importance of filter

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gwgardner
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Joined: Mon 09 Apr, 2007 17:13

importance of filter

Postby gwgardner » Sat 14 Apr, 2007 17:52

I've been visiting this forum off and on for a while, trying to deal with algae and pool clarity, primarily. My eight year old pool had become a constant problem. The first five years or so we had sparkling clear water, few problems. Then we started getting persistent algae growth, recurring cloudiness and just plain dirty water - gillions of visible particles, tiny bits of leaves, dirt, etc. We used clarifiers, floc, algaecides, phosphate removers, seems like tons of chlorine. We replaced the four cartridge filters. We had constant problems with alkalinity too high, but PH too low. The last two winters the pool just turned into a murky green swamp.

I finally called a pool guy out. After weeks of him working with it to little success, he finally (don't know why he didn't look there first) said it had to be a filter problem, not chemicals. I was cleaning my cartridge filters often. I just couldn't believe that relatively new filters were the problem. The guy questioned me about any wear on the filters at either end, or cracks in the filter cap or the down where they were seated into the bottom of the filter casing. Sure enough, I was aware that the 'bottom manifold' (as I learned it was called) had sprung a leak or two, through wear and tear over the years.

Reluctantly I ordered a replacement for that part (I've spent hundreds on chemicals, but for some reason always hate to spend on maintenance) and had it installed.

The result is sparkling clear water again. Seems for the last couple of years, a good deal of the water going through the filter housing was just leaking down through that bottom manifold. When I took it out, it had a big crack on the bottom of it too.

So I just wanted to give back a little here. Maybe someone of you out there has the same kind of problems I had for a couple of years. It could be the filter system, not all the chemicals. Seems obvious now, but for someone who like me is not mechanically inclined, it's all too easy to overlook the pool hardware vs. the water chemicals.


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