Cloudy pool
- Thread starter DonnieTheMan
- Start date
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yep for normal operating conditions. Dealing with algae, bacteria is not normal operating conditions. Why make it harder on yourself when lowering CYA in algae bloom/recovery can only be a benefit. As the season goes on using pucks will add it back anyway to what is "recommended".
My friends have had many of nasty green pools over the years, that I have had the "pleasure" of doing bucket tests to see how fast the water will clear with different levels of CYA added. It just clears faster the lower the CYA. Even in a bucket not circulating.
I've done that so they and I will have less fustration turning their pools around. And since I gave my ex daughterinlaw a "sand filter" the size similar to yours, it will clear her green pool faster than that small cart filter and pump. That small pump with cart filter does not turn over enough water. That is if your sand filter is operating correctly and no malfunctioning internal parts. Your sand pump .5 hp compaired to cart filter pump .11 hp just circulates more water.
But then again I make her back wash every so many hours even if the preassure has not increased to where she usually backwashes.
Took a water sample to Leslie’s and this is what they show. I dunno. I’m sick of dealing with this pool. In the 3 years of owning it, I have never had this hard of a time getting the water to be clear. It’s like a cloud fell out the sky and landed in my pool lol
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yep it happens at times to almost everyone. FC never 0 only option.
IMO this is what u should do.
1. Take off that fountain if u haven't already and adjust your jet so u can see your water ripple.
2. Hook back up your sand filter, run it 24/7, when u see the ripples START to slow down from your return jet, backwash and rinse, atleast 1-2 min on BW then rinse altleast 45 sec. If u don't see ripples slowing down in 6-8 hr BW/R it anyway.
3. Brush or agitate the fine Crud off the bottom so it can get pulled into the filter.
4. Try to keep FC atleast at 12.
5. That ladder, if still in there could be hiding/growing algae in and around it.
6. Rinse and repeat #2-4
Aside from dumping the whole thing, that is the only way. CIRCULATE and Filter, Filter, Filter...... well, if you could vac to waste what dead algae is on the bottom that would be a big plus. But I have no idea what equip you have. And a .11 hp pump is not doing it. sorry
If this process really sucks stay away from the big 0 on FC. lol
IMO this is what u should do.
1. Take off that fountain if u haven't already and adjust your jet so u can see your water ripple.
2. Hook back up your sand filter, run it 24/7, when u see the ripples START to slow down from your return jet, backwash and rinse, atleast 1-2 min on BW then rinse altleast 45 sec. If u don't see ripples slowing down in 6-8 hr BW/R it anyway.
3. Brush or agitate the fine Crud off the bottom so it can get pulled into the filter.
4. Try to keep FC atleast at 12.
5. That ladder, if still in there could be hiding/growing algae in and around it.
6. Rinse and repeat #2-4
Aside from dumping the whole thing, that is the only way. CIRCULATE and Filter, Filter, Filter...... well, if you could vac to waste what dead algae is on the bottom that would be a big plus. But I have no idea what equip you have. And a .11 hp pump is not doing it. sorry
If this process really sucks stay away from the big 0 on FC. lol
I’m confused as to what you’re talking about for the most part. I don’t use a fountain, haven’t in probably over a year anyway. My FC is not 0. Far as the sand filter goes, I’ve been doing those procedures for nearly a year. The pool gets brushed twice a day and my FC is being kept at 16. Please address the situation I have now, and not something I had in the past. As I stated. I have NEVER had this issue clearing my pool up after clearing algae.
Also, the stock Intex pump did keep the water cleaner. Even my wife has said this since we have had the sand filter. heck. Even google searches show that sand pumps don’t filter nearly as good as pumps with paper media. I’m not an expert, I just know what my pumps have or haven’t done.
Never said it is now, but at some point the only way a pool gets algae is 0 FC at some point or to much CYA locking up FC. I was trying to light heartedly give a reminder. but ok
Apr 14, 2023
As of yesterday morning:
FC 3
PH 8.0
TA 120
CYA 10 (pool hasn’t been used since last summer)
Apr 21, 2023
FC: 15
PH: 7.2
TA: 90
CYA: 40-50
and leslies FC 9.75
google is talking about a sq ft area of pleated filters atleast
90-120 sq.ft area per filter
yours is PC7-120 5 sq ft area and .11 hp pump, apples and oranges. not the same. google is like the pool store.I read one post that TFP recommendation for 9000 gallon pool would be a minimum 140 sq. ft. cartridge filter, a cartridge filter larger than that is not a problem That will reduce how often you will have to clean it.
