Most likely not related to your current issue, but will cause problems long term: the Intex SWG has copper bars in it, which you should disconnect. Over time, the copper level will build up and cause another set of problems just like you are going though now. It will start to cause staining, and if anyone has blonde hair, it will start turning green.
I have yet to have clear water
- Thread starter Irishgal
- Start date
I appreciate the information. I'm not running the SWG yet until I get the water clear though. Is it a difficult process to disconnect the copper bars? Does it affect the performance of the SWG? Thanks for your help!
Since I did check for copper, I believe it is iron in my well water. Pool looks even clearer this morning. I have attached a photo. Can see the bottom very clearly now. Still, very faint tint of green - not blue yet - but I can see the light at the end of this tunnel at least!
Here is another picture looking straight down. Of course, no sunlight this morning either. Filter is definitely doing it's job and I am cleaning it 2x a day right now. Will be able to do more on the weekend. Also need to vacuum up the small amount of fallout around edges.
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The water looks to me to only have an algae issue. Keep filtering!
Have you considered getting a Unicel-brand filter for your filter? I hear they work much better than the Intex filters.
Have you considered getting a Unicel-brand filter for your filter? I hear they work much better than the Intex filters.
I'm not sure of the brand name of the filter but I stopped using the Intex one after the first day. We bought a pair of filters at Walmart that I am using right now, but bought a dozen from the site I bought my vacuum from - didn't realize one brand would be better than another - was just looking at the price. The ones from Walmart definitely work better than one that came with the pump. I don't know whether algae or metal problem - but the metal out stuff is what made it as clear as it is now. When I was adding the bleach, it was getting greener and greener. Don't know if you saw my most recent numbers that I posted last night but ph and alkalinity are holding at decent numbers and not plummeting like if there was algae eating them up. I will go home tonight and let you know what I find but each day since the metal out treatments (one on Monday and one yesterday), it is getting clearer and clearer. Needs vacuuming but lightning last night deterred me from getting that done.
The Unicells are apparently significantly better and are washable. One method is to buy two Unicel's and you run one of them until dirty, take out the dirty one, insert your clean one and filter away. You then take the dirty one and wash it with your garden hose or in the sink and set it aside until the next filter change. You continue swapping filters until your problem is solved. The Unicels can last years if cared for.
I've been rinsing out the ones I bought at Walmart. They are holding up great. The one that came with the pump didn't look too good after being rinsed so we switched to these. I will have to look for Unicell brand. Like I said, I just bought a dozen from the website but appreciate the advice. It's definitely a learning process!
Its all a learning process. I started with a 6 foot Easy set, moved up to a 15 EasySet and then the pool I have now, 21 round steel walled AG pool. It is a project that is always changing. I have added two decks and need to build one more. I am also in the process of fine-tuning my PoolSkim and adding a fountain.
I have made EVERY mistake on this website and have learned via the school of hard knocks and big-bux. You should have seen my pool two months ago... duck pond?
I have made EVERY mistake on this website and have learned via the school of hard knocks and big-bux. You should have seen my pool two months ago... duck pond?
So I should be happy that it has only cost me about $50 in chemicals (since adding the chlorine bleach that turned it green) and 3 trips to the pool store and running the pump 24/7 for the past week to get it as clear as it is now?
Oh that sounds cool. We were going to build a deck around the pool but still not sure if we have to take it down come wintertime so we bought a screened in gazebo and firepit instead. Next spring, we can build the deck and gazebo will fit on top of it! I would love to see pictures of what you have done! We got one of those pool lights that is a little fountain as well. Someday, I may get to use it - lol!
Pool is very clear this morning. I vacuumed out the metal fall out last night but had to vacuum to waste. Definitely need to find those Unicell filters as mine are just not catching the fine stuff and spitting it right back into the pool. Still a faint tint of green so I gave it one more metal out treatment this morning. Ph and alkalinity are great but chlorine is very low due to metal out. So, I've switched on the SWG and will try a quart of bleach after 48 hours to get that back up to where it should be hopefully without turning the pool green again!
If you switched on your SWG, don't wait until tomorrow to check, check tonight and add bleach if needed. TheSWG may not produce enough at the beginning and you need to determine how many hours per day you need to run it. Adding the liquid wll keep you FZc to keep the green at bay. Don't give algae a chance.
I love auto correct - NOT! I was concerned about adding bleach too soon after treating with metal out. What do you think? If yes, and chlorine registering at 0 - how much bleach would you add for 5k pool?
I'm just terrified of the green coming back because of the iron from my fill water! But I am also terrified of algae too - lol!
The Pool Calculator can tell you how much bleach to add. Just check the bottle, because most bleach is now 8.25% instead of 6%.