hi all. i have a 10,000 gallon above ground vinyl lined pool with a sand filter. recently (in the last few months) i began noticing sediment on the bottom of the pool. My water parameters are all fine and my water is stable. It doesnt seem to be algae as the only time it appears in the pool is if i run the filter. If i vaccum all the sediment out and leave my filter off the sediment doesnt come back (i have left it off for up to 2 full days to test this). If i run my filter the sediment re-appears within an hour. This made me thing i have a broken lateral and that it is sand being forced into the pool from the filter, however if you step on the sediment when you are in the pool it immediately disperses completely (to the point that you cannot see it at all) and it doesnt feel gritty at all (which i would think sand would). Any ideas on what this could be? is it sand? do i have some sort of algae that is living in my filter only (is that even possible)? I have attached pictures (not the best quality but the best i could get with my phone). any advice is greatly appreciated. thank you in advance.
need advice on sediment at bottom of pool
- Thread starter bjesser22
- Start date
Hi there and welcome.... 
That looks like algae to me... :-( The first thing you need to do to take control of your pool is to get a proper test kit.... It will be more accurate than any pool store analysis, and it will tell you what your pool needs and more importantly, what it doesn't need....
Start reading pool school, order the TF100 test kit, and everyone on this forum will help you solve what ever problems you come across... The article on SLAMMING you pool is the first article you should read.... But you can't effectively SLAM without a test kit... It also helps to post your test results to pinpoint where the problem is...
That looks like algae to me... :-( The first thing you need to do to take control of your pool is to get a proper test kit.... It will be more accurate than any pool store analysis, and it will tell you what your pool needs and more importantly, what it doesn't need.... Start reading pool school, order the TF100 test kit, and everyone on this forum will help you solve what ever problems you come across...
The article on SLAMMING you pool is the first article you should read.... But you can't effectively SLAM without a test kit... It also helps to post your test results to pinpoint where the problem is... I do have a full test kit. I'll retest tomorrow and posr my results but they have always been fine. No chemical issues. Is it possible to have algae that only shows up when I run my filter? If my filter is off the sediment stays gone but if I start my filter it comes back almost immediately.
Maybe it's time for a deep cleaning? The sand could be clumped and channeled. http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/73192-Deep-Cleaning-a-Sand-Filter
ranger_ric
LifeTime Supporter
This looks like algae to me... granted I am a noob here but I notice these silty looking nodules above the algae stains I am trying to remove. They have been there every morning I come out to brush my pool. I notice them much more as I am slammin my pool. I have told myself that this is dead algae(I dont know that for a fact though).
Have you tried feeling it? Is it slimy or is it gritty? That may help others give you better feedback based on your response.
our landlord actually did "deep clean" of the filter before we closed it for the winter so i dont think its that. my water parameters are listed below. as far as touching the substance, it doesnt feel slimy like algae or gritty like sand. honestly when i touch it and it disperses i really dont feel any texture at all. i have seen some posts about pollen with images that look similar to what I am seeing, so may be that is a possibility too? the part i find most confusing is that this stuff only appears if i run my filter.
total alkalinity is 110
ph is 7.5
chlorine is 3.0 ppm
total alkalinity is 110
ph is 7.5
chlorine is 3.0 ppm
If it's not gritty, it's not sand.
I think you are only seeing it when you run your pump because the flow of water piles this debris (likely dead algae) in clumps that are visible. When the water doesn't flow, the debris is so tiny it falls evenly to the floor and you cannot see it. If you ran your pump for 24 hours staright, it would likely collect in even larger clumps as it moves along the pool floor.
I know you don't think it is algae but from the reports on this forum, it almost always is.
I think you are only seeing it when you run your pump because the flow of water piles this debris (likely dead algae) in clumps that are visible. When the water doesn't flow, the debris is so tiny it falls evenly to the floor and you cannot see it. If you ran your pump for 24 hours staright, it would likely collect in even larger clumps as it moves along the pool floor.
I know you don't think it is algae but from the reports on this forum, it almost always is.
That make sense! what are the best steps to take to remove the dead algae?
