Dream Home.....Nightmare Pool

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C

czipper

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May 12, 2014
87
Long Island, NY
Moved in December. I didn't really want a pool, but it came with the best house for us, so I'll make it work. Pool hasn't been opened in 2 years. Thankfully it was covered, but the cover wasn't tight and sagged into the water most of the winter, and the pool is surrounded by many mature trees that love to spew their junk all over the pool and surrounding deck, and without anyone removing that for 2 years it was a mess underneath. After spending so much time researching pool care that my wife gave me dirty looks, I decided that TFP approach just makes the most sense so I am all in. Got my test kit, and I am already to go, chemical testing is a natural for me....
I read up on SLAMing and started a couple days ago. Trying to plot my progress (I attached a PDF of my initial days numbers and protocol, just like a lab report!). Started after leslie's opened my pool (worth it the first time, probably never have them do it again because it aint that hard as long as you have a friend). The tech threw in the 4 packets of CaOCl 73% that I had lying around before I realized, but turns out that the Calcium is on the low side so it didnt hurt anything. Only Liquid Chlorine from now on (12.5% NaOCl, "liquid shock" as everyone on LI calls it). CYA is well below detectable, So far have only added 1 bottle of instant CYA, not nearly enough to bring it up. However its not hot and nasty up here on LI yet, the pool is kind of shady most of the day and I can bring up the CYA when I am finished SLAMing and save on some Chlorine (Didn't want to have scour local sources for dozens of gallons!) I am on day 4 as of this posting, wish I had taken photos on day 1, although day 3 still looks rough as you can see. My daily numbers are posted, as well as details of what I added. The end of day on 5/14 the FC was down to 12.
The SLAMing will take time, I know, Especially because I still have to go to work and help care for a 1 and 4 year old so things like vacuuming and brushing can't be constant (Particularly when meine frau keeps looking out the window saying "aren't you done with that YET?"). I am concerned about a couple other things, the liner is coming away from the coping in 5 places (the worst is shown here). Local pool services dont seem keen on calling me back about this, I guess it is pool opening season or something....I'll go home and take today's FC. Three full gallons of NaOCL 12.5 ready to go!
 

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I hope i finally figered out the signature thing (I don't do the web that well actually). I have my concerns about the pump and filter too. the pump is loud, there are small plumbing leaks all over. The DE Filter seemed to be spewing DE into the pool on startup but doesnt look like it is doing so now. The equipment is not tip top (nothing else in the house was either) but it works. For how long who knows, but how do I know if i should replace my DE filter? how do I know if my pump is going to die? I feel that both are a certainty, given my experience with everything else in this house, but they keep going.

ALSO for vacuuming large amounts of sludge from the bottom that doesnt get trapped in the skimmer, can I run a DE filter without DE until the bulk of the sludge is picked up, and then backwash and setup with DE again as normal?
 
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Low calcium does not matter in a vinyl pool, but high CH can be a problem still.

I have no experience with liners, but I almost wonder if you should deal with that first before the chemistry ... the pool may need to be at least partially drained to fix it or you may need a new liner ... but again, I don't know.

DE should not be getting into the pool, that points to a problem in the filter. You should at least open it up and inspect everything. You sig is not clear what you have, but this may help: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/72506-DE-Filter-Cleaning-Tutorial
You should NOT run the filter without DE though as it will clog up the grids. Do you have a recirculate function on your backwash valve? That could be used to bypass the filter. For vacuuming, do you have a waste function? If not, just vacuum in filter mode and then backwash.
 
I dont have a good source for this but I feel like I have read it a few times... You dont want to run your DE filter for any substantial amount of time without being charged with DE... (something like a few minutes here and there due to cleaning the filter and promptly re-charging) Those filter grids are very expensive compared to a 25lb bag of DE material and I wouldn't risk it...

That said if the pump has been off for a long time and there was air in the lines/filter then in my experience it will shoot some DE out through the returns when first coming on... It will also usually shoot some DE out into the pool after cleaning the filter initially... I usually just sweep it back into one of the drains or vacuum it up right back into the filter... By some I mean probably 1-2lbs of the stuff will settle visibly on the bottom of the pool. I wouldnt worry about it too much unless it is constantly blowing back into the pool...

