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oilinpool
@gunnman.net

oilinpool

Anon

Motor oil in swimming pool

The topic says it all, I have some "pranksters" who like to make work for other people. I live in Sourthern Florida and was preparing my pool for the spring/summer, removed the cover and refilled with water. Well some obnoxious pranksters decided to chuck two milk jugs full of used motor oil in it with the tops off. Oil is EVERYWHERE!!! I'm guessing this is HAZMAT? What can I do to clean up this mess?

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro

Premium Member

It should collect near the skimmers. Oil and water don't quite mix well. Collect it with a shallow pan. When you're done just backwash the filter. You may need to repeat the process for 1 day or 2.

jack b
Gone Fishing
MVM
join:2000-09-08
Cape Cod

jack b to oilinpool

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"Houston, we have a problem...."

Used motor oil can contain toxic substances such as benzene, lead, zinc, and cadmium.

If any oil got into the filter, it too is contaminated.

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

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I'm not sure this is a DIY project. You may want to contact your homeowner's insurance carrier and file a claim for vandalism. You don't want that oil in your filter! My guess is that it will take some kind of detergent to cleanse the oil from the pool. Something lke this... probably best left to pros.

cacroll
Eventually, Prozac becomes normal
Premium Member
join:2002-07-25
Martinez, CA

1 recommendation

cacroll

Premium Member

said by Pacrat:

I'm not sure this is a DIY project. You may want to contact your homeowner's insurance carrier and file a claim for vandalism. You don't want that oil in your filter! My guess is that it will take some kind of detergent to cleanse the oil from the pool. Something lke this... probably best left to pros.


x 2.

Plus, a matter for police. It's possible that the wankers doing your pool are doing other pools too. The police might benefit by tracking this, and the public might benefit too.

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

2 edits

mityfowl to oilinpool

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I'm a pool owner.

I would turn the pumps off for now.

Skim the oil off the smooth surface. Even on a calm day it will be pushed by the wind one way or the other. You also might test some of the "kitty litter" oil absorbant material in a small dose to start.

Repeat. Repeat.

Clean filter as usual. You didn't say what type of filter you have.

Big dose of chlorine.

Start pumps normally. It will clean up after a couple tries.

MrFixitCT
pay it forward

join:2000-12-01
Port Charlotte, FL

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something like »www.dawginc.com/spill-co ··· _oil.php

oilinpool
@gunnman.net

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Anon

to oilinpool
thanks all for the replies. The idiots who did this did it late at night after I spent all weekend preparing the pool. The oil isn't just one slick, it's thousands of tiny little ones and the filter looks like something from the Valdez spill. not to mention when they chunked them over the fence it looks like one jug hit the concrete and spilled oil all over it before it rolled into the pool. Someone mentioned calling a professional, who would I call for something like this? dont want to file an insurance claim just yet because I have a very high deductible.

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

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First, make sure pumps are all off, now.

You should be able to pick up some pads to soak up the oil.
You just drop them all over the surface water in the pool, they float.

Pads like these... Something like this... toolsource.com
Around here many oil field supply stores have them, but we are in an area that produces oil so it is easy to find.

After the pads soak up all the oil, an orange based cleanser, like dish soap, can clean up any areas the oil touched, maybe even the filter.

Then, go out to Walmart and pick up a motion sensor camera. They are in the sports section for hunting supplies or in the electronics supply. They use a flash card to save the pictures and work in dark situations. Then catch them if they do it again. They will have to pay restitution, among other things.

stevek1949
We're not in Kansas anymore
Premium Member
join:2002-11-13
Virginia Beach, VA

stevek1949

Premium Member

Sounds like a police/insurance issue. The insurance will pay someone like Pro Clean or ServePro to clean it up professionally, including the concrete. Shut off the pumps, and get the phone.
sailor
Premium Member
join:2003-10-21
Long Island

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These people are out my way but I suggest you send them an email and explain the situation and ask them for some advice via email. They have an excellent reputation where I am.

»www.millerenv.com
ctggzg
Premium Member
join:2005-02-11
USA

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ctggzg to jack b

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said by jack b:

If any oil got into the filter, it too is contaminated.
Filters get "contaminated" when they filter stuff. That's what filters do.

And here in South Florida it's pool season year-round. No need to shut it down during the fall and "winter".

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

Pacrat

MVM

Filters are for solid particulates. Not chemical spills. Once the tank of the filter becomes contaminated, you may as well throw it away and start over.

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

1 edit

mityfowl

Premium Member

You don't know what you're talking about!

You don't even know what media the filter is made of.

