturday and he had the same thing happen to him.  He has had these kind of problems before and he told me that all he does is clean out the debris and sweeps the pool the best he can.  Then goes to the local pool supplier and as Juli stated with a sample of the water, and lets them work their magic.  You will be amazed how they will have the water crystal clear before you know it.

Karen, let me know - I've seen black, murky pools turn crystal clean in a couple of days once the chemicals are corrected and the filter run for a while.  Hope you let me know how it turned out. 

And, hey, the pools test the water for free, let them do the work. 

Karen,

That doesn't sound like a good time. I'm sure someone on AR will be there with an answer. Best of luck