Hopefully this helps and good luck with the liner!
 
I have never see a hint of any DE getting passed to my pool with either my old pool, or the current with the old crushed grids or with my new grids. So I am not sure how normal that is ... especially a few pounds ... that is a LOT.
 
Good Luck with your little project! Get that liner looked at! Looks like the corners are out. Is that the only place?
 
Tis the season, as they say. Everyone is in the hot seat. Not enough hours in the day to return phone calls.
The liner can probably be fixed. I wouldn't wait tho to begin balancing the pool. Even if they have to a partial drain or whatever... You'll be in better shape when the time comes than you are right now... Any tweaks to the chemistry should be somewhat minor...
 

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jblizzle said:
Low calcium does not matter in a vinyl pool, but high CH can be a problem still.

I have no experience with liners, but I almost wonder if you should deal with that first before the chemistry ... the pool may need to be at least partially drained to fix it or you may need a new liner ... but again, I don't know.

DE should not be getting into the pool, that points to a problem in the filter. You should at least open it up and inspect everything. You sig is not clear what you have, but this may help: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/72506-DE-Filter-Cleaning-Tutorial
You should NOT run the filter without DE though as it will clog up the grids. Do you have a recirculate function on your backwash valve? That could be used to bypass the filter. For vacuuming, do you have a waste function? If not, just vacuum in filter mode and then backwash.
Click to expand...

The pool tech that opened me up said he couldn't identify a brand on the filter (there is no tag) and that it looked like a Frankenstein filter (assuming he meant assembled from parts of different filters). There is what looks to be a pretty standard Hayward valve (trying to sound as if I know what I am talking about, I wouldnt know what a standard pool valve was if it came up and asked me to dance).

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frustratedpoolmom said:
Tis the season, as they say. Everyone is in the hot seat. Not enough hours in the day to return phone calls.
The liner can probably be fixed. I wouldn't wait tho to begin balancing the pool. Even if they have to a partial drain or whatever... You'll be in better shape when the time comes than you are right now... Any tweaks to the chemistry should be somewhat minor...
Click to expand...

I sure hope it can be fixed. As near as I can tell no water has gotten in behind, I see no evidence of floating. The previous owners indicated the liner was replaced 3 years ago, but I don't trust them at all so i have no idea.
 
Day 4, Kind of breezy and the trees are making it rain nasty reproductive organs.
See what I scooped out of one skimmer, and what accumulated there in the time it took me to get my phone and snap a picture!
Day 4 not much over day 3 in the picture, but it is clearer up close for sure.
Managed to get a complete raking and brush session in! Frank called me back about the liner FINALLY! BUT I wasn't near my phone and missed the call DOH! We'll see if I can ever get a hold of that guy, or any other guy/gal to come look at my liner. In the mean time I put some plastic bag over the corners weighed down by empty NaOCL bottels full of H2O in hope to keep the impending rain waters out of the liner. I just hope it holds...
 
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WELL the pool 's hose outlet valve broke and didn't shut off properly the last time I used it, so now the pool is OVERFILLED. I told you about the level of maintenance from the previous homeowners....Drained it back down to useable levels pumping to waste. The whole tree organ thing is out of control, but despite that the pool is getting a little better each day.
I also re-worked my numbers chart, an re-post it here.
 
Skimmed all the tree junk, scooped big stuff from the bottom (quite clear all the way down!) and vacuumed. Vacuuming really sucks, it goes so slow. Suspecting my filter may not be working to well. If my DE filter is leaking slowly how would I know? The sun was out today, making todays photo a little nicer than previous days when it was overcast. Still just a little progress each day keeps me going. Just wondering at this rate how long until the deep end won't be green anymore (which I am expecting is the endpoint?)

Got a hold of Frank, who wasn't too encouraging about my liner, but he can't come out until Thursay (6 days after I spoke with him).
 
The pool is looking great so far! If you haven't been brushing the pool, I would suggest you do so, especially while SLAM'ing the pool as it will help expose the algae a little more so the chlorine can penetrate and kill it faster. :goodjob:
 
You are getting close, just hang in there, and look back over the progress you have made in the photos.

Ike

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You are getting close, just hang in there, and look back over the progress you have made in the photos.

Ike
 

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