Need Help!

[NowintersinAZ]

I need to backwash the pump, that little clear thing looks like it has gunk in there, kind of yellow.

Thats sediment and is normal for an intex sand filter. a better way of gauging a need to back wash is that round pressure gauge. If it is 25% higher than normal then it's time to backwash. If you don't know normal pressure then you can backwash and see what it is when filtering.

To do this I turn the pump off, remove cap, switch to backwash, turn back on and let run till water is clear???

yes, but the water being back washed is what you want to watch to see when it is clear.

Also I have the vac hooked up, when I switch back to filter will it affect the suction? Sorry but I can’t call him right now on this

You are fine asking questions that's what the forums are for. Your vacuum shouldn't be a problem when back washing. If it restricts the flow a bit it will won't hurt anything. I do it all the time when vacuuming.

 

[Charity1981]

Thats sediment and is normal for an intex sand filter. a better way of gauging a need to back wash is that round pressure gauge. If it is 25% higher than normal then it's time to backwash. If you don't know normal pressure then you can backwash and see what it is when filtering.

yes, but the water being back washed is what you want to watch to see when it is clear.

You are fine asking questions that's what the forums are for. Your vacuum shouldn't be a problem when back washing. If it restricts the flow a bit it will won't hurt anything. I do it all the time when vacuuming.

Thank you!

 

[bover907]

Just don't have the vacuum sucking in dirt while backwashing.

 

[Charity1981]

I’ve vacuumed, scrubbed walls and backwashed. I’ve maintained FC of 12 on average of 2 hrs per day and feel like I’m getting nowhere. Pool is still pretty cloudy and emerald color. Is there anything else I can do? Standing in pool now and can barely make out my feet. The second pic with vacuum is also kind of showing the yellowish walls I’ve been getting. Most days when I brush, it doesn’t seem to come off. Today in the pool it seems to brush off more easily unless my eyes are playing tricks on me lol

Can you drop something in the pool so we can get an idea of the clarity? Maybe just put a pool brush in. I think the guys might be onto it. With your FC as high as it is, it may be a metal issue.

 

[mknauss]

Your filtration system is failing you.
I believe you have a choice. If the pool will pass a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test, just maintain the FC in target range and live with the cloudy water. Or, drain it and start over.

 

[NowintersinAZ]

I’ve vacuumed, scrubbed walls and backwashed.

Very good!

I’ve maintained FC of 12 on average of 2 hrs per day and feel like I’m getting nowhere

I guess I was under the impression that maintaining a FC at slam should be as many hours in the day as possible. If this is the case and you are getting 2 hours at slam level per day then in my opinion you need to keep it at FC of 12 all day. Check your FC every 2 hours if possible and adjust as necessary. Check if possible your FC 30 minutes after you add LC to see if it came up to your target level of FC 12.

Here is a quick video hooking up the vacuum hose. Video.

 

[Charity1981]

Very good!

I guess I was under the impression that maintaining a FC at slam should be as many hours in the day as possible. If this is the case and you are getting 2 hours at slam level per day then in my opinion you need to keep it at FC of 12 all day. Check your FC every 2 hours if possible and adjust as necessary. Check if possible your FC 30 minutes after you add LC to see if it came up to your target level of FC 12.

Here is a quick video hooking up the vacuum hose. Video.

No I mean I am checking every two hrs per day and replenishing chlorine. Just in the past two hours, I’ve added 16 oz. but I’ve been in the pool the majority of the day working on it

 

[NowintersinAZ]

No I mean I am checking every two hrs per day and replenishing chlorine. Just in the past two hours, I’ve added 16 oz. but I’ve been in the pool the majority of the day working on it

So you are checking every two hours and adjusting it as needed. Sorry I misunderstood your statement.

Is the pump running 24/7 while slamming?

 

[Newdude]

No I mean I am checking every two hrs per day and replenishing chlorine. Just in the past two hours, I’ve added 16 oz. but I’ve been in the pool the majority of the day working on it

You are doing GREAT !!! Your efforts won’t always be visible, and it will test the patience of every last one of us at times mid SLAM, but you’re making progress.

Stay the course. You got this. Come back anytime you’re bummed and we’ll cheer some more for you.

 

[Charity1981]

So you are checking every two hours and adjusting it as needed. Sorry I misunderstood your statement.

Is the pump running 24/7 while slamming?

Yes to both.

 

[Charity1981]

You are doing GREAT !!! Your efforts won’t always be visible, and it will test the patience of every last one of us at times mid SLAM, but you’re making progress.

Stay the course. You got this. Come back anytime you’re bummed and we’ll cheer some more for you.

I can def tell it’s better than when I first started but just can’t seem to get over this hump! I do plan to do the overnight test this eve just to make sure I don’t have anything growing.

