Ted Y

[Ted Y]

Hi everyone, my name is Ted and I just fired my "pool guy" this week. I watched him do nothing but add chlorine pucks once per week and empty the baskets. Heck, I could do that for free.

About my pool, I live in the Phoenix, Arizona area. My pool is relatively small, about 12,000 gallons, has a pebble tech lining, I use a Barracuda automatic cleaner, I have a DE filter and a SWG. I have lived in the house for about 1.5 years. The home was built in 2005 and the pool in 2006. The home was unoccupied for about a year while it went through foreclosure. I bought it after a flipper came in and cleaned it up. The pool was operational except no one was using the SWG. The flippers had a floater with chlorine pucks in it.

I was told by the "pool guy" that the SWG was not generating enough chlorine so he shut it off last Summer. It has been off ever since.

Problem #1: The "pool guy" seemed baffled by the reoccurence of black algae last summer and winter. This Spring, we went out to dip our feet and saw green algae all over. I called the "pool guy" over and he said the FC was zero. He added muriatic acid and a bag of "shock" at the same time. I HAD TO BRUSH THE POOL, he did nothing else. That was the last time he came to my house.

Problem #2: I probably got bad advice (Leslie's Pool store) and already drained the pool last weekend and refilled it. I added the bottle of "conditioner" and a bag of "shock". I suspect the excessive use of pucks and shock caused a high level of CYA, but alas, the water is now gone.

Question #1: Are there any local places to buy a TF100 kit or do I have to order online.

#2: I am reading the Pool School to learn what to do. Advice is welcome. I am interested in starting fresh with BBB.

#3: How can I find out if my SWG will work? I am at work right now but I was going to find an online manual for the SWG. I can take and post pictures of my equipment if it helps.

Thanks!
Ted

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, Ted Y

I suspect the excessive use of pucks and shock caused a high level of CYA, but alas, the water is now gone.

I would think your suspicion is very likely.

Question #1: Are there any local places to buy a TF100 kit or do I have to order online.

Online only. Good news is Dave is a very fast shipper.

#2: I am reading the Pool School to learn what to do. Advice is welcome. I am interested in starting fresh with BBB.

Then pool school is where you need to be. If/when you have test numbers you can post them and we can work from there.

#3: How can I find out if my SWG will work? I am at work right now but I was going to find an online manual for the SWG. I can take and post pictures of my equipment if it helps.

When you get home post your model number. Often times you can bring the cell into a pool store to get tested.

 

[Ted Y]

I ordered my test kit. All I have is test strips until it arrives. Anything I can do until it gets here in 4-5 days? Test for FC? Should I get some liquid chlorine? All I have are pucks and bags of shock.

Does the hot weather (100+) and water temps (90+) combined with 12 hours of direct sunlight mean I'm in for a lot of work?

Thanks, I'll work on getting the equipment info. I would love to have the SWG system operational. Sounds like the best method.

 

[Isaac-1]

I think your safest bet for now is just to try to keep some chlorine in the pool until your test kit gets in, safest option is to use bleach or liquid Chlorine. Once we have some numbers we can fine tune you from there, the Chlorine should keep the situaiton in check for now.

 

[linen]

I ordered my test kit.

How does your water look?

Are you familiar with poolcalculator.com yet?

I agree with Isaac-1, calculate how much chlorine you need to add to keep your pool at ~3ppm FC and dose to that each evening until your test kit comes. Most likely you will loose a lot of that during the day when sun is on your pool, but it may help prevent algae if your pool is still clear now.

How much shock have you added and what is on the ingredients? If it is cal-hypo you are adding calcium along with the chlorine. If it is dichlor, you are adding cya along with the chlorine.

How much of the cya (conditioner) have you added and was it liquid or granular?

You could use the poolcalculator to calculate how much more cya to add to get 30 ppm. I would buy the granular cya, then put it in a sock and hang it in front of the return to get that started.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP Ted.

Go ahead and test your pH and adjust that if needed.

Then add 2 ppm of FC per day until your kit gets there. (about 1½ quarts of bleach)

What was the bag of shock you added? It was probably Dichlor. If it was then you added about 5 ppm CYA per lb added.

What was the conditioner and how much did you add?

 

[Ted Y]

First off, thanks for the welcome and responses. This is exactly the unbiased, friendly group of experts I was looking for. I can't walk into a pool store without being "sold" things I don't need.

I will get some liquid chlorine tomorrow. What brand, strength, and store should I look?

My TF100 test kit was ordered last night and should arrive by Monday at the latest. All I have to go by are test strips until then so I have limited info.

