DE to Sand and then YUK!

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Wed 25 Mar, 2009 07:41

not having the money to tackle the problem head on

By half tackling the problem over and over again you end up spending way more money. Get it right once and you'll start saving $$$.
:wink:

poobs · Postby **poobs** » Thu 26 Mar, 2009 14:19

Pool User wrote:
not having the money to tackle the problem head on

By half tackling the problem over and over again you end up spending way more money. Get it right once and you'll start saving $$$.

You are right but it was hard to justify a new filter etc in the middle of winter.

The people at the pool store also gave me bogus information. I received conflicting info from various people within the same store and also other stores from the same chain. I don't think they meant to deceive me but basically I had to find out for myself - they only sold me chemicals. :roll:

Hopefully today I will plumb the new filter and take it out for a spin :mrgreen:

There is lots of crap falling thru the netting on the pool cage and into the water but I have to get the tree trimmed to alleviate that for next season.

poobs · Postby **poobs** » Fri 27 Mar, 2009 08:32

Filter is up and running with the exception of a leak. Since everything is cemented in with pvc cement I have to buy a replacement fitting and cut the pipe to fix the leak. It seems to be the threaded fitting into the filter. Maybe not enough tefflon tape ( ? )

The water looks cloudy..... I don't know if the filter will take care of that or if I need a clarifier etc ( ? )

Thanks

Postby **Larry** » Fri 27 Mar, 2009 09:16

Good job!

Now run the pump for 24 - 48 hours before thinking about a clarifier or flocculant. Your poor pool has had an overdose of chemicals already and doesn't need any unnecessary extra treatment. :wink:

Make sure the pH is in range and the free chlorine level remains high until the water clears. Hopefully it's not long now till the pool water clears and sparkles. :thumbup:

Larry

poobs · Postby **poobs** » Fri 27 Mar, 2009 16:29

Larry wrote:Good job!

Now run the pump for 24 - 48 hours before thinking about a clarifier or flocculant. Your poor pool has had an overdose of chemicals already and doesn't need any unnecessary extra treatment.

Make sure the pH is in range and the free chlorine level remains high until the water clears. Hopefully it's not long now till the pool water clears and sparkles.

Larry

The water looked a tad better today after running the filter over night. Can't see the bottom because it is cloudy but it is not green.

I visited my local pool racket and they said my water is perfect ( whatever that means ). The tablet chlorinator is at "full"

Total Chlorine is at 3 ppm
Free Chlorine is at 3 ppm
PH is 7.4
Total Alkalinity 115 ppm
Calcium Hardness is 280 ppm
Stabilizer is 100 ppm

I brought in my battered pool robot and they want $150.00 to fix it so I bailed.
Mine is the chubby one with the two little winglets that flap up/down.
EBay has the ones that look like a cheap umbrella for a little over $100 but I am leary of them .... :roll:

poobs · Postby **poobs** » Fri 27 Mar, 2009 22:11

Larry wrote:
The temporary sand filter seems to quickly clog and looses the pump prime.

The pump loses prime due to problems on the suction side. A clogged filter cannot cause a pump to suck air. Try to determine where the pump is drawing air from as this air will keep creating problems for you, even with a new filter.

I got the water parameters as prescribed by the pool store

Could you post them here.

Larry

Yup - definitely something wrong with the suction side. there seem to be a lot of bubbles coming out into the pool via the jets plus bubbles can be seen in the clear pump priming cup cover.

There are 3 valves right near the pump that control where the pump sucktions from. # pipes branch out from there to the spa, skimmer and pool vacum. Best flow with the least air seems to take place with all valves open.
Any time one is openend or closed the pressure on the filter gage drops low as does the flow over the spa spill way. this would indicate that the leak is common to all of them or right close to the pump but nothing is visible.

Any ideas how to find the leak/leaks ?

could it be the pump itself ?

I took some leaves out of the pump prime basket and went over all the inlet pipe seams seams with pvc and the above seems to have diminished.

As of today the water is 99% clear. Basically it has taken 10 gal of chlorine 2-3 days apart and a couple of applications of a clarifier . This made all the stuff go to the bottom. I hand vacuumed it and had to wash the filter cartridge every ten minutes or so but soon I had the bottom clear. :thumbup:

Thanks all !!!