10psi filter service too long?

[stevenmverrill]

Wondering how often you all back wash or clean?
D.e. costs me about 5$ a recharge. I have a 1.5 hp pump, i run 5-6 hours a day, and 48sf filter, for 30k gal.

I am verry energy contentious, and try to maintain a low electric bill. What i think i know about ac motors is they run the same speed and just use more juce with more load.

Since my systom effect starts at 13psi, waiting till 23 psi (almost duble) seams like a long time, and a ton of waisted electric?

Cleaning my filter is nothing to it now since i have done it 3 times. I dont backwash or vacuum to waist because my pool friend told me thats what kills the nets, and being on well water, wasting water is not cool either.

So thoughts on what is too soon to clean/recharge the filter? My pool has ben through 3 partys, dogs, and is up to 15 psi and i want to clean the filter.

 

[pabeader]

Here at TFPC we recommend backwashing/cleaning once you reach 20-25% of your clean pressure. So for you that would be around 17 or so.

 

[stevenmverrill]

Ok thanks,

 

[pabeader]

I don't have a DE filter but from all that I have read, backwashing is considered the normal way to clean your filter. You only need to 'tear down, clean' it once a year. Maybe even less than that.

 

[stevenmverrill]

My understanding, is the way the pump pushes the water the de nets get pushed together. When you back wash you blow the nets up like a balloon, and the stitching will eventually give up. It makes sense looking at the assembly.

I can spray off the nets in 2-3min. @3gal/1min. So also waist much less water then backwashing. My understanding is the same as yours but, in my case its better to take it out and hose it off.

 

[borjis]

Unless you need constant skimming to clear the surface for debris, you could probably cut your pump run time to 3 hours a day.

I was doing 3 per day then cut it down to 2 and the pool is still clear/clean/sparkling, but I have a bubble cover on most days until the evening.

I do run it for up to 6 hours on weekends though for heating if necessary, but to mainly keep the surface free of debris for swimming times.

 

[stevenmverrill]

Interesting... I have been using 5-6 as the sugested minimum. ("Replace water at least once")

Although it was a fight opening the pool i have had no water quality issues since. Ill experiment with less pump time.

So how long is every one running pumps for?

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On windy days i could use the skim, however i do skim with the net each day when i get home. Some stuff dose sink on me but it takes less then 20min to vac, once a week.

 

[borjis]

It's been proven that a daily turnover of the entire pool is unnecessary.

For most pools you really don't need more than 3 hours per day unless you have heavy debris each day or if you have a salt chlorine generator
or stenner pump, then you have to run it as long as it takes to maintain chlorine levels.

The folks that run their pump 12 or 24 hours a day are wasting money.

 

[stevenmverrill]

Turn on at 3 pm ill kill it at 6. Thanks if my pool dose not turn green. Ill set the chloranter to the top setting for a start and see were i stand before the weekend. It keeps 2-3 ppm set at 5/8 right now.

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Note: i am still reading up on tfp method, and got 20lbs of pucks, and 5 bags of shock to use up.

 

[borjis]

whoa! didn't see you had a chlorinator in your signature, you might start with 1 hour less than you usually do
then see how the chlorine levels are then reduce by an hour until you find what works.

I dose my pool every few days with Bleach so a lengthy run time isn't needed.

Don't want your pool to turn green especially now that summer is here.

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2-3 ppm seems kinda low, what is your CYA level?

 

[stevenmverrill]

I do not know cya. (darn it!) i have failed twice now on test kits. First i got a 5 way kit that really just a 3 way. Its says 5 way because it has an acid bottle, a base bottle and a stupid chart to tell you what you need to add but this dose nothing for me because the units of measure are not labled and mean nothing to me.

Today i just got a 5 way test strip kit and cya sliped my mind of things i need to know.

What i do know is i oppened the pool with off the shelf bleach and have been mataining with pucks and pool shock. Both clame to have cya.

What i have been doing:
Runing pump 5 hours and ajusting the nob to keep fc at 2-3. Monday after dogs, and guests fc drops around 1. I add 1/2 bag of shock and fc jumps to 5ish. By tuseday im back to holding 3-2....

Pool is at:
Th 250
Tc 1-2
Fc 2-3
Ph 7.5 (i am on my 3rd box of borax to get/keep it)
Ta 140 (i got poor happy)

Ill start with 4 hours.

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Will have test for cya in 2 days

 

[borjis]

As you've probably already read, test strips are more like guess strips so you likely won't have any accurate results.

I would strongly recommend at least the Taylor K2006c to get some proper accurate testing.

Unless your on a fresh fill that chlorine level isn't going to keep algae from forming much longer...

 

[stevenmverrill]

I feal about having a real kit for fc ph and ta. But ill look into it. So you got me confused. Every thing i have read says to keep fc around 1.5. My pool service budy said to keep it more like 3 because of hevy use. I came up with 2-3 listing in both ears.

I read somewhere that public pools in fl keep it at 10. I am concerned with comfort, and smell for guests if i keep it too high?

Currently most guests say they are fine with eyes oppen under water. Id like to keep it that way but also want to keep perfict water. What is too much fc?

 

[stevenmverrill]

Ok i see. Did not realise cya had such a dramatic afect on chlorine level. (onced over a chart)

Now with that known i am turned off by cya. Assuming with in the parameters would a 8ppm fc pool have a worse feel then a 3ppm fc pool? If so id be inclined to keep cya low, and let the sun eat it. Whats the difference? You use 60lbs insted of 40?

Ps i need to test cay like yesterday!

 

[duraleigh]

One of the many revelations found on this sight is the all-important influence of CYA

 

[borjis]

You don't want to guess at how much chlorine to have....get a proper test kit, test your cya level then you will know EXACTLY how
much chlorine you need to maintain to prevent algae & possibly sickening your swimmer guests from bacteria.

It truly is a revelation as Dave said.

You have to have CYA unless your pool indoor, but you would still need some to buffer the harshness of it for clothing/hair etc..
Besides that if you have no cya in your water when the sun hits it, it will burn off from uv exposure fast....then algae grows.

The chlorine "smell" isn't determined by the level that is entirely different (excessive combined chlorine) You should read the ABC's of
water chemistry in the "Pool School" section (at the top of the forum page).

To answer another part of your question, I have sun for most of the day and have my cya at 50.

I maintain a chlorine of 5-8, sometimes a little more when I have a lot of guest swimmers.

Anything below 4 (with CYA 50) could cause algae to grow and the water unsanitary for swimming.

 

[stevenmverrill]

Thanks, i have skimed abc's twice now and will once again after typing. So i am confused with "total chlorine" and what i believe to be the same thing as you guys call "combind chlorine". Is that right? Or 2 different things.

I gathered cc or total chlorine is the undesirable byproduct of chlorine doing its thing. So that makes sence on the importance of vacuuming and skimming. If left to the chlorine to deal with it your cc will go up and make the water unpleasant. I also take it that its not like other things like ie fc, ph,... With complete adjustability. It is what it is, and taking good cair of the pool is the best way to keep it under control?

Thanks alot for the help thus far every one! I know some simple questions have been asked, but the human in me says type now read later.