LoveTheWater

No we don't have a timer yet, but that's a great idea... We have not yet bought a cover either. We may have to invest in both of those items in the next couple of weeks. Great advice! Thank you! Hey PaulR, Do you use the big chlorine tabs??... and is the advantage to them is that they dissolve slower (longer "duration of action") so would be better for this situation?

No we don't have a timer yet, but that's a great idea... We have not yet bought a cover either. We may have to invest in both of those items in the next couple of weeks. Great advice! Thank you!

We will be going on vacation in a couple of weeks and be gone for 10 days straight - the end of July. It is about 100 degrees F daily now. We have a 33' round above ground pool. Should we just turn off the pump (unplug it), put in some shock, put in the chlorine tablet floater and let the pool sit idle for 10 days? Or should I have bother someone to come over and check it out, run the pump, ect.??? We live in Oklahoma where the wind hardly ever stops, so leaves and twigs are a commen issue. If it will be ok to leave it idle, we'd much rather do that. Has anyone ever done that with an above ground pool and come home and it be dirty but ok? I would appreciate any suggestions.

You've probably solved your problem by now, but this exact thing did happen to me after a storm the 4th of July. We purchased our pool just this year about 6 weeks ago. I wasn't able to be present at the installation, and I did not know much at all about how the pump and filter operate, so I was actually unaware of the filter directly in front of the pump. After I vacuumed after the storm and vacuumed up a bunch of leaves, I noticed the return water going into the pool from the filter had very low pressure, and the pressure gauge was almost 0. I also noticed the [chamber] never staying full. I tried to backwash about 4 times daily!!! I finally took it apart directly in front of the [chamber] and it was all clogged with leaves and mud! I cleaned it out, put it back together and the pump started working wonderfully!!! I'll know now to check that filter in addition to my skimmer basket. For new pool owners, like us, just be sure and put a "plug" (we used the vacuum hose!) in the hole allowing the water to the pump and filter before you start taking it apart or you'll lose a lot of water out of our pool (and it will end up all over you!)! Hope this helps you or any new pool owners.