About to give up

[jrebeiro]

I have been fighting with this pool since I opened it. It started off black with a TON of leaves on the bottom. I shocked it, used algaecide, and clarifier and the water cleared up but was still green. I scooped out all the leaves and junk from the middle of the pool and it got cloudy and green again (I probably stirred it all up again). I shocked it and it is now a greyish/white cloud mixture.

My D.E. filter loses pressure within an hour. Leslie's keeps telling me my filter is broken and that I have a tear in the grids.

I just got my water tested today and here are the results:

FAC: 0
TAC: 0
pH: 8.0
TA: 50
Hardness: 70
CYA: 10

I am following the instructions Leslie's gave me and am adding 2-1/2lb conditioner, wait 4 hours, then adding 2-1/2lbs Hardness Plus. Then tomorrow I will add 3-1/2lb Alkalinity Up, wait 30 mins and add another 3lb. Then wait 4 hours and add 1lb of shock.

The problem I have is that the filter needs to stay on the entire time the chemcials are working yet the filter does not keep its pressure for more than an hour.

I am constantly cleaning the filter, replacing skimmer socks, and losing my mind!

Once I get the water stabilized will the D.E. stop caking up? I'm at my limits of frustration here. Any help is appreciated!

[Buggsw]

You need to get the filter fixed.

Add bleach to the water to keep the chlorine level up.

When the filter gets fixed, treat for the conditions as directed.

[jrebeiro]

How can I be sure the filter is broken? Its brand new! The DE is pure green and is in chunks when I take the filter apart to clean it. The filter was fine before I added the flocculant to clear the cloudiness. Is it possible the grids are gummed up and are not allowing water to pass through? Is there any way to clean them more than rinsing them off?

[Buggsw]

It shouldn't be losing presurre within an hour. Something is wrong, somewhere, if it is.

If it's brand new, why are you taking it all apart?

[jrebeiro]

Its a jacuzzi 40 something D.E. filter. When I say take apart I mean removing the large retaining ring and pulling the top off to clean the grids.

I do this because the instructions on the filter say if the pressure increases 10psi over clean pressure to regenerate. The regeneration instructions say that if you have to regenerate more than once in a 72 hour period you have to clean the filter. Which I have been doing 5-10 times a day for 2 weeks. I think I should bring the filter grids to the pool store and see if there is something wrong with it that I am not seeing.

There is no excess air in the filter when I open up the release valve which tells me there is no air leak. There are no visible signs of a water leak which tells me that my o-ring seals are okay. The only thing possible is the grids themselves.

Is it possible I used too much flocculant?

[dang_pool]

jeberibo- You and I are in the same %$#@ boat! I have been through, I would estimate, about 200 lbs of DE in the last 2 months. If I run the filter, I have to stay right nearby because it needs cleaned about every 10-20 minutes. Now today, FINALLY, it ran for a few hours without needing changed, which was a new improvement. This pool has been like a part time job for me (except I spend money instead of making money) this spring! I have been using my Ranger auto pool vac the last few days a lot and now I can at least sort of make out the third step on the ladder, where previously I could only see the first one.

The pool store convinced me that my water was cloudy because there must be a tear on my filter module, but after spending the $300 on a new one, we learned that was not the problem. It sounds like you are having the same thing I am - the filter is doing it's job, it just clogs up quickly.

I will, God willing, have better news after running the filter all day tomorrow. Hope things start clearing up for you soon! This is sooooooo frustrating! The pool store keeps telling me my water tests perfect...ahhhhh!

[Curt]

jrebeiro,
Your pH is WAY too high and is rendering your free chlorine impotent.

Do NOT use liquid chlorine, calcium or lithium shock until the pH is lowered to 7.2 These shocks will icrease the pH and compound the problem. The milky white may be calcium precipitating in the water due to the VERY high pH.

Lower the pH with muriatic acid. Buy it at any building supply.

In the mean time, shock with dichlor shock and add extra Chlorine tablets to the skimmer.

The free chlorine goes up as the pH goes down.

DO NOT ADD THE ALKALINITY UP until the pH is under control.

[jrebeiro]

Curt: Thanks for the tip. I added some pH minus and hopefully like the bottle says the pH will be ready in 30 mins.

All: Here are pictures of what is happening to the D.E. Like dang_pool said all the pool stores are blaming my filter for what is happening. Telling me I have tears in the grids. I have inspected the grids thoroughly numerous times and I can tell you there are no tears. There is also no evidence of D.E. inside the grids (indicitive of a tear).

I can't paste links so view them here:

www(dot)rebeiro(dot)net/pool

DSC01161.JPG (closeup of the D.E. on the grids. Notice how it's all chunky)
DSC01162.JPG (another view of dirty grids)
DSC01163.JPG (the inside of dirty filter. small white granules are undissolved Hardness Plus chemical)
DSC01164.JPG (closeup of dirty D.E. in the filter)
DSC01165.JPG (closeup of D.E. on grids... very blurry)
DSC01166.JPG (D.E. on the ground after the cleanup. I've never seen anything like this)

The last picture to me is the most telling. Never in my life have I seen D.E. get so caked up that a high pressure hose can't dissolve it down to slurry.

I am baffled and so are all the pool stores... well they swear it's the filter... and I am not about to drop $150 on new grids to prove them wrong.

[Curt]

jrebeiro, I have had DE blow into the pool. It always settled to the bottom, looks dirty. DE never made my pool cloudy.

[jrebeiro]

My levels are finally normal and Shocking the pool finally brought the chlorine levels up and they are staying there.

I don't think DE is blowing into the pool. If it was there would not be as much DE in the filter when I clean it out. The filter is now lasting 3 hours without losing pressure. I think if I keep up with the stability of the water and more cleansing of the filter the gumming will stop.

I'll keep everyone informed on the progress!

[jrebeiro]

My pool is FINALLY crystal clear. My filter has been running for over 12 hours since last cleaning with minimal loss of pressure. There are still small remnants of stuff on the bottom which can easily be vacuumed out.

I will go to Leslie's later today and get my water tested (I only have strips at home).

On my strips everything looks fine except my Chlorine is low. My FC is normal so I just turned up the dial on my chlorinator.

I figured I would update this post with this information so if anyone ever starts complaining about gummed up D.E. in their filter you will have somewhere to point them.

Thanks everyone!