Question about adding D.E. to a sand filter....

[techguy]

The high FC is more likely to damage you swim suit more than anything else...assuming you wore one. LOL

DE in the filter is always going to make some difference. You are adding debris (DE) to the filter that sits on the top of the sand.

 

[Beens]

Thursday Update!

Let's start with Wednesday PM

8pm
FC 18.5 I added 15oz (back to 20)
I decided to brush everything again since I like my new toy and it was still light out. Didn't really see much of a cloud but usually it's been sitting for 24 hours so I'm not sure if that's really saying much.

Let's get to today! Thursday!
12:30 pm
FC 17.5 Added 25oz to bring it back to 20

It's SPARKLING! Sooo clear today. No sun at all and it was still clearer looking. My pump pressure was up so since I had to backwash anyway I decided to vacuum first and test that "dirty filter filters better" theory.

That means I didn't brush (yet) so I'm not 100% sure if I would have had any clouding this time except to say there was absolutely no sign of a "trail" when I did the vacuuming.

I backwashed the filter. (sorry to the neighbor, my hose had a mind of it's own and aimed right at their fence for the first 30 seconds until I noticed it! OOPS!) and added 1/8 cup of D.E. this time. I checked a few minutes later and it didn't look like the pressure had risen at all but I'm going to check again in about 30 mins just to see.

I plan to brush later just to see if there's anything. It was soooo satisfying vacuuming every single tiny bit off the floor, which of course I could see perfectly because it's so freaking clear!

I may do an OCLT tonight because I don't have to be at work until 8 tomorrow which means it will actually be light when I get up and I won't have to worry about spider issues. I think I'm going to keep it at shock level through Saturday AM and do the OCLT Fri. night/Sat am also.

Oh yeah, my water level is pretty low from the backwashing so I had to chuck the hose in there. It doesn't seem like that is an issue...I hope!

When I let the FC drop below 10 I will have to test my CYA again (edit - uh...duh high FC affects ph test not CYA test! Will wait for sun not lower FC!) Because don't know how much adding a few inches of water might affect it...

Any thoughts on any of this? Comments? Suggestions?

Insults?

 

[techguy]

Looking good!

Keep going until you pass all three tests.

 

[Beens]

I just checked the filter pressure again and it's still sitting at 10. So... 1/4 cup D.E. raises it from 10 to just under 12 but 1/8 cup does nothing? :-\ Well, that' doesn't really make sense!

I'm going to take my nap now!

 

[Beens]

Friday Update:

Thursday 9PM
FC 18.5 added 15 oz for 20FC

Decided to do OCLT...

12:20am
FC 20

Friday

7:10AM

FC 21.5 <---Whaaat. Does it count as pass if it goes UP overnight? I did feel like a couple of my drops were small this morning...it definitely did NOT go down!
CC 0

3:50 PM
FC 18.5 added 15oz for 20FC
CC 0

I am planning on an OCLT again tonight and was hoping to let the levels drop after that...

My observations today are...

Pool is crystal clear, passed OCLT, 0 CC

When I brushed I saw a very faint, light cloud in a few areas but not everywhere. I literally had to squint and stare and push the brush then run over to where the brush head was moving to see if there was any clouding.

Am I done? Assuming I pass OCLT again tonight....do you all think I'm ok to let the FC begin to drop back down?

I am almost completely out of DPD powder! I ordered my refill on Sunday night and it was supposed to be here Wednesday but the stupid post office lost my package! (posted questions about that in the "testing and balancing your water" board)

I found a store that sounded like they could get me the refills tomorrow and although they cost more than they do from TFTest Kits, by the time I add UPS for shipping (afraid to try USPS again!) it's going to come out the same.

I am not sure if I should keep SLAMming tomorrow *when* I pass my OCLT. As it stands I think I can stretch the powder to the 2 tests for the OCLT tonight/tomorrow. Then I'll hopefully get the refill from that store in the afternoon.

I've been using the 10ml sample and 2 flat scoops of the powder and it was suggested to me to use 5ml and 1 scoop. Will that be accurate enough for an OCLT?

(Need to know tonight so I can do my test before the middle of the night...)

Thank you again everyone for your help!!

 

[Beens]

Well since there were no responses last night I decided to skip the OCLT and SLAM for today too....saving my precious powder and I should have my refills today. Either my package will show up in today's mail or I will go get the refills from the store that managed to find them for me this morning.

Saturday 11:45 AM results...

FC 19
CC 0

It's cloudy and drizzly and cold! Well, 70s. I don't think I'll be having to add much bleach today. It's hardly gone down since adding yesterday around 4pm.

I haven't brushed yet today but please read my previous results from yesterday and someone, anyone....please tell me what you think about if I am ok to stop this SLAM.

I will go out in a little while and brush to see if there's still that tiny bit of a cloud (was almost colorless yesterday if that's possible) and post my results here.

Part of me is tempted to just keep the FC really high forever just to make sure I never have this problem again, but I guess that would use too much bleach. I'm scared to stop SLAMming..