Have your own test kit so you can measure your water precisely and then SLAM the pool.
read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. You need to have a complete grasp of the basics to manage your own pool.
read "SLAM" in the "How To" section. That's a process yu will do to your pool. Your's won't take much but it should clear up that algae (I think) issue you have and have your pool crystal clear.
read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. You need to have a complete grasp of the basics to manage your own pool.
read "SLAM" in the "How To" section. That's a process yu will do to your pool. Your's won't take much but it should clear up that algae (I think) issue you have and have your pool crystal clear.
yep we already have a full test kit. i just read through the slam process and we have already done this when we opened the pool for the spring. my overnight FC loss test showed that we only lost .5ppm. should we do this again even though we are only loosing 0.5ppm in the overnight fc loss test?
These are not full test results. What test kit are you using?
We need:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CYA
Please post a FULL set of test results so we can get a good feel of your water parameters. Thank you.
3 FC may not be enough if your CYA level is above 40. If you've ever been a puck-user or followed pool store advice to shock it weekly, odds are good you're waaaay above that.
It will also help if you fill out your signature. Here's how-to.
im not sure of the brand name of my test kit. ill take a look when i get home this evening. ive only ever checked my FC, PH, and TA, but I will check the other levels this evening and post the results here.
I get debris at the bottom of my pool and it looks similar but mine is pollen. We have alot of cottonweed trees and at times looks like it is snowing. Hard to keep the pool clean this time of year for me.
Okay I checked my test kit is by poolmaster and is a 5 way test kit. My last test was on Sunday. I retested all 5 today and my results are below.
Free Chlorine: 2.00ppm
Combined Chlorine (residual chlorine) 2.00ppm - from what i have read this is supposed to be .5 or less but i tested it twice and it came back as 2.00ppm (the same as my FC) both times
Ph: 7.65
Acid Demand: 1 drop needed to change color to clear as instructed
Total Alkalinity: 110
Bromine: did not use this test as i do not use bromine
CYA: the my kit does not test for this. can someone reccomend a good test kit for CYA?
My overnight chlorine lost test result was .5ppm
I'm confused if i need to SLAM or not because it says I should SLAM if my CC is too high (which it is) but the SLAM page says that if you are done when OCLT (overnight chlorine loss test) is .5ppm or lower (and mine is exactly .5ppm) and if your water is clear (which mine is).
Free Chlorine: 2.00ppm
Combined Chlorine (residual chlorine) 2.00ppm - from what i have read this is supposed to be .5 or less but i tested it twice and it came back as 2.00ppm (the same as my FC) both times
Ph: 7.65
Acid Demand: 1 drop needed to change color to clear as instructed
Total Alkalinity: 110
Bromine: did not use this test as i do not use bromine
CYA: the my kit does not test for this. can someone reccomend a good test kit for CYA?
My overnight chlorine lost test result was .5ppm
I'm confused if i need to SLAM or not because it says I should SLAM if my CC is too high (which it is) but the SLAM page says that if you are done when OCLT (overnight chlorine loss test) is .5ppm or lower (and mine is exactly .5ppm) and if your water is clear (which mine is).
You can't SLAM the pool until you purchase a TF100 test kit....
http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html, get a speed stirrer, they're fantastically helpful...
The CYA test is included in this test, and you will also get the OCLT test, which is the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.... These tests will speak volumes about the water in your pool....
http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html, get a speed stirrer, they're fantastically helpful...
The CYA test is included in this test, and you will also get the OCLT test, which is the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.... These tests will speak volumes about the water in your pool....
I have seen something similar in all of the pools I have had from the small plastic up to this last pool I just filled. In my case, it is free iron that settles to the bottom. My well water has so much iron in it it will turn a cartridge filter orange within 8 hours of run time after filling. I had a Water Boss filter/conditioner and it only lasted about 2 years before the resin inside was so saturated it hardly worked anymore. That was with 30 hour regeneration cycles. I couldn't keep salt in the thing for the regen cycles. After filtering the water for about three days and cleaning the filter multiple times, I don't see any sediment anymore.
I get the same thing, I believe mine is pollen. It has been really bad this year.
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