Pressure gauge doesn't change..

[JimmyJazzer]

I'm having problems getting my pool to clear up from the green blue tinge and have been following instructions in 'Pool School'. Its been two weeks now with my pump on 24/7. The pressure gauge does not change. It stays constantly at 25 PSI even after backwashing. I have a bunch of dirt in the pool that I tried to vaccuum but it comes back into the pool as a brown water.
-any ideas on the pressure gauge staying the same? I replaced the sand July 2008.

 

[Brad S]

The guage is most likely bad. The pressure after back washing should be closer to 10-15 psi. The green tinge could be copper. As they say here, get a full set of water test results before anyone can help solve the green tinge issue. The 1st thing i would do is address the pressure gauge problem.

The brown water coming back into the pool could indicate something as simple as not doing a rinse cycle after the backwash, or it could indicate the filter is not operating properly. Like i said, 25 PSI is really high for a clean filter.

 

[dmanb2b]

maybe bad...maybe not...does the gauage go to zero when the pump is off? My "normal reading" is 18 psi and I backwash at 24 psi....it take half the summer for the filter pressure to go up that much on mine....just a thought

 

[Brad S]

Everybodies "normal" filter pressure can be different. My reasoning is that if it hasnt moved after vacuuming dirt, it might be bad. Mine can go to ~24 after vacuuming a lot of dirt out. The flow is so low at 20 psi on mine, the SWG quits and the heater gives a FLO error.

Not sure the guage returning to zero indicates the gauge is good. i've seen gauges that were bad on other types of equpiment that went to zero after the pressure was released.

 

[dmanb2b]

that was my point...hence why I indicated what my "normal" pressure was...I understand everyone's pressure is different. He could be vacumming dirt, but it can take a sand filter 2+ weeks to filter out algae and barely notice 2-3 psi change...especially if you have a slightly oversized filter like me...that does not mean his is broken

 

[Brad S]

I just suggested he check, thats all. They are relatively cheap, easy to replace, an easy thing to check before more complicated and involved measures are taken.

 

[dmanb2b]

true...the only way we'll know is if you change out the gauge...good point

 

[JimmyJazzer]

Thanks for the quick responses. I should have mentioned that the gauge is brand new (less than a week) and does go to zero when its shut off...

 

[dmanb2b]

just a thought...is your multiport calve set to recirculate or filter. recirc would certainly explain the constant PSI and dirty water returning to the pool. Definately not trying to make it sound like you don't understand it, but that's all I can think of...make sure the valve is set to filter.

When you backwash...does the water coming out appear dirty? and after the backwash, do you rinse for at least two minutes, before setting the handle back to filter?

The other thing may be that you are backwashing too frequently...as long as your psi is not rising more than 6psi, let the filter go dirty, it actually become more efficient at filtering

 

[duraleigh]

Jimmy,

My bet is you have little if any chlorine in your pool. Your problems will be resolved if you can post a set of test results and let us comment on your water quality.

Your filter may have little to do with the water quality.

 

[JimmyJazzer]

Okay got my computer back up and running. Hopefully my pool will cooperate soon too
The pump has been on filter 24/7 for the last 2 weeks at least. The pool has only one jet operating...in the shallow end. The other was closed... so that might explain the high number on the pump gauge?? Here's the chemistry from today:

FC 4.8
TC 4.8
CC 0
pH 7.4
Hardness 160
Alkalinity 170
CA 20

The pool is greenish blue color. Lots of dirt on the bottom from what I can see. Tried to vaccuum but the jet pumped brownish water back into the pool. Then vaccuum to waste but don't see much of a difference. The gauge is still at 25 psi and hadn't backwashed until tonight. After backwashing I checked the gauge and its still at 25 psi. Its getting embarrasing that i can't get it cleared up...Any help would be appreciated.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Have you opened it up to check the sand? See if it's channelled?

Can you post a pic of the pool water?

Is your FC holding overnight?

 

[frankthailand]

How big is your filter

 

[JimmyJazzer]

Checked the sand in the filter and don't have any channeling happening. How do I take the proper measurement to get the size for the filter?

Okay I was able to do the overnight FC check. Here's the results

Last Night This morning
FC.......3.2..............3.2
TC .......3.2.............3.2
CC ........0...............0
pH ........7.6.............7.5
Hardness...250..........230
Alkalinity...170...........150
CA............15.............15

I've noticed that my CA level has dropped quite a bit from a week or two ago. The guy at the pool store said its probably gone down because of the backwashing and vaccumming to waste and not to bother putting any more stabalizer in until my pool isn't green anymore. Any thoughts on that? Its seems to make sense to me, but what do I know


Here's some pics of my pool taken today.

 

[Butterfly]

Looks like algae to me. What kind of test kit are you using?

I suggest Pool School. Especially How to Shock Your Pool. Pool School link is top right of each page.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[JimmyJazzer]

I'm not using a test kit. i take it too the pool store to get my water tested. I can't get the TF100 test kit delivered to Canada. Been following the 'How To Turn Your Green Swamp.." pool school instructions. The overnight FC levels are the same. Doesn't that mean all the algae is dead?

The water was a lot clearer then the pictures show I had just brushed the whole pool a few hours earlier and all the dirt(algae?) made it look green again. This week I've put 15 galloons of liquid chlorine (12%). I guess it just takes time.

I filled my pool almost to the top today and vacuumed to waste, backwashed, rinsed, now back on filter and the guage is now at 30 PSI. I thought it should've gone down after backwashing?

The gauge is new so I'm not sure what's happening.

 

[Buggsw]

Okay, this is a long shot. Your brown water coming back in is bothering me. I take it you have a multiport valve? Personally, I had a problem last year that the spider gasket went wonkey and even though I put the valve on filter, the gasket stuck on backwash, I didn't realize it until about an hour later and I had lost over a foot of water. Is it possible that you may have had a similar problem only your valve may have been sticking on recirculate all this time and not really moving to filter and it finally moved to filter?

 

[shooterclay]

just to add my .02..

the last time i had ALOT of algae and dirt on the bottom of the pool, mine also started putting brown/green stuff back in the pool after filtering for a short time. i tried pumping to waste but the pressure starting running too high so back to filtering and more dirt in the pool. anyway, i cut the line between the pump and the filter and used a quick connector there to run the water to waste right after the pump instead of it going to the filter first. worked like a charm..