Desperate for help - wife wants me to bring water to store

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curt222

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 4, 2008
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My pool was a green swamp when I opened it this year. The cover came off this winter and there was a lot of pine needles and pine cones at the bottom of the pool. I hooked everything up, brought up the CYA to 30 and lowered the PH to 7.2 and then started the shock process. I've also vacuumed and scrubbed the pool floor and walls endlessly. Pine cones are out of the pool. There are still some pine needles in it, but most are out. The pool has gone from a deep green to greyish blue, but we still can't see more than about 2 feet down from the top of the pool. The pool floor is not visible. We've been shocking for 3 weeks and the filter has been running 24/7 for 3 weeks.

At first I thought I had a very tough to beat algae. But now FC levels are holding without a problem and there isn't any improvement in the clarity of the pool water. I've been able to maintain the pool at shock levels for nearly a week without much work (just adding a normal amount of chlorine at night).

I am starting to think I have a filter problem, but I have no idea where to start. The pool is an AGP, less than 3 years old (this is the third season). Filter is a Starbright SF40 sand filter powered by a 2.0hp pump. There is plenty of pressure coming out of the return. I think my pressure gauge is broke as it says zero, but there is a lot of pressure. Should I change the sand? I can't see any leaks in the filter.

Current #s are:

CYA - 30
PH - 7.2
FC - 15
CC - .5

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.
 
To add to what simicrintz said, if you haven't backwashed the filter, you should do so now. Also, double check that the multi-port valve is set to filter and not to circulate.

A sand filter can take a week or more to clear up the water after the algae is all dead. If everything is working correctly, you should see a visible improvement each day. If you aren't seeing any improvement, then there is something wrong with the filter.
 
Go ahead and get another pressure gauge and install it on the filter. You need to be able to see the pressure rise to know when to backwash. 2hp is a lot of pump for an above ground pool. How much sand does your filter hold? Have you checked the sand for channeling?
 
Thanks for the comments. I will get a new pressure gauge tomorrow. On the questions, I have backwashed a couple of times. Big thing, as Jason mentioned, is I am really not seeing much improvement. At first the water was completely cloudy. Now I can see about 2 feet down, but it has been in this same state for almost a week and the filter has been running on high 24/7.

The sand filter uses 150lbs of sand. What is channeling in the filter?
 
Channeling means the sand has clumped to the point where there are (in effect) highways through it for the water, and the sand is doing no real work. You would need to open up the filter and get your hands right into it, swooshing around and breaking up any clumps you find.
--paulr
 
Thought I'd post an update. The water is now crystal clear. It took about 5 weeks of work, but things finally started turning around after I followed the post on sand channeling in the filter. It was quite the process as the water stayed cloudy for about 4 weeks. But sticking with it (maintaining chlorine levels, vacuuming and brushing) paid off. Thanks again for the help, the whole family is really enjoying the pool.
 
curt222 said:
Thought I'd post an update. The water is now crystal clear. It took about 5 weeks of work, but things finally started turning around after I followed the post on sand channeling in the filter. It was quite the process as the water stayed cloudy for about 4 weeks. But sticking with it (maintaining chlorine levels, vacuuming and brushing) paid off. Thanks again for the help, the whole family is really enjoying the pool.
Click to expand...
And think of the money you saved by not being lured into buying buckets o'crud at the pool store! They would have sold you $200 worth every time you went in.

With that kind of money saved, you ought to spring for a lifetime membership.
 

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