Pressure not going up

[farnkh]

First of all, this site is amazing and has been a great resource. First time pool owner and I have been learning A LOT!

So, I have had my pool open for 3 weeks. The pressure for the filter hasn't gone up at all. Which makes me think something is wrong. The pool is clear except for constant pollen on the top of the pool. During my first swim this weekend, I put my hand down by the main drain to feel the suction and I don't feel anything at all. I have a feeling it may not be working, why the pressure on the filter hasn't been going up at all. Around 9psi.

Any thought or thing to try?

Pool:
Chlorine
Plaster
DE Filter

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Does the gauge return to zero when the pump is off? If there is not a lot of dirt being caught by the filter, then the pressure should not go up noticeably. In fact if the filter is properly sized and you keep the chemistry correct to avoid algae, the pressure may not rise all year.

Also floor drains are designed to disperse the suction so you can not feel it. If you are getting strong flow out of your return jets, then clearly water is moving.

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum.

You may be in better shape than you think. 9 psi is a decent "clean" pressure so that seems normal.

1. psi Gauge goes to zero when you shut off the pump, right?

2. Water is returning to the pool in a nice flow from the eyeballs, right?

3. My guess is you opened to a pretty clean pool or got it clean pretty quickly, right?

4. Can you post current test results so we can gauge the condition of your water?

EDIT - I'm essentially saying the same thing as jblizzle......I just don't want him thinking he is smarter than me so I posted anyway!

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

My filter pressure doesn't rise for a couple months after a backwash. If you feel flow, it's probably working just fine.

How is your main drain plumbed? Some are tied to the skimmer. If there are two open ports in the bottom of the skimmer, you should have a diverter installed to send some suction down to the drain. Even if everything is perfect that way, you won't feel much suction at all down below. They're designed that way so no small child gets sucked to the bottom and trapped there to drown.