Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Hello all. I cannot get rid of fine layer of what i think is dead algae on inground pool. About 25k gallons. Have a sta rite 3 sand filter. Plaster/gunite, not really sure if there is any difference.
I have tried raising chlorine level to 10 ppm but not clearing. I haven't really held it there consecutive days, i think i did hold it at 6 ppm two days in a row. I use liquid chlorine, 12%.
Pump has been on for a week 24/7 now and not letting up. I will add some DE periodically. The pump gauge does go up to 14, 15 pressure and I back wash. Green crap comes out. I keep filtering but that stuff still there.
I tried vacuuming to waste. But my system don't have vacuum to waste setting. So i just set it to backwash and manually vacuum. I did that yesterday but this morning floor still the same. After vacuuming, I raised chlorine to 12ppm last night and this morning still about the same chlorine. Floor still same.
I had water tested and was told combined chlorine is about 2.5ppm and i needed to throw in all 4 gallons of chlorine to shock pool. I told lady already at 12ppm and she said its not the ppm, its about how many gallons you throw in???
I have 4 lbs of potassium chloride oxidizer i plan on throwing in tonight. Any ideas, suggestions??Also, plan on changing sand. Its about 9 years old.
Additional info, sorry forgot. CYA is about 25 to 30. I know i neeed to raise it but wanted to clear this stuff first.
Alk is 100
Hardness is 200
Ph before adding chlorine was 7.4-7.6 range. Today is above 8 probly due to high chlorine.
Filter gauge reads 9 psi on fresh backwash. Right now its about 10 psi.
I use the Taylor 2006 test kit.
I have tried raising chlorine level to 10 ppm but not clearing. I haven't really held it there consecutive days, i think i did hold it at 6 ppm two days in a row. I use liquid chlorine, 12%.
Pump has been on for a week 24/7 now and not letting up. I will add some DE periodically. The pump gauge does go up to 14, 15 pressure and I back wash. Green crap comes out. I keep filtering but that stuff still there.
I tried vacuuming to waste. But my system don't have vacuum to waste setting. So i just set it to backwash and manually vacuum. I did that yesterday but this morning floor still the same. After vacuuming, I raised chlorine to 12ppm last night and this morning still about the same chlorine. Floor still same.
I had water tested and was told combined chlorine is about 2.5ppm and i needed to throw in all 4 gallons of chlorine to shock pool. I told lady already at 12ppm and she said its not the ppm, its about how many gallons you throw in???
I have 4 lbs of potassium chloride oxidizer i plan on throwing in tonight. Any ideas, suggestions??Also, plan on changing sand. Its about 9 years old.
Additional info, sorry forgot. CYA is about 25 to 30. I know i neeed to raise it but wanted to clear this stuff first.
Alk is 100
Hardness is 200
Ph before adding chlorine was 7.4-7.6 range. Today is above 8 probly due to high chlorine.
Filter gauge reads 9 psi on fresh backwash. Right now its about 10 psi.
I use the Taylor 2006 test kit.
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- Pool Industry Leader
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Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Sounds like you have a push pull slide backwash valve?
You wont vac to waste on backwash but you will fill the laterals in the bottom of the filter with all sorts of muck and debris. Putting a 3 port valve T on the line from the pump to the filter would allow you to vac to waste.
The dirt is very fine and probably passes through the filter sand. I would put a cotton towel into the skimmer basket to catch a lot of the vacuumed dirt, scrunch it up to max fill the skimmer basket and be prepared to wash it frequently.
See how that goes.
The person in the shop is an idiot, its about the PPM
You wont vac to waste on backwash but you will fill the laterals in the bottom of the filter with all sorts of muck and debris. Putting a 3 port valve T on the line from the pump to the filter would allow you to vac to waste.
The dirt is very fine and probably passes through the filter sand. I would put a cotton towel into the skimmer basket to catch a lot of the vacuumed dirt, scrunch it up to max fill the skimmer basket and be prepared to wash it frequently.
See how that goes.