Apr 26, 2022
Dec 16, 2022
Yeah. I’m just going to rent a sump pump and do about a 70% drain. I also have a 50lb sand filter system. Got tired of those paper filters a long time agoIntex filters are horribly undersized and the battle drags on and on before they filter out the dead algae.
So you may be saving the refill costs, just to have similar costs, and a bunch of work to SLAM. (When the time comes) Food for thought.
some algae recoveries are just harder than others. you say the water was blue, not clear. just seems like an ongoing issue that has not totally CLEARED up.
You never addressed the ladder in any of your posts that I have seen. whats weighing it down, pebble rock, sand? have you moved it to clean it also? hidden algae magenet
you never showed a pic of your sand filter hooked up, or how often you backwashed the pool when sand filter was hooked up.???
If your sand filter had an internal diverter valve issue it could have been spitting dead algae back into the pool intermittently. usually the spider gasket on the multi port diverter valve just don't seat right, wears out. Just enough to be a pain in the a** and drive you crazy. its not that old granted, but chit happens.
how often are you changing that small filter then if that is what you are using now????
for future reference if/when you turn the multi port valve handle make sure handle is depressed through out the whole turn so not to create drag/wear on spider gasket. it is usually glued into the bottom of the cone part in this pic.
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Dump the water. It's only 6k gallons and this struggle has gone back to 2022 when you closed the pool to not have to deal with it any longer. At what point is it just not worth it ?
Get yourself a drop based test kit and test/dose at least every other day, or there will be sequels.
Get yourself a drop based test kit and test/dose at least every other day, or there will be sequels.
Toxophilite
Silver Supporter
This!!!!! Maintained my larger AB with smaller pump, lack of drain, and DE filter the same way. Things seems to compound faster than system can help remedy. There were many years, it just wasn't worth the battle, and would just start from scratch.
I’ts just going to stay cloudy at this point. Wife and kid can get this summers use out of it, and then I’ll decide it’s fate afterwards. And that’s all I use is a drop based test kit. Have from day 1.
This is the 3rd summer we’ve had the pool, but I’ve definitely never dealt with it staying cloudy this long. Usually it clears up within a few days or so. I just had to replace probably 2000 gallons or so when a hose on the sand pump cracked last week. I see you aren’t very far from me either
. My mother in law lives in Dickinson as well.
I appreciate all the advice, I truly do. Just been frustrated behind this pool and I’ve been reading and taking ppls advice, and it’s just fighting me back. I’m not losing over 1ppm overnight, so I’m assuming that means there is no algae present. Or at least I thought that’s what the OCLT was for. I was backwashing the pump a couple times a week during this whole process. And yeah, I always shut the pump down on rotate the handle counter clockwise with it fully depressed. Switching back to the old pump, I’ve been washing the filter out once a day. It’s definitely filtering stuff out, I guess it’s just going to be a timely process. So again, thank you for the advice.
And at the very bottom is the intex cartridge fliter with a .11 hp pump.
YES, 10-12 inch intex sand filters are undersized, but back washing more often does work. Dead algae is so fine, as you know, and any real increase in preassure starts spitting it back out. Plus, my friends/family use pucks, So it forces them to add more water at times to keep their CYA more in check. lol
I have to check myself often with them, because it's easy for me to forget what equiptment they are dealing with sometimes.
Sucks your hose broke on the sand filter, that one still has the better water flow.
If you do go back to the sand filter, this might give you hint of a failing diverter spider gasket on the sand filter if you didn't already know.
While the filter is running, take off your BW hose. Look and make sure no water is dripping out of that port.
With the motor off, BW hose off, standing clear of BW port, turn it to the closed position and recheck. Push down on the handle for a second, then release it, checking again for water after it goes back down into its position. Then do one full turn around back to filter and recheck. No water should come out of that port in filter or closed position.
That's a little backwards honestly, for such a small filter, if you are going to try and stick it out without dumping.
Should be washing filter twice a day also, while you are there.
You didn't mention your stairs/ladder, have you moved and brush it also?
The pump definitely doesn’t leak anything out of the backwash port. Yes, the stairs have been moved and get brushed every tine I brush the pool