Sand filter vs. D.E. filter systems

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R

ronilynn

0
Apr 4, 2016
5
Owasso, Ok
We have a large above ground pool that has been a nightmare for us. We replaced the pump last year and our last hope is that a new filtration system will fix the problem for this year
61e3cbe12c24e267586ff0cae8453a91.jpg
. We are unable to keep the algae out of it, we throw away $100's on chemicals to never cure the problem. We purchased a new home a couple years ago and the pool was a bonus.

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:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

Algae is never a filtration problem, it is always a chemical problem.

What do you use to test your water?
How do you chlorinate the pool?

My guess is that you do not have one of the Recommended Test Kits and have not been maintaining a high enough chlorine (FC) level that is a function of your stabilizer (CYA) level according to the FC/CYA Chart.

With a little reading and learning here, we can get your pool sparkling clear and for less $ than you can imagine.
 
We are new to this, we use chlorine tablets and shock. We take samples into the local pool store and they tells us what we need, we buy it and it never works. As for stablizer....we aren't using that. We do you recommend the essentials are?

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We see time and time again, that pool store methods cost a LOT of money and never work.

Step 1 must be ordering one of the Recommended Test Kits so we know exactly what is in the water.

What the pool store fails to tell you is that the tablets and likely the "shock" ARE in fact adding and raising your CYA level. They do not understand the FC/CYA relationship and that is why the pool turns green.

Have you discovered Pool School yet? Start with these while waiting for your test kit:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Ask questions as they come up.
 
Jason is right. You have a chemical problem and not a filtration problem. If it's green, you need chlorine. You also need a proper test kit and a round of Pool School in the upper right corner of every page. Let's start there. Get acquainted with the ABC's. Have questions... Post back n well get you situated.

Welcome!
 
Welcome! :wave:

You've already figured out how to post a picture, so I have high hopes for you! :goodjob:

Your problem isn't filtration. There was a member here a couple years back who accidentally left his filter on recirculate (bypass the filter completely) for a couple weeks. More and more crud settled on the bottom and kept reappearing even after vacuuming. He raged at the wife for letting the kids get in when they were dirty, yelled at the kids for not using the footbath, etc. etc. It was quite a comical post. Yet he never got algae, because he kept his water properly balanced. Once he found his mistake, he vacuumed it up and all was well.

If you're ready to get off the pool store merry go round, we can help. Between the articles in pool school, the forums, and your own proper test kit, you can have the cleanest sparkliest water you've ever seen and keep it that way all season at very low cost. I keep my 16,000 gallon pool open year-round and it has never turned green or cloudy, and it only costs me about a buck a day in season. Three hundred a year, plus another forty or so for test kit refills.

Assuming the water is green, your first step is to break out the credit card and go to TFTestkits.net and order up a TF100 and get the XL option, because you'll be burning through a whole lot of the FAS-DPD test reagents while you're clearing your swamp and I'll wager large sums of money that no local pool store will carry those refills. So order them now.

Some Inspiration: Recovering my old inspirational links Just go through and look at the pictures. You'll be impressed.

No more Pool Store Wheel of Fortune.
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ronilynn said:
I've also been told the large tree next to it is causing the problem....any truth to that?
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Nope. A load of pollen or leaves or those annoying little twigs that trees like to shed do not cause algae. Algae spores cause algae, and they're everywhere, including stuck to leaves. Bleach is an oxidizer - think flameless combustion. It can be used to sanitize and kill algae spores, or it can get used to try and burn up leaves and pollen. Ever notice the leaves that have been in the pool a few days are black? Hmmmm. Almost like they were burned.

Maintaining adequate FC at all times -- really easy to do with your own test kit right there -- will keep algae away no matter how many leaves and how much pollen is in the pool. The pool may look awful with a layer of pollen on the surface, but it's not going to go green on you if you keep the FC up. By the way, if your skimmer has a lift out basket, you can buy skimmer socks or hair nets or paint strainers or my personal favorite, queen-sized knee-high stockings -- to put in the skimmer basket. They'll catch tons of stuff before it can get in the filter. Skimmer Sock/Nylon Illustrated
 
My neighbor just cut down four redwood trees on the North side of my pool that leaves only the redwoods on the east side and the large Valley Oak on the West side. You can read a book at the bottom of may deep end. Even with my neighbor's redwoods and the leaves from the Crepe Myrtles and cherry tree you can read a book in the deep end of my pool. Its crystal clear.

Read Pool School get a good test kit, either one recommended here. Give us some test results. We can start with Pool Store test results. But no more tabs or magic potions from the pool store. You need to test yourself and NO MORE TABS.
 
ronilynn said:
Ok you guys are giving me hope

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Ron.............it REALLY is as easy as we are making it out to be.............You have already done step one------Finding TFP! Lets go over the steps shall we???

1. Find TFP-DONE
2. Order test kit-working on
3. Find best place to buy bleach or chlorine (Same thing but different %)-will work on.
4.Get test kit and run full set and post results here-will do when test kit comes in.

I am willing to bet your CYA (stabilizer found in chlorine tablets/pucks) is ski high AND this is the test the pool store gets wrong the most.

SO order your test kit and do some reading of the links listed above. OH and look at Richard's threads........we have cleared pools that we KNEW the Locness monster was in!

Kim
 
Algae will not die unless you kill all of it. When the pool store sells you shock, you're probably thinking it's a one time deal n I should see results. Right? Well, you're WRONG! Shock is not just a one time dump n done deal. When we say SLAM, we mean SHOCK LEVEL (elevated level of chlorine) AND *MAINTAIN* notice the asterisks around MAINTAIN. This means holding a shock level in accordance with your CYA level and keeping it there until your pool meets the 3 criteria to finish and those are a crystal clear pool water like the pic I posted above, a combined chloromine (CC) of .5 or less and you lose less than 1ppm of chlorine (FC) a night. You will find this in pool school.
 
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