The person in the shop is an idiot, its about the PPM
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
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- Pool Industry Leader
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Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Follow what Teapot1 says
12 ppm Is the right amount to slam for a CYA of 30 so you are on the right track
12 ppm Is the right amount to slam for a CYA of 30 so you are on the right track
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Thanks guys. Yes, she certainly seemed like an idiot. I heard of a technique to make alide valve vacuum to waste. Has to do with taking out plunger and sticking in an expansion rubber, basically keeping water going into filter and straight out to waste....any opinions?
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Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
I wouldn't, too bigger pfaff and risk of damaging slide seals. I actually do/did fit 3 port valve after the pump and before the filter slide valve to give customers the vac to waste option.
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Slide s seals, you mean the ones on plunger, or it has seals inside the pipe? Thanks
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Also, update, been slamming, changed sand, added DE and still no improvement since Saturday. I think I will try some skill it. Just pour whole bottle. It's worked before. I just don't see why it's not clearing and why skill it would fix problem. I have polyquat algaecide, but dint want to use that until I have clear floor and water. Thoughts?
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Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Havent a clue what skill is, maybe a link but some kind of clarifier?
Time, it takes time to clear a pool, the better the filtration the quicker it clears and that is not the more powerful the flow is but the slower the flow the better the filtration. Shame you didnt swap for Dr Drydens AFM ng the best filter media there is.
Dont add polyquat that just uses up the chlorine quicker burning out the polyquat. Big pool industry lie, its not strong enough to stop algae and you dont have algae. Just keep your chlorine level up relative to your CYA figure.
Time, it takes time to clear a pool, the better the filtration the quicker it clears and that is not the more powerful the flow is but the slower the flow the better the filtration. Shame you didnt swap for Dr Drydens AFM ng the best filter media there is.
Dont add polyquat that just uses up the chlorine quicker burning out the polyquat. Big pool industry lie, its not strong enough to stop algae and you dont have algae. Just keep your chlorine level up relative to your CYA figure.
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Yea, it's a clarifier/algaecide, mad by bio dex. Also , considering maybe increasing chlorine? Maybe 12 ppm not enough. Right now pressure gauge at 13 psi. Clean pressure is 9. Water coming out of jet returns still feels decent, don't thunk I should backwash yet. So if gauge gets to say 15 psi, and water coming out of jets feels pretty weak, should I backwash, or leave it? If leave it, for how long?
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Bio-Dex Fast Acting Pool Algaecide Skill-It 32oz. SK132 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AM3SH64/re ... UTF8&psc=1
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Posted skill it. I have to say that I haven't vacuumed since last Wednesday. Should I maybe vacuum and see if can pick up that crap on floor, or should I wait till water clears more, like till I'm not losing more then .5 ppm over night?
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Sorry to ramble on, but just occurred to ask...my diverted has 3 settings; skim only, pull water from bottom drain only, or both, bottom and skimmer on top. I have had it on skim only. Should I change to both?
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Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
fhorta wrote:Yea, it's a clarifier/algaecide, mad by bio dex. Also , considering maybe increasing chlorine? Maybe 12 ppm not enough. Right now pressure gauge at 13 psi. Clean pressure is 9. Water coming out of jet returns still feels decent, don't thunk I should backwash yet. So if gauge gets to say 15 psi, and water coming out of jets feels pretty weak, should I backwash, or leave it? If leave it, for how long?
Normally you backwash when your pressure is 20-25% greater than the clean pressure
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
OK, thanks
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- Pool Industry Leader
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- Joined: Thu 29 Apr, 2021 00:43
- My Pool: 12000 gallons vinyl liner,
Re: Green/brownish layer bottom of pool
Main drains do very little to help but if the layer of stuff is on the bottom you could switch to main drain and try brushing it into the main drain, if it just comes back out of the returns stop! Dirt enters from above to maintain maximum skimming action of the surface rather than letting it sink.
https://youtu.be/0IOUGhuKkSM
https://youtu.be/0IOUGhuKkSM
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
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