 

[Beens]

Well, I'm still enjoying this lovely conversation with myself here so I'll continue! :blah:

Just finished brushing and I didn't see anything moving around in there...I even turned off the pump just to get the water settled so I could really stare into the water in case there was some clouding. I didn't see any. I guess I'm done...

I'm going to do the OCLT tonight and tomorrow my husband is going to help me open up the filter and make sure the sand is clean. (He doesn't know this yet)

I decided to check the sand tomorrow because when I turned the pump back on I'm pretty sure it sent a little bit of icky looking water out through the return! :grrrr:

I never turn off my pump except when it's time to backwash which means it never gets turned on without having just been rinsed...except today. Maybe that's normal but if there's anything funky going on in there I want to know now! PSI is normal + 1 for D.E. so it's not backwashing time.

Now if only the water wasn't freezing and it wasn't cloudy and 79 degrees out I could actually go in. But it sure looks pretty!

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'm reading, but you're doing such a good job, that I have nothing to say! Keep up the good work.

 

[Beens]

OK I got my refills and

What the heck?? I did my first test, used my original powder and drops. Got FC 14 (28 drops). I said no, that can"t be right. It's too low! Did the test again, used new powder and new drops, got FC 17 (34 drops) ok, what the heck? Totally different.

Test a third time new drops new powder again, FC 19 (38 drops) !!!! Whaat??

Test fourth time new powder, old drops, FC 15.5 (31 drops) :grrrr:

No tests are matching each other! It would seem the new test is giving smaller drops resulting in higher FC reading, but 2 identical tests with new refills gave me 17 and 19. 19 is unlikely since that's what it tested at 11:45 am (although there has been absolutely no sun today but still...)

No way I'm even bothering with an OCLT if I can't even get 2 tests to match within 5 minutes of each other! :-(

I don't even know if I should add bleach! I give up on the OCLT. Maybe I'll just pick a number and throw some bleach in and try again a hundred times tomorrow.

Why couldn't it just be simple?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Calm down it isn't a big deal.

How much powder did you use?
Are you holding the bottle vertical when dropping the drops?

 

[Beens]

The quick answer is....I was holding the bottle the way I always do and the same for both bottles and still got different results.

More details... no not vertical. At a bit of an angle is how I have been doing it to be able to control it better.

2 flat scoops , the same amount as I have been since I got my spoon.

My original powder was almost gone and didn't really have anything but fine powder so I thought maybe that had messed something up but I did the other 3 tests with the new powder and none of them came out the same either.

What frustrates me is that 2 seemingly identical tests with new drops and powder were off enough that I'd never pass an OCLT with them. Also, those 2 tests gave a significantly higher FC than my original supplies which makes me wonder if I've ever know my FC
...

Which one is right? There's no way to know.

If I was adding numbers I'd do same calculation twice and if they didn't match I'd do it a third time. Usually the third number matches one of the first and now I know the correct answer. I figured that would work for this but after 4 tests with completely different results I gave up. If it was just a difference of .5 or even 1 I'd feel better but those numbers were all over the place. :'(

 

[Bama Rambler]

Try again using a little more powder.
If that doesn't work, try holding the bottle vertical and allowing the drops to fall off the tip.

 

[Beens]

Ok I did the test for today. Using 2 level scoops (I hadn't seen your reply) and the new drops.

I held the bottle upside down and got better results. Maybe I changed how I was holding the bottle with my old one or something as it got emptier.

Tested 2 times and got 30 drops both times. So...

10:50am
FC 15
CC 0

I wish I had been able to do this last night so I could do the OCLT but it was raining all night and I read in a few threads that it might affect the OCLT so I guess there wouldn't have been much point anyway. I think the rain is supposed to go away after today. Maybe I can try the OCLT tonight but I really wanted to do it over the weekend when I didn't have to drag myself out there before work. So frustrating to have everything planned, even giving some leeway and still have it all go down the drain.

This morning pool looks beautiful and clear and I don't think there's any clouding but I did see a couple tiny "gatherings" of my much hated brownish debris. I haven't seen that since at least Thursday. I can't really do much more to make it go away. I guess it's just "stuff" that is always going to be there and I'll have to be happy with the crystal clear water and no cloud and pray that a couple little things on the bottom of the pool doesn't mean anything.

Maybe I'll just keep the FC above shock level until Wednesday. I think I'm off work on Wednesday....

 

[Beens]

I just did a CYA test. I hate this test. I feel like I am taking it too far and imagining the dot. Yes I'm in the sun. Thank God it finally came out again! Read the test with back to the sun, tube waist level and held with 2 fingers right near the top.

I have been using 40 as my number and I now feel like it may be between 45 and 50. There's no reason at all for it to have gone up except that I just can't figure out if I can see the dot or if I'm imagining things. It starts getting really hard to see around 70-60 then by 50 I am not sure but I think I still see it a little, and somewhere between 50 and 45 I guess I can't see it anymore. But that's what I thought when I decided on 40 the last time...if anything it should be lower because I've backwashed a few times and refilled maybe by 4 inches or so.

I wish I could pay one of you experts to come here and do this test and show me what it looks like to you so I could see if I get the same result!