Pool way too good to be true...

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Wntrequinx

Wntrequinx

Well-known member
May 20, 2021
112
Hartford, CT
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
So my cover pump is still draining the top of ny pool, but I reached in the skimmer opening and got a water sample.

My tests were:

PH 7.2 (not accurate because of FC?)
FC 10.5
TA 80
CA 50
CYA 30

I couldn't find a slow release Chlorine thing to leave in the pool, so I left 3 pucks in a puck floater when I closed it at shock.

I assume, since it's just been sitting stagnent & the FC is high in the part that I had the floater in, and prob 0 across from it I can't wait to get the cover off and see how it goes for my first year opening a pool I closed.
 
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Without the pump running your water is stratified and that test results is meaningless. I would not do any chemical adjustments based on it.

Let the pump mix the water for 24 hours before you do any testing.
 
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I figured it would be unevenly distributed!

I added half the water needed to raise the pool level and retested after that had mixed it up a teeny bit... went down to 7.5. Sunny day and CYA low pro. Didn't help, but it's looking really good! I have to vacuum 2 leaves and a tiny bit of dirt by some liner wrinkles. Yey!

But I'm waiting to have hubby attach the water pump to the base so I can get the filter set up.

Still really happy it was clear!

20230507_203628.jpg20230507_203708.jpg
 
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Well, I better enjoy it for now, because something is up with the pump. And I won't be running the filter for a bit longer! I got the water level up tonight and started the pump up, but shut it right down as there were a couple of drips on the two connections for the return.

Then I started it again and it was drawing in air... so I shut it down again... when its off and I loosen the pump cover it fills up again, so I turned it on for another few seconds while I checked the hose connections for air suction and I didn't feel any.

I got inside, typed this up and remembered I never put the lubricant on the pump o ring...

I assume that's my problem, so hopefully I can get that fixed quickly tomorrow (I'm done with it for tonight... I'd rather have it run for a bit when I can check on it a few times at first... esp since it was drawing soo much air (my poor return was not having a good time as a spa jet).
 
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Wntrequinx said:
Honestly don't know... I have 3 readings in my pool math logs for that time - 30 then 14.5 an hour and a half later, and then 13.5 the next morning. I think there was more of a story to the 30, but I don't remember...
Click to expand...
Thinking about it, I remember the pH was probably super wacky because I had to do a slam right before closing to clear up some algea and I forgot the pH test before I upped the FC.
 
Ok, so - the air in the pump was *definitely* from the o-ring not having lubricant. I put some on (a decently thick coating), and now it's pulling just water. Huzzah.

*but* it's now making the tiny drips in either end of the return line turn into small streams when it runs. So I shut it off again and am going to have to take the eyeball off and plug it so I can work on the line, because the leak is where the hose junction things screw into the filter/return. There's also a leak where the high pressure hose from the pump connects to the filter valve (again between the filter valve and the fitting... all 3 fittings/connectors had plumbers tape from last year that I didn't replace...)

Should I be replacing the plumbers tape on these each year? Would adding o-ring lubricant help?

I know they aren't just loose because I tightened them down with chancellor pliers, and they still drip when it's off (the filter end had a small drip when the filter ran all last year, but now its faster than that when the pump is off...)

I'd rather not have to keep plugging the return and taking the hose on and off to mess with this, or I'd just try a few different things...

Any tips/advice would be appreciated.
 

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Newdude said:
Sure you can. My equipment goes indoors for the winter also thanks to unions. :)

You have one already, you just need a couple more.

View attachment 490005

View attachment 490006
Click to expand...

That looks like a cartridge or de filter....

Mine has 300lbs of sand in the main part. I don't happen to own a forklift so the filter is not moving until it dies.

Also, I have a high pressure hose, but no solid ones. That whitish guy is flexible, not a lot, but some. I disconnect it from the sand filter and bring it in with the pump (so the pump connection at least stays tight...)
 
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Ok, so my plan was, after reading some other threads about leaky threaded fittings (thank you @Ajw for the correct term to search for to get me a more specific forum post/thread!):

1) Get some T+2 pipe dope (check)

2) Stopper the return, shut off the pre-pump valve (er... plug didn't fully stop the water, apparently it doesn't fit as well from the inside...)

3) Removed the return hose (really quickly since the plug was leaking) and didnt get to disconnect the filter end of the high pressure hose to get at the third leaky fitting (that had to wait because water trickling out from plug...)

4) Used new pvc wrench (I wrote this out earlier and it reminded me to order a big wrench - I got a pvc wrench) to hold the return outer part to get the return-side fitting out (it was really tight but still leaking a few drips a minute)

5) Pipe dope + teflon tape + pipe dope x 3 x2 and put the fittings back on asap. (Had to get it back together quick to stop mr leaky plug). Luckily the t+2 seems to have worked despite the water literally streaming out around the threads of the fitting while I screwed it on.

So now the return hose is not leaking at either end. (Success! Partial Success!)

But I left it stoppered because it was too cold to get the high pressure hose off without heating it. So tomorrow I remove the 1 end of the high pressure hose, unscrew that fitting, do the t+2/teflon/t+2 on that one, and put it back together.

Then I get to find out if it still leaks when the pump is on, and I need to do it all again.

*sigh*
 
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Question - once it circulates for 24 hrs, do I have to do a shock, or can I bring up the FC and be good to go?

It's like 37° low tonight, so I'm hoping the cold will keep the nasties at bay until I can bring up the FC...
 
Wntrequinx said:
Question - once it circulates for 24 hrs, do I have to do a shock, or can I bring up the FC and be good to go?
Click to expand...
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test. Anytime you wonder about algae. Once you pass and raise the FC to never go near minimum again, you'll no longer wonder.

But If you ever wonder again, such as unusual daily FC loss, or pollen clouding up the pool, then OCLT again.
 
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Newdude said:
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test. Anytime you wonder about algae. Once you pass and raise the FC to never go near minimum again, you'll no longer wonder.

But If you ever wonder again, such as unusual daily FC loss, or pollen clouding up the pool, then OCLT again.
Click to expand...

I was more wondering if it was sanitary, given it may have had FC really low in parts...
How long do you have to keep the pool in the target FC to have had it kill stuff (assuming its not losing FC to killing algea or other larger less dangerous stuff)
 

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