****, i kind of like the clean smell. although I'm pretty sure i'd prefer it to look great rather then smell great
New pool startup questions
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Are you putting multiport to the rinse position for a short period after you do each backwash?
Backwash -> Rinse -> Filter
I was forgetting to do the rinse and if you skip the rinse part you can actually send dirt/things you've filtered back into the pool. Just thought I would check...
Backwash -> Rinse -> Filter
I was forgetting to do the rinse and if you skip the rinse part you can actually send dirt/things you've filtered back into the pool. Just thought I would check...
yes, been rinsing for a few seconds after each backwash. I had a bit of mud in the water as the pool was just built this past fall and some dirt got pushed into the pool during the backfill. I spent about a week vacuuming as much as I could out of the water, but i have a feeling that there is still a bit left and this might be causing the bulk of my problems. everytime I think i've gotten it all out, i end up running the vacuum and realize how much more has settled.
Doesn't sound like you are rinsing enough. My filter (and they all differ a little) requires about a ninety second rinse to keep from returning dirt to the pool.
Keep after it and don't be discouraged....you'll get there!
Keep after it and don't be discouraged....you'll get there!
Is it possible that the fine particles from the mud and dirt that is in the pool are too small for my filter to catch?
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Also, would it be helpful to throw my dolphin in and let it crawl around and brush the pool along with my brushing/vacuuming.
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I'm really beginning to lose faith. I'm on day 4 of this Slam. And I have absolutely no visible improvement. The water is clean when I pull a sample. I can see what I think is the "sparkle" everyone refers to on the surface of the water. Could it be that the debris that is left in the pool is just too fine for my filter to clean? I haven't back washed since 8:30 last night. My pressure hasn't gone up at all and it is now 10:40am. My FC is only dropping 1 to 1.5 over night. My water is still very murky. I can't see more the a few feet down in the deep end and I can't clearly make out the design on the liner of the shallow end.
Should I shut down the pump and see if the debris settles to the bottom? Should I run my dolphin to help out? My POP is running low and I'm extremely discouraged along with my wife pressuring me to pay someone to "fix" the problem.
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Should I shut down the pump and see if the debris settles to the bottom? Should I run my dolphin to help out? My POP is running low and I'm extremely discouraged along with my wife pressuring me to pay someone to "fix" the problem.
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Here is the water when I took the cover off:
And here is the water now:
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And here is the water now:
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It's really POP time though. Sand filters just take their time filtering. If you are testing and keeping your fc at slam level and not letting it drop below then you are doing it right.
You can add de to your filter and that's supposed to help it with catching the finer stuff. There's a post with instructions for that around here somewhere. You put in just enough to raise the psi by 1.
The experts always have the links to everything. Hopefully one will be here soon to help!
*edit*
Oops, I see on the previous page someone already suggested this and provided the link.
You can add de to your filter and that's supposed to help it with catching the finer stuff. There's a post with instructions for that around here somewhere. You put in just enough to raise the psi by 1.
The experts always have the links to everything. Hopefully one will be here soon to help!
*edit*
Oops, I see on the previous page someone already suggested this and provided the link.
Yes, I've read the article about adding DE. I have not tried that alternative just yet as I haven't been able to get to the pool store yet. Just frustrating not to see any improvement after nearly 15 gallons of bleach, countless hours brushing and vacuuming and probably hundreds of gallons of water backwashing.
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It's always good to keep in mind that it takes time for it t go bad so naturally it takes time to fix it.
I got my box of de from lowes. They have it in walmart too usually. It's a big huge box. I'll never use it all especially since my filter only takes less than1/4 cup to raise it 1psi but it was $25 or less so at the time I didn't care. It's just hanging out in the garage now in case I want it.
I got my box of de from lowes. They have it in walmart too usually. It's a big huge box. I'll never use it all especially since my filter only takes less than1/4 cup to raise it 1psi but it was $25 or less so at the time I didn't care. It's just hanging out in the garage now in case I want it.
If you think for sure that there is stuff settling on the bottom there is always the vacuum to waste option but that uses a lot of water. I have an above ground pool so a few times I have used my vacuum hose to siphon water and vacuum that way. (This was before I knew about TFP and I had a green pool bottom every day. )
It really is about waiting for the filter to filter and that just takes time. The brushing is stirring it up so the filter can work on it. People with D.E. filter and even cartridge filters have a lot of trouble in this stage because their filters catch so much so fast that they have to backwash every 30 minutes.