 

[Newdude]

I can def tell it’s better than when I first started but just can’t seem to get over this hump!

As the process progresses the quick results take longer. The first half of the battle is to kill the algae and then it shifts to removing / filtering out the dead stuffs. It can be cloudy or milky at this stage and the filter is going to be the deciding factor on how fast it clears. But. similar to the early green stages, as time goes on it gets harder to see the progress. Say you get the volume of the pool filtered. Due to mixing maybe only half of the pool water was filtered. On the second pass, half was filtered already and wasted the opportunity to get more. With each additional pass, you re-re-re filter, even more water that was already filtered. For most folks the last bit is miserable to wait out. It’s just enough to not be perfectly clear and drags on. Yours stalling much earlier than that points to the filter not being great for this task like Marty mentioned above. It will work, but it could be a while.

At the end of the season, people will be looking to unload a lot of equipment. Either they got rid of the the pool or got new stuff in the blowout sale and are selling their old stuff. Check FB Marketplace and OfferUp regularly and you can probably score a great upgrade on the cheap.

 

[Charity1981]

As the process progresses the quick results take longer. The first half of the battle is to kill the algae and then it shifts to removing / filtering out the dead stuffs. It can be cloudy or milky at this stage and the filter is going to be the deciding factor on how fast it clears. But. similar to the early green stages, as time goes on it gets harder to see the progress. Say you get the volume of the pool filtered. Due to mixing maybe only half of the pool water was filtered. On the second pass, half was filtered already and wasted the opportunity to get more. With each additional pass, you re-re-re filter, even more water that was already filtered. For most folks the last bit is miserable to wait out. It’s just enough to not be perfectly clear and drags on. Yours stalling much earlier than that points to the filter not being great for this task like Marty mentioned above. It will work, but it could be a while.

At the end of the season, people will be looking to unload a lot of equipment. Either they got rid of the the pool or got new stuff in the blowout sale and are selling their old stuff. Check FB Marketplace and OfferUp regularly and you can probably score a great upgrade on the cheap.

I will stay the course! And getting a better pump for next summer. Any recommendations on one for this size? We will most likely buy new this winter.

 

[mknauss]

And getting a better pump for next summer.

Pump is not the issue. The filter is.

Most above ground pool 'package' pump/filters have a huge pump and tiny filter. When the opposite is more appropriate.

 

[Newdude]

I will stay the course!

It’s not for lack of effort. You get an A+++++ there, if it helps.

Any recommendations on one for this size?

How is the tree droppage / crud in your yard ? If 10 oaks are dropping 5 buckets of junk a day in the spring it will overload the biggest filter they make. If you aren’t particularly heavy with leaves and pollen, a middle sized filter (between small and huge) would be awsome.

 

[Charity1981]

It’s not for lack of effort. You get an A+++++ there, if it helps.

How is the tree droppage / crud in your yard ? If 10 oaks are dropping 5 buckets of junk a day in the spring it will overload the biggest filter they make. If you aren’t particularly heavy with leaves and pollen, a middle sized filter (between small and huge) would be awsome.

That is the back half of my yard. We are surrounded by cornfields and trees and over our yard but i don’t get much debris in the summer unless we get a bad storm.
And thank you!!

 

[Newdude]

We are surrounded by cornfields and trees

So I don’t know a lot about the various sand filters but I do know they make a 100, 200 and 300 pounder. Maybe look into the 200s as it will be less apt to get overrun in the spring and fall and will SPANK the water during the hot part of the season.

Post up a thread about it when the time comes and you’ve narrowed down what’s available then.

 

[CuckooChris]

I'm still a little concerned that you are light on your FC target after the test results you put up yesterday. You said your CYA was 40 and according to the chart, your slam level should be 16. Maybe it would go a little faster there?? Idk, maybe one of the experts can jump in here.

 

[Charity1981]

I'm still a little concerned that you are light on your FC target after the test results you put up yesterday. You said your CYA was 40 and according to the chart, your slam level should be 16. Maybe it would go a little faster there?? Idk, maybe one of the experts can jump in here.

My slam level is 12. When I first tested, it was 30. I did a practice run of tests the other day is all since it’s all very new to me. I’ve listened about only doing FC and have been following the chart since first test.

 

[Charity1981]

So I don’t know a lot about the various sand filters but I do know they make a 100, 200 and 300 pounder. Maybe look into the 200s as it will be less apt to get overrun in the spring and fall and will SPANK the water during the hot part of the season.

Post up a thread about it when the time comes and you’ve narrowed down what’s available then.

Another question...I was looking at the old poolmath page on here and just put in my measurements for pool. I got 7,600 gallons but when I look my pool up, it shows 6,200 gallons. Should I go out tomorrow and measure from inside of the pool to see exactly how deep it is? I’m just wondering if that could be part of the problem (if there is one)
I also started overnight test.