Society dictates that owning a swimming pool in your backyard (or basement) is the ultimate status symbol.
And since society dictates a lot, here we are. If you happen to live in an area where the homes are not served by the municipal water supply, filling your pool with water drawn from wells may have crossed your mind.
Generally, there’s nothing wrong with having a well water pool. Besides, even many of the maintenance tasks are similar to city water pools.
That being said, there are a few things that you need to be aware of before you go ahead and fill up your pool with water drawn from a drilled well.
Well water tends to contain high levels of metals and other minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium and copper, arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, and zinc which can lead to the pool water appearing brown, yellow or cloudy.
But, the good news is, with the right chemical treatment, you can get yourself a clean pool for you and the family to swim in and enjoy those warm balmy days.
Contents
Can you use well water for a pool?
As mentioned, it is okay to fill your swimming pool with well water. In fact, for many folks, using well water is considered to be the most cost-effective option as compared to a pool water delivery service.
A well water pool is a great choice for those who do not have access to municipal or city water but do have their own well or access to one that’s close by. This can ensure that you have a sufficient supply of water for your swimming pool.
But, there are certain things that you will need to consider once you decide to fill your pool with water drawn from a well.
For instance, filling your pool with well water will require lots of testing and cleaning treatments to ensures that your pool water is clean at all times.
Also, since there’s a high presence of metals and other chemicals in well water, this makes it more difficult for the pumps and filters to clean the swimming pool.
This is one of the reasons why it is advised to find out all there is to know about filling the well water, along with treatment and testing options before filling your pool with well water.
How do you filter a swimming pool with well water?
You can also take a sample of the pool water down to the local pool store. They will test the water and tell you exactly what you need to do to clean your pool water.
This can also prevent a common mistake that new pool owners make which is to keep adding chlorine in the hope that the water will clear out. That will not happen and the water will appear brown unless you remove the iron from the water.
It cannot be stressed enough that only using the right chemical treatment will clean the pool water. Here are some of the ways in which you can do that. You can use the following steps to ensure that your swimming pool is free from iron and other minerals when using well water;
Test the chlorine and pH level of the well water pool
First, you are going to have to test the pool water before you can use a cleaning method or start the filter.
For that, you will need to dip a four-way test strip in the pool water for a few minutes (four minutes to be exact). The test strip will show you the alkalinity, chlorine, and pH level of your well water pool.
Adjust the pH of your well water pool
You can adjust the pH level of the pool by sprinkling the right amount of soda ash to the pool water to increase the pH level, or mix the right amount of muriatic acid in 10 parts of water and pour the mixture along the inside edge of your swimming pool to decrease the pH.
Adjust the alkalinity of the well water pool
You can adjust the alkalinity of the well water pool up or down, depending on the results of the test strip.
You can easily increase the alkalinity of the swimming pool by adding the right amount of sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda to the pool water, or you can decrease the alkalinity level of the pool by mixing muriatic acid with water and pouring it carefully around the edges of the swimming pool.
It is important to make sure you use the appropriate amount of these chemicals in both instances.
Adjust the free chlorine level in your well water swimming pool
To raise the level of the free or available chlorine in the pool, add in the right amount of liquid chlorine to a bucket of water and pour it into the well water pool.
You can reduce the amount of free chlorine in the pool by sprinkling some granular chlorine neutralizer in the pool water. Be careful to use only 6 ounces of the granular chlorine neutralizer for every 10,000 gallons of the pool water.
Remove metals or minerals in the pool
To remove any buildup of metals or minerals in the well water pool, you can add a chelating agent to the pool water to help clump all the metals that have been dissolved in the water together.
The chelating or sequestering agent is a chemical compound that reacts with metals in the pool to form more complex, but stable molecules. Once you notice the clumps of metals around the pool, just use the pool vacuum to scoop them up, and your pool is as good as new.
How close can a pool be to a well?
If you are thinking of using well water to fill up your swimming pool, then you will need to find the best swimming pool location that’s not too close or far from the well you will be drawing the water from. So, how far should your swimming pool be from its water source?
While this length may vary, the general rule of thumb when it comes to the distance between your swimming pool and the well is around 100 feet.
It should be noted that every county has its own rules and requirements for the distance between the well and septic tank and the swimming pool. This means you will need to check with the local building department to get the exact distance to avoid any trouble.
Additionally, you will also need to find out where the drain and septic tank lines are located in the area you want to install the swimming pool. This should be identified before excavation begins.
How long can you run your hose on a well?
When it comes to swimming pool hoses, the lower the pressure, the more water the pump will produce. This will result in the swimming pool filling up sooner.
All you have to do is to make sure you run enough hoses so that the water pressure stays below 50 and the pump does not shut off. A Cycle Stop Valve would keep your pump running steady while using a 5 GPM hose.
Even if the well has a high flow rate, it is recommended that you fill up the pool slowly over the course of a day or two.
This is important especially if the well you’re using is also used to meet your water requirements on a day to day basis, or is being used by other households.
Run the water at half its power for an hour, then stop the pump so the well can replenish. Use the same method by filling the water one hour at a time to fill the well water pool.
Ending Note
Having a swimming pool in your home can provide endless hours of enjoyment without having to leave your home and making a trip to the beach. But, that’s only possible if you are able to keep your swimming pool clean and properly maintained.
While you can use the above-mentioned tips to ensure your well water pool stays clean at all times, you can also attach a water softener system that will clean the water before it reaches the pool from the well.
