Storm blew smoker into pool

[CarlD]

The ash is likely to be HIGHLY alkaline...wet ashes are known to be potentially corrosive for that reason. So watch the pH. Plus, grease tends to be fatty acids...so..
The skimmer socks may well save your filter. Skimmer socks are cheap and easy to replace.

I expect you'll need a lot of chlorine to break down the grease, so the more you can physically remove, the better, and it should float on the surface.. Obviously, you cannot use detergents.

While I'm sure it was very traumatic at the time, look at the bright side: You'll have GREAT stories for years!

Carl

[AnnaK]

Don't be surprised if you get some foaming: the combination of wood ashes and animal fats are the basic ingredients in the soap making process. It is possible that the grease won't float to the surface (and pig mats won't work) because any saponification that occurs will act as a surfactant, keeping the grease in suspension.

[chem geek]

There have been several people who got motor oil and other products in their pool, but I've never heard of getting an entire grill into the water. The ash is something that has to be physically removed, probably through a combination of skimmer socks and circulation/filtration/backwash/clean. As for the organics, including grease, I'd suggest using an enzyme product such as Natural Chemistry® Pool First Aid™. If there's a LOT of oily substances on the surface of the water, then you can use absorbent mats from New Pig or AbsorbantsOnline.

[waterbear]

Water leaches lye from ashes and then that can saponify fat to make soap but I don't think it will happen in the pool. The ashes, as it has been said, can cause pH to go up so you might need to add some acid and physically filter them out. and the best way to get out the fat is skim off what you can and then use an enzyme as Chem Geek suggested. IF there is a problem woith persitant combined chloramnes possibly the use of a strong oxidizer like sodium percarbonate might be in order. If nothing else it can make any debris that has sunk to the bottom rise to the surface for easy skimming.

[AnnaK]

Just wondering what was the outcome of this. Did you get the pool cleaned up and how did you do it?