New-to-me pool in sorry shape but coming along

[Flocculus]

Hi all

I'll give you my story to this point. You're welcome to jump to the question at the bottom! We bought a house with a pool that hadn't been well cared for. Don't know how long since it was opened or exactly how it was closed. Mesh cover was full of stuff, and water was deep green. Filter cover open, ice compensators but no other plugs. Overgrown bushes were overhanging the pool, and I got most of those chopped down. After removing the cover, it took about a week to get the pump running, and finally got it after getting the frog out of the check valve. Meanwhile, I put about 81 oz of 7.5% bleach daily for about 4 days to keep the growth down, and I started skimming and scooping. Bottom was covered in bush droppings and a healthy colony of oligochaeta worms - blecch! Color started to improve a little. I read a lot of your information, got the test kit, and got ready to SLAM. First photo is in the afternoon, just before starting.

pH prior to circulation 7.5, dropped to 7.2 with pump so didn't adjust. Although CYA was 60 prior to circulation, it dropped to 38 with the pump so SLAM FC level was 15. I added the recommended liquid chlorine (640 oz of 10%), and FC jumped from 0 to 21.5. Maybe my volume calculation (40 ft x 20 ft x (8 ft + 3 ft /2) x 7.5 = 33,000 gallons) was off due to sloped sides? In any case, I cut down future additions by 30-40%.
7:30pm: FC 21.5, CC 1
8:00pm: FC 21
8:30pm: FC 20.5, CC 1.5
9:30pm: FC 19
So FC was not dropping quickly - perhaps because a lot of stuff was already dead from a few days of lower chlorine levels?

Second photo is next morning - a nice color change!
11:15am: FC 10 - added 128 oz of 10%
12:05pm: FC 16, CC 0.5
1:40pm: FC 15.5
4:10pm: FC 15
6:30pm: FC 13 - added 120 oz of 7.5%
7:50pm: FC 17
9:45pm: guessed and added 40 oz of 7.5%

Next photo is this morning - not much change, still cloudy.
11:20am: FC 12, CC 1 - added 86 oz of 10%
3:45pm: FC 13 - added 42 oz of 10%
7:30pm: FC 15

I've been brushing to the deep end and vacuuming to waste from there, getting a little bit of plant material and a few worms, vacuuming the rest to filter.

I decided today that the sand filter was being slow at reducing cloudiness. I realize there are differences of opinion on using DE but decided to give it a try. But I really have no idea what is inside the filter. It looks old, but no idea when sand was changed, cleaned, etc. Haven't opened it yet. Initial pressure was 15 psi, have done a couple of backwashes at 17-18 psi, and pressure usually comes back around 15. Just before DE, I did a backwash and, for whatever reason, pressure stayed at 17. Decided to add DE anyway, with 5 minutes between additions:
1/4 cup: pressure 17.3
1/2 cup: pressure 17.3
3/4 cup: pressure 17
1 cup: pressure 17.2
1 1/4 cup: pressure 19
There was a little white material on the surface of the pool that went away soon. It might have been DE. I wonder if a lateral is broken.
I rechecked the pressure 15 minutes later, and it was 35 psi!!
I backwashed briefly, and pressure dropped back to 15.

Although I'll take suggestions on anything, my question is whether I dare try DE again, waiting an hour between each 1/4 cup, or just wait on the sand filter to clear things up and then open it up after the SLAM to see what is going on. Any thoughts on what I'll find? Good sand? Clumped sand? Broken lateral?

Thanks for any ideas.
John

 

[Mdragger88]

You’re on your way
One note- reading a cya level of 38 isn’t possible. If the dot disappears between two lines you round up.
Your cya counts as 40 & slam fc level is 16ppm.
You may want to confirm your cya results- be sure to do the test in bright light (outdoors w/ your back to the sun is preferable)
Be sure the sample is room temperature before preforming the test.
You can pour the solution back into the little bottle & redo the last part of the test multiple times to ensure you’re consistent with your results.
Until things are blue & fc losses slow hold off on the de.
You may want to try a deep cleaning of the sand filter & inspect that the sand level is correct while you’re in there. There’s no telling what has been added in the past.

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...

www.google.com

 

[Mdragger88]

Some tips to help be sure you fully eradicate the algae while slamming

*Check & scrub every nook & cranny where algae may hide (light niches, steps, drain covers, ladder handrails, skimmer throats/weirs, etc.)
*Run slam level water through all water features & lines for at least a couple hours a day during the SLAM Process.
*Brush & or vac daily (this breaks up biofilms that algae uses to protect itself from chlorine)
*Backwash/clean filter when pressure rises 25%over clean pressure.

 

[PoolStored]

Great job on the progress!

 

[Flocculus]

Many thanks for the thoughts, @Mdragger88. Didn't have access to bright light today but will recheck the CYA. Cleaning all the spots I can find! Will look for time for a filter cleaning, but I need to be sure I have an O ring and any other parts. If there is a chance something will be decayed in this system, it will be.

Definitely a bluer shade this morning!