The pool was filled Sunday evening. I added one gallon of 35% Monosodium cyanurate monohydrate (per pool store before I found this site) that evening and ran the pump all night. I have a floater with pucks in the pool, but they don't seem to dissolve enough to maintain the FC.

This morning, my FC was almost zero. The pH was 7.2, T was 100, and Stabilizer was 30-50.

I brushed the pool and added a 1 lb packet of 73% Calcium Hypochlorate powder and ran the pump all day with the Barracuda cleaner.

Just now, the test strip says pH 7.8, FC 3, TA 120, Stabilizer 30-50. Water is very clear.

I have a SWG that is a T-Cell 15 that could very well be 5 years old. I looked at a replacement and they said I need the updated software on my controller. How do I check that. I can post pics if it helps. Thanks in advance.

Ted

 

[Bama Rambler]

Have you tried to see if the swcg will work?

I'd only add bleach until you get the test kit.

 

[Ted Y]

I have not turned it on yet. I was told it didn't maintain FC levels, but he never ran the pump more than 4 hours per day in the Phoenix summer.

 

[macgulley]

I will get some liquid chlorine tomorrow. What brand, strength, and store should I look?

The best deal I've found is Clorox from Sam's, 3 bottles of 182oz. for about $8.50. Second best was generic bleach from Walmart for $3 a bottle (also 182 oz.) Be sure to get the plain jane, unscented.

 

[Buford]

Welcome to TFP!

Based on what you are saying,the Aquarite was producing, just not enough. The cells are usually good for about five years, yours (T15) is for a 40K gallon pool, which means it should last longer in a 12K pool. As you run into problems (if you do) there are many threads on repairing Aquarites. Google (bottom left of this page) aquarite. I would maintain the pool using chlorine/bleach, as recommended by the previous posters and pool school and deal with the swg as time permits.

Since you just refilled, you probably do not have salt levels to get it to generate. This link will get you started pool-school/salt_water_chlorine_generators and the Hayward manual http://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals/Manual345.pdf

The first thing I would do is remove and inspect the cell for calcium or junk and clean it up. You can also take it to a pool store (ugg) and have it tested, hopefully they will do a better job than they do with water tests (I am bias and don't trust their competence). The manual will explain how to inspect, clean and add salt. There are also a few youtube vids on the subjects.

Please let us know how it goes and good luck. And if you run into something as messed up as a football bat, remember we love pictures.

 

[Bama Rambler]

And if you run into something as messed up as a football bat, remember we love pictures.

Now that's funny right there! :lol: :lol:

And we do love pictures!

 

[Ted Y]

I'm still waiting for test kit. Added liquid chlorine as suggested. Water looks clear.

1. Do I need to shock the pool before swimming or start with the oclt?

2. I need to find instructions how to backwash and refill my Hayward DE filter. I don't have a manual.

 

[Ted Y]

 

[Bama Rambler]

I personally would swim in that water. While it would be nice to have a real test kit so you'd know for sure, I'd get the FC up to the upper end of recommended and go swimming.


Can you read the model number on that filter? Or back off and take a little wider pic of it.

 

[Ted Y]

These are from this morning. Here are pictures of my system with the sticker and model number:

It's the DE6020CP filter.

I've seen the pump operating presure as low as 12 psi after previous pool guy took it apart, cleaned and replaced some of the broken filter elements. So, it has climbed a little to 15 psi. It says to wait until the pressure is 10 psi over. Not there yet. Flow seems OK, the barracuda swims around nicely.

I assume unlocking the "plunger handle" and pulling it up will divert the flow to the backwash opening. I have a backwash hose. It says to run the backwash until clear. I just don't know where to by new DE. You don't reuse the old DE, right? How much do I need?

I'm keeping the FC up around 3. Stabilizer is probably low, but I don't have numbers yet. Water looks nice to me.

Ted

 

[Buford]

This looks like the manual you are looking for http://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals/Manual362.pdf
If not, it is probably in here http://www.hayward-pool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... iltersD_E_

I agree with Dave, the pool looks great, you seem to be on track.

 

[Ted Y]

That's the manual I was looking for. Learning more everyday. I'm starting to get it. Thanks everyone!

After a few weeks after my test kit, I'll be looking to get the SWG operational.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Our local Walmart carries filter DE.

The pool guy did add DE to the filter when he put it back together didn't he? If so when you backwash you'll need to add about 3/4ths the full charge amout (7.5 lbs) back to the filter because it never all backwashes out.

You should also not wait till the pressure rises 10 psi but baskwash at about 25% above the clean pressure.

 

[Ted Y]

Yes, I watched him add DE, but didn't really understand what or how much.

Thanks everyone.