vg3tv said:
Is cleaning and backwashing every few HOURS normal for the first week after the opening?
Have you actually cleaned the fins more than once during the first week?
Would I be going thru this much trouble if I had a solid pool cover that didn't allow the pool to become so swampy over the winter?
I can't remember if you have large organic debris in the pool or not. Just in case, see below.
From my experience using the Fiber Clear, and knowing that it can be difficult to get it to backwash off of the grids or cartridges, YES, I think it could be possible that backwashing would be needed every few hours when filtering the dead algae out. One thing to consider, especially if water replacement is a big issue (which it becomes more and more due to our depleting our resources), is to run the backwash water back into the pool using a backwash Slime Bag. I have two, that i used with the submersible pumps when my filter and pump were out of the system. Be aware, though, that it takes a lot of water to clean them out for reuse, but not nearly as much water as needed for backwashing.
One thing you might want to consider is using DE only until you get the water clear and then switch back to Fiber Clear. You will probably get more time between backwashing that way.
BUT.... you have to do a very good cleaning between switching between DE and Fiber Clear, both ways, soaking the grids anytime you are going to do a switch.
When I've opened my pool, in the past, with a swamp, using DE, in my undersized filter/oversized pump, it was not unusual to have to backwash daily or more. Without turning on pump I first closed the bottom drain, if it was not closed. Then I blindly scooped out as much stuff from bottom as possible. It was mostly dead and decaying leaves from winter and fall (no cover) with a few other objects and dead "critters". Leaving bottom drain closed I then heavily chlorinated (I used granular because that was all that I used at the time and pool is plaster; not advised with vinyl) and began running the pump 24/7 till the water cleared enough to see the bottom. Then I used a trash pump to slowly vac most of the debris out of bottom going to waste down the hill. The trash pump basket needed cleaning as much as every five minutes.
If I was willing to take more time I didn't use the trash pump till the very last step, rather slowly scooped the remainder of the stuff until it became too stirred up to see. Then let the water filter more, skimmer only, until I could see well enough to do more scooping. And so on and so on.
I'm seriously considering options for covers for the winters but still keeping the pool simi "open". Many people don't close here in winter due to our usually mild winters. Algae can grow here most of the winter, especially if the winters are milder than usual. I've never had a cover so keeping the leaves out of the pool starting in Nov through January is an almost full time job. Semi open in that I would still run the pump, keep water balanced, and then run the Aquabot under the cover to keep the dirt and dust cleaned up. I ran the Aquabot under ice this winter.
Soooooooo..... I was thinking about having a hatch made into the cover, with industrial Velcro closure, at the area of the skimmer and just big enough for the Aquabot to be put in and pulled out. Also, use that "hatch" to test water and make small bleach additions. Actually an additional small "hatch" near a return would be better for adding chlorine.
There were two months when I had the pump and filter out of system so I used two submersible pumps to keep the water circulating. That may be an option for you guys up where you can count on ice covering pool part or all of the season.
But, I think the most important rule is, if using a mesh cover, to close as late as possible and open very early to keep the algae from getting a good hold. If opening early and one still has fear of freezing the submersible pumps could do some circulating while you are getting the water balanced prior to the full opening.
gg=alice
