How to clean Hayward Tristar pump strainer basket?

[StacyTX]

We have been IG pool owners for a week now... Luckily the water still looks good. However, the side suction crawling vacuum has really lost effectiveness and the bottom is accumulating debris. It was suggested that the pump's filter may be clogged.
I have been reading and watching some videos but I can not find anything specific enough to my situation to give me the confidence to just go for it.
i know that our equipment setup is downhill from the pool, so we need to close the correct valve(s?) before we release the pressure to open the pump.
Hopefully, I've taken the right pictures to help you tell me what steps to take.


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Working of rotating the images now...

 

[Richard320]

From what I can see, you want to try this

 

[StacyTX]

Beautiful! We are heading out now to try it!

Thank you so much. Will report back.

 

[StacyTX]

We got the thing open, cleaned out and reassembled again.
When we turned it on, we noticed that it took a little longer for the spa to reach its spillover depth.
The cawling vacuum started working immediately with vigor, but it lasted about a minute.
This is the pressure gauge reading on the sand filter... I wonder if it is entirely too low.

 

[Richard320]

Confirm that you set all the valves back in position and look inside the pump basket. Do you see bubbles/churning? A couple stuck at the top of the lid are normal. Frothy water means an air leak. Most commonly caused by the O-ring seal between the lid and the body, especially since you just disturbed it.

 

[StacyTX]

Got it. Checking now. Thanks again.

 

[StacyTX]

I see maybe a dozen tiny bubbles churning in there, and no debris.
I noticed that two of the valves were not in the full open position before we shut them to clean it. When we opened them again, we returned them to their original partially open states. Is it common to mitigate flow in this fashion?

Should we try opening them fully or could we do damage?

 

[Richard320]

I see maybe a dozen tiny bubbles churning in there, and no debris.
I noticed that two of the valves were not in the full open position before we shut them to clean it. When we opened them again, we returned them to their original partially open states. Is it common to mitigate flow in this fashion?

Should we try opening them fully or could we do damage?

If they go to the main drain, yes, it's common to restrict them. That way you get better skimming action at the surface.

Looks like it's time to recheck what you just messed with. Mechanic's Rule of Thumb: the last thing you touched is the first thing to break. It could be as simple as some grass or sand caught under the O-ring under the lid. Clean it up good and grease the O-ring. Don't use vaseline. Silicon lube is best, but the odds of having any of that laying around the hose is pretty slim.

 

[StacyTX]

Just found a little bottle of pump lube in the garage along with some MA.
Repeating the process right now.

 

[StacyTX]

Thank you so much. It wasn't the pump seal (looks shiny and new). But hubby got in the pool and found a wire mesh basket in the mouth of the hose that I missed. We were able to remove and clean that part, and now it's really going fast.

This is better than the first day we had it. It's not even getting stuck in its favorite corner anymore. And the dogs are endlessly fascinated because the tail breaks the water line and sprays water out at random intervals.

Now, to test the water with the mini kit that came with the house.

 

[pooldv]

It sounds like you might have some algae getting started in the pool with the extra debris clogging stuff up. Be sure to maintain your chlorine level above minimum for your CYA level at all times, Chlorine CYA Chart

What is your CYA level?
How do you chlorinate?

Getting a good test kit is the key to success when maintaining your pool. I use the TF-100 from TFTestkits.net. It is the most complete test kit you can buy.

Start here in Pool School,
Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry .
and then here,
Pool School - Getting Started

 

[StacyTX]

I've tested it every day now for 7 days. It looks exactly the same every time. Ph is maybe 7.3 and Cl Br is in the top bracket that's labeled "5 10".
I would post the picture but I've hit a limit. Looking into that now as I will want to post more pictures moving forward.

 

[StacyTX]

TF-100 was ordered yesterday, so we are flying blind for a few more days.
I don't know what they chlorinated with, but it has an inline chlorination and two floating deals with big chlorine (I assume) tablets in them.
We used a bottle of shock 4 days ago after heavy rain overflowed the pool. We had used it quite a bit the day before, and all three dogs jumped or fell in. (Not making a habit of letting dogs in the pool). I now know shock is a cludgy solution, but it was very cloudy and I felt like I needed to do something quick.

And yes. There is a little algae beginning to form. It was only obvious once the cleaner began to work and leave a clean trail.