Seems like no matter what, it just takes time. With a sand filter at least it doesn't need you to babysit it quite so much but the flip side is that it takes longer to get through the process.
If you're still dropping 1-1.5 overnight the chlorine is still working on killing stuff in the water so there's still more POP needed. I'm not so great with the POP thing. I just want stuff to be done!
It will be gorgeous in the end though and you'll know it when you see the amazing way it looks when it's crystal clear and sparkling. You'll know exactly what's in there and every day maintenance is a breeze. But at first... it's more like SLAM bootcamp.
I have an above ground pool so a few times I have used my vacuum hose to siphon water and vacuum that way. (This was before I knew about TFP and I had a green pool bottom every day. )It really is about waiting for the filter to filter and that just takes time. The brushing is stirring it up so the filter can work on it. People with D.E. filter and even cartridge filters have a lot of trouble in this stage because their filters catch so much so fast that they have to backwash every 30 minutes.
Seems like no matter what, it just takes time. With a sand filter at least it doesn't need you to babysit it quite so much but the flip side is that it takes longer to get through the process.
If you're still dropping 1-1.5 overnight the chlorine is still working on killing stuff in the water so there's still more POP needed. I'm not so great with the POP thing. I just want stuff to be done!
It will be gorgeous in the end though and you'll know it when you see the amazing way it looks when it's crystal clear and sparkling. You'll know exactly what's in there and every day maintenance is a breeze. But at first... it's more like SLAM bootcamp.
I'm not so sure I like SLAM boot camp at this point. Lol. I have been managing my POP since September when they started building the pool. I can't take it anymore. Lol
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POP is no fun. I understand. Mine looks beautiful right now but what difference does it make? It's like 60 outside and I feel like I'm never going to actually go in the pool! I'm just going to look at it every day. Play with the plumbing, skim the stuff off the surface, vacuum...and look at it some more and say.. "oooh pretty!"
I'd rather be *in* the pool! lol That reminds me, it's time to go stare at it again...I unhooked the skimmer last night and I don't have my leaf net on so there's probably something scary waiting for me. I don't feel like dragging the leaf net back out but I think I saw something about storms possible later...
It seems like you are doing everything you're supposed to be doing and in all honesty, to the wife, paying someone else isn't going to fix it either. All they'd do is dump a bunch of powder in it no doubt which would raise your cya like crazy then they'd probably dump some algaecide in and you'd have white foam everywhere and they might even throw in some clarifier or floc which would give you clumpy globs of stuff. It still would take time and it would cost a whooolle lot more!
*sigh* POP
I understand. Mine looks beautiful right now but what difference does it make? It's like 60 outside and I feel like I'm never going to actually go in the pool! I'm just going to look at it every day. Play with the plumbing, skim the stuff off the surface, vacuum...and look at it some more and say.. "oooh pretty!"I'd rather be *in* the pool! lol That reminds me, it's time to go stare at it again...I unhooked the skimmer last night and I don't have my leaf net on so there's probably something scary waiting for me. I don't feel like dragging the leaf net back out but I think I saw something about storms possible later...
It seems like you are doing everything you're supposed to be doing and in all honesty, to the wife, paying someone else isn't going to fix it either. All they'd do is dump a bunch of powder in it no doubt which would raise your cya like crazy then they'd probably dump some algaecide in and you'd have white foam everywhere and they might even throw in some clarifier or floc which would give you clumpy globs of stuff. It still would take time and it would cost a whooolle lot more!
*sigh* POP
CC has been 0 since Saturday evening. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning it was at .5, but has been 0 ever since.
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I know, I'm getting ancy and not sticking to POP. Just hard to have POP after doing so much work and not seeing any results at all.
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I have not. Last night I added some chlorine at about 8:00. The sun wasn't completely down yet, although the pool was in the shadow of my house. After 5 hours in the sun, the FC was still at 13, down from a target of 16. I doused it at 8 and then checked it at 5am when I was leaving for work and it was at 14.5.
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