Can you use white vinegar to clean your above ground swimming pool?

Answer 1

You sure can! It will, however increase the pH and salinity of your pool. Slowly, but surely. So keep some Muriatic acid on hand to correct this. See warnings, below.

Add a gallon of regular strength (5.25% concentration) liquid bleach (wear those swim goggles for safety) to raise the chlorine level of 20,000 gallons of water by 1ppm. Run your pump and wait 1 hour before testing the level of Cl. Continue adding bleach until you reach the optimum Cl level of 3ppm.

For added safety use chlorine test strips to detect the proper levels of 2-4ppm. Never swim in a pool with a Cl level over 5ppm.

WARNING: Always add acid to water, NEVER water to acid!

DANGER!: Store chlorine products and pool acids as far away from each other as possible! Never have them out at the same time! If accidentally mixed, evacuate the area and call 911 for "Chlorine Release Emergency".

+++

You sure can - but you'd be sure daft to do so!

You raise salinity if you use sodium rather than calcium hypochlorite - though the latter's by-product is calcium carbonate which will precipitate if the pH goes out of range.

Apart from the risk of the household bleach having additives like surfactants, most of the contents of the bottle is water, so it's an extravagant way to go. Why go to the trouble and expense of having a pool built then use inappropriate additives? Buy the proper chlorine donor for swimming-pools. It is not that expensive and certainly more economical than bleach, especially if you buy the stabilised form. It also has little effect on pH.(Though if you use the stabilised form beware of excess stabiliser accumulation over time, for that eventually stops the hypochlorite from working.)

Answer 2

Probably, but why not just brush it when you are shocking? I think the algae would feed off of the byproducts when the vinegar reacts with your pool chemicals...

Answer 3

no