Cheese
Premium Member
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL

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This may be a bit extreme in this situation since this appears to be the first time this happened to you, perhaps setting up a motion activated camera in the pool cage area to try to see if you can maybe catch who did this? Just an idea nothing more

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
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join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

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I've had my pool since 1979. And I am referring to a sand filter. A DE or cartridge filter might be okay since they are easily replaceable. Replacing the sand in a filter tank is a royal pain. But I do know that filters remove only solid, particulate matter from the water. Petroleum-based contaminants are a whole 'nuther ballgame. You might be able to use a coagulant to get the oil to adhere to that to remove it from the water, but, again, I sure would not run oil through a sand filter. And thank you for your expert opinion. It's nice to know someone I can count on for sound advice if I ever need it.
Stumbles
join:2002-12-17
Port Saint Lucie, FL

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Bad advice. No way would I let any kind of motor oil near my filters, unless I was willing to spend the bucks to replace them.

yock
TFTC
Premium Member
join:2000-11-21
Miamisburg, OH

yock to oilinpool

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said by oilinpool :

dont want to file an insurance claim just yet because I have a very high deductible.
If you're planning on paying for this out of pocket anyway, why are you worried about your deductible?

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

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said by Stumbles:

Bad advice. No way would I let any kind of motor oil near my filters, unless I was willing to spend the bucks to replace them.
Oil floats on water so it shouldn't be sucked into the filter. However if the pool pump was running that night and the water level was too low and oil was sucked in, then the harm is already done. Even a new filter is way less (~$250-400) than what a professional cleanup will cost (and also less than the deductible if going through insurance).

seeksusan
@pepperdine.edu

seeksusan

Anon

Does anyone know if this is something that activists do to boycott the use of muncial water in swimming pools? We have had motor oil and just last night, paint tossed over our fence and aimed toward the pool. Any info you have would be useful.
Thanks.

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro

Premium Member

said by seeksusan :

Does anyone know if this is something that activists do to boycott the use of muncial water in swimming pools?
If it's something those lunatics do, they cause more harm as more water will be used to cleanup the mess.
cowboyro

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Another option for cleaning the oil fast (but only if you aren't an environmentalist) is to empty the pool by draining water through the skimmers. When the water goes low enough the oil will be sucked, but you may need to do few fill-drain cycles. The filter will be bypassed and the water will wash the lines quickly after there is no more oil left.

oilinpool
@gunnman.net

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Anon

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well i went out to check my mail. guess what? These SOBS!!! put oil in my mailbox! there is a note from USPS that says "unable to deliver", so now I have to go to the post office to pick up my mail. I am going to get some security cameras now i have no idea why i was targeted except perhaps my Obama support sign in the front yard. we are in a conservative area but this just doesnt make sense. my deductible is $3000 so that's why I don't want to file a claim just yet. thanks all for any advice you have, seeksusan do you have any experience from cleaning up with your pranksters?

seeksusan
@pepperdine.edu

seeksusan

Anon

luckily there wasn't too much in the pool...we used the same techniques decribed above, with the papertowels, etc. there was alot of breakbreaking effort to get it off the concrete though..and we used kitty litter for that. good luck. this is the fourth time we have been targeted and I never thought we had any enemies...

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

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You haven't stated if you have filed a police report yet. If you have not, please do so. Vandalism of a mailbox is a federal crime. In addition, I would get bids from some companies that specialize in the type of cleanup needed for your pool. It could turn out that the damage is severe enough to be a felony. Look under Environmental in the yellow pages. There are companies who specialize in cleanup of spills, etc.

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
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join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

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The election is long over... remove the sign from the yard.

It's probably kids... not that that helps any.

I used to have a neighbor across that street that woke up one Sunday morning to their mailbox being totally engulfed in flames. Seems their teenage daughter dumped her boyfriend and he took offense to that. I called the fire dept. but by the time they arrived their mailbox was just a gooey puddle of plastic oozing over the curb. Both my neighbor and I spotted the fire at about the same time. The call was more to document the offense than to save the curbside mailbox. We had already extinguished the blaze with a couple of buckets of water. Kids can do some strange things.

seeksusan
@pepperdine.edu

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Anon

to robbin
(i filed a police report with the oil spil and intend to for the paint spill that occured last night)
Expand your moderator at work
scooper
join:2000-07-11
Kansas City, KS

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Re: Motor oil in swimming pool

+1 - the Election was over in November - lose the sign, especially if you're the contrary one in the neighborhood....

ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA

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Pick up some human hair mats to soak it up.

»inventorspot.com/article ··· at_16813