 

[Mdragger88]

Wonderful progress- keep it up
To help see any improvement in clarity you can take a pic with the brush/vac pole in the water at the same place each day about the same time.
As for parts for your filter- Leslie’s & other pool stores often have the common orings & gaskets for hayward/pentair. So look up your manual, gather your parts list & call around.
I have a less common pump/filter & always have to order online. I just ordered my pump basket lid oring from parts warehouse.com & they haven’t shipped yet- but inyopools is also a great place to look as well as get exploded diagrams.

 

[Flocculus]

Update: now 9 days into SLAM. Some daily improvement in clarity, but it's slowing down. Still blind in the deep end, where there is still a little plant material. Discovered that I probably had a salamander colony also!
With all the brushing, vacuuming, skimming, didn't have time to shop locally and ordered the filter O ring online so haven't got the filter cleaning done yet -- but soon. All the work is getting a little old!
With enough light, CYA still seems about 40. FC staying 13-17 with checks about 3 times daily.

 

[Mdragger88]

The more often you replenish fc to slam level the faster it will go.
If you can squeeze another round a day in there it would help speed things along.
Most are able to aim for something like -
Upon waking, right Before work, immediately upon returning, before/after dinner, right before bed.
You’re only logging your additions not your test results so it’s a bit hard to tell how the fc demand is going.
before logging your additions try this

 

[V___25]

Also, keep in mind that sand filters are the slowest at clearing so it will take some time but keep at it!

 

[Mdragger88]

It may be time to try de again if fc losses have slowed.

 

[Flocculus]

The more often you replenish fc to slam level the faster it will go.
If you can squeeze another round a day in there it would help speed things along.
Most are able to aim for something like -
Upon waking, right Before work, immediately upon returning, before/after dinner, right before bed.
You’re only logging your additions not your test results so it’s a bit hard to tell how the fc demand is going.
before logging your additions try this

Yeah, when I started I hadn't purchased the paid version of the app so was putting these in a spreadsheet. I copied them over now. Will try to find time for more!

 

[Flocculus]

It may be time to try de again if fc losses have slowed.

I suppose I need to do some checks 30 minutes after adding bleach to get a better idea of the speed of losses? I'm not sure where I'm peaking, really.

I'll plan to do the filter cleaning soon, before trying DE again.

Any thoughts of what happened with the pressures when I tried DE before?

Many thanks!!

 

[JJ_Tex]

Keep up the good work. Also note that you do not have to do a CC test until you think you are ready to end the SLAM. Its not much, but will save you a bit of reagent.

 

[Mdragger88]

I suppose I need to do some checks 30 minutes after adding bleach to get a better idea of the speed of losses? I'm not sure where I'm peaking, really.

I'll plan to do the filter cleaning soon, before trying DE again.

Any thoughts of what happened with the pressures when I tried DE before?

Many thanks!!

With the de you likely just used a little too much & with a green pool it will clog fast!
Should be a little less aggressive of a rise now but you must still watch it & backwash when needed.

 

[Flocculus]

Thanks again!

I'm now into my third week of SLAM. The clarity gains are still coming but are slow. I can see the bright green vacuum brush over 7 feet deep.
I finally got the filter O ring and did the deep clean yesterday. After an hour, I was still getting a lot of stuff out -- some of which doesn't really float -- and had to stop.
We had a lot of rain yesterday. So I'm hoping my bunch of dead worms today were regular earthworms and that a colony of water worms isn't hiding somewhere!
I tried the DE again. This time, I waited plenty of time after adding. After only 1/4 cup, pressure went up over 1 PSI. Later, pressure was up over 2 PSI. I haven't backwashed yet but may need to soon. Not sure how much that little DE is going to help or why the filter can only take that much.

I don't know if I'm missing something. I don't suppose pollen slows this down? There has been lots of tree pollen blowing around the entire time.
I think I'll try the suction cleaner some to see if pulling more water off the bottom will help.

 

[Mdragger88]

Coming along! Keep it up that’s fine with the de - every filter is different. I am able to do about a cup & mine rises 1psi. Hopefully the cleaning/fluffing up of the sand will help the filtering.

 

[Flocculus]

Thanks. Filter had run for about 10 days at about 17 psi. After cleaning, about 16.5 psi. After 1/4 cup DE, about 18 psi. Then increased over a day to 20 psi. So I backwashed for 4.5 minutes (had extra water from rain). But pressure didn't drop much, now down to 19 psi. Is 17 my baseline so I dare not add DE again, or is 19 somehow the new baseline? I would say that, over this time, the flow in the system seems to have improved. Not having to manually prime like I was. Maybe some blockage broke loose, leading to the better flow and higher pressure?

 

[Mdragger88]

Be sure you’re backwashing thoroughly until the sight glass looks clean. This could take a few minutes. I usually go till it looks clean then turn it off, wait a minute or so, then go again - some more gunk always comes through.
Then rinse until the sight glass is totally clear (no sand). About a minute or so.

 

[Flocculus]

I'm now 3 weeks in. Still small improvements in clarity each day. I've done several backwashes, until mostly clear. I'm thinking getting completely clear might take all the water in the pool! And the filter pressures is staying at 20 psi. There is no decrease after a backwash. So I haven't tried DE again. Not sure why the pressure is staying high.

 

[Flocculus]

Now I see. Gauge isn't returning to zero. Time for a new gauge, then will try DE again.