Jets slow up! Help!

[Condrad4]

Please help! Have a 15' round above ground pool, 5500 gallons, with a 1 hp pump and Hayward sand filter. This season we replaced both the pump and filter on opening but haven't been able to get it right! Our po cover fell in this winter so we were left with a ton of leaves in the pool, though the water was clear to the bottom, algae overgrowth took over once the cover was off. We've been shocking, algaecide and brushing the sides down but having trouble with the filter. I can get the jets going but within an hour there is barely a trickle coming from the return. Skimmer basket clear, pump filter clear, psi is only up to 14 from 10. I backwash anyways, and het pressure returns but 20 minutes late stops again.

is this a sign to need back washing this often or is there an issue with the pump/filter? I am unable to run the pump 24/7 due to the pressure issue which is preventing me from clearing out the algae!

 

[Richard320]

Please help! Have a 15' round above ground pool, 5500 gallons, with a 1 hp pump and Hayward sand filter. This season we replaced both the pump and filter on opening but haven't been able to get it right! Our po cover fell in this winter so we were left with a ton of leaves in the pool, though the water was clear to the bottom, algae overgrowth took over once the cover was off. We've been shocking, algaecide and brushing the sides down but having trouble with the filter. I can get the jets going but within an hour there is barely a trickle coming from the return. Skimmer basket clear, pump filter clear, psi is only up to 14 from 10. I backwash anyways, and het pressure returns but 20 minutes late stops again.

is this a sign to need back washing this often or is there an issue with the pump/filter? I am unable to run the pump 24/7 due to the pressure issue which is preventing me from clearing out the algae!

A chunky green pool will clog up any filter in a very short time. Going from 10 psi to 14 is more than the 25% rise we recommend before backwashing, so I'm not surprised you see reduced flow.

If your filter has a recirculate setting, use that for a few days. That bypasses the filter itself so you can keep the water circulating and kill all the algae without stopping to backwash every hour.

At some point, you will need to face the debris. Scoop out anything you can with a mesh leaf rake or skimmer. When you're mentally ready for the task, raise the water level a couple inches and hook up a manual vacuum and set the valve to "waste." You'll vacuum up whatever is on the floor of the pool and eject it out the waste pipe. Gone for good. Then you set it to filter and finish things.

Last comment: No more algaecide, and no more shock powders. You need to follow the SLAM process.

 

[Hayward Pool]

Same advice here Richard.