I used a pool broom to brush the floor and walls clean about an hour ago. And I'm not above shocking it again to be sure the algae is dead if need be. It appears to be clearing nicely. The shallow end is starting to sparkle up.

 

[VWFeature]

What's your CYA? CYA binds CL, so levels over ~60 make it hard to maintain.
TFP recommends using only liquid chlorine (=bleach) to avoid this problem.
The desirable level of Cl depends on CYA level.

Use PoolMath to calc your volume. Check if your controller has two or multiple speeds. Power use goes up by cube of speed, so cutting to half(=1/2 flow) means 1/8th power use.

Chlorine CYA Chart

 

[pooldv]

To most more pics there are a couple of options

Become a TFP supporter and get more space for pics and other perks
CLICK HERE to Become a TroubleFreePool.com Supporter!!

Create a Photobucket account (free), upload pic, copy IMG code to right of pic and paste it in your post. That will embed the pic in the thread.

I've tested it every day now for 7 days. It looks exactly the same every time. Ph is maybe 7.3 and Cl Br is in the top bracket that's labeled "5 10".
I would post the picture but I've hit a limit. Looking into that now as I will want to post more pictures moving forward.

As VW pointed out the chlorine level is set based on the CYA level, keep it above minimum at all times to keep the pool sanitary and algae free. Chlorine CYA Chart

 

[StacyTX]

To most more pics there are a couple of options

Become a TFP supporter and get more space for pics and other perks
CLICK HERE to Become a TroubleFreePool.com Supporter!!

Create a Photobucket account (free), upload pic, copy IMG code to right of pic and paste it in your post. That will embed the pic in the thread.

Thank you.
I just got taps talk installed.

Here the primitive water test.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VWFeature]

I just read your last post.
" inline chlorination and two floating deals with big chlorine (I assume) tablets in them" means they've been doing routine chlorination with trichlor, which adds CYA as well as Cl. A little CYA (stabilizer) is good, too much (>60) is bad. Even if you only have cheap strips, please post your test results?

You probably have sky-high CYA levels, which means you'd need sky high Cl levels (40?) to shock. (Mine was 300!!) Pool stores tend to sell trichlor, because it makes them more $$ when the CYA gets too high and you get algae. They also sell trichlor as shock, which just aggravates the problem.

CYA binds CL, so levels over ~60-80 make it hard to maintain.
TFP recommends using only liquid chlorine (cheaper, too!) to avoid this problem.

Read about the TFP SLAM process- it's way better than just papering over the problem using trichlor shock.

 

[VWFeature]

So your TC is 10-15 and pH is 7.2. It might be worth $15 to get a can of strips that read approximate CYA, plus CC or TC and FC just until your big test kit arrives.

Unless water is very $$$, if your CYA is 300, easiest to do a partial drain/refill to get it down to 40-70. If you don't know your CYA, you don't know your FC level, so you don't know where you stand.

A TC of 10-15 could be shock/SLAM levels, or too low to kill bacteria and algae. NO way to tell wo CYA level.

OR you could just pour in a gallon of 10% NaHClO3 to maybe abort the algae.
In any case, I would start using liquid 10% NaHClO3 instead of pucks.

 

[StacyTX]

So your TC is 10-15 and pH is 7.2. It might be worth $15 to get a can of strips that read approximate CYA, plus CC or TC and FC just until your big test kit arrives.

Unless water is very $$$, if your CYA is 300, easiest to do a partial drain/refill to get it down to 40-70. If you don't know your CYA, you don't know your FC level, so you don't know where you stand.

A TC of 10-15 could be shock/SLAM levels, or too low to kill bacteria and algae. NO way to tell wo CYA level.

OR you could just pour in a gallon of 10% NaHClO3 to maybe abort the algae.
In any case, I would start using liquid 10% NaHClO3 instead of pucks.

Just sent hubby to the pool store for some test strips. Will post pics of results ASAP.

i am not clear about the "10% NaHClO3". Is it laundry bleach? Is it special pool bleach? I am reading there are different strengths and all kinds NOT to use. Yet, I know I keep reading people here talking about using regular bleach. I also see reference to "Sodium Hypochlorite" as being an unstabilized chlorine same as bleach, but concentrated. Just had hubby ask for that at the pool store and they don't carry it.