OK, I had no idea it looked like this. Yeah, this is not pollen or dust or dirt. When I said I had the same issue, I mean that I get 3 or 4 spots where it collects in an indentation in the floor of my pool - like a dent from sombody's heel. A few spots the size of a quarter. You have a serious outbreak going on.
Constant Dirt in Pool
- Thread starter Chrismoyer
- Start date
OK, I had no idea it looked like this. Yeah, this is not pollen or dust or dirt. When I said I had the same issue, I mean that I get 3 or 4 spots where it collects in an indentation in the floor of my pool - like a dent from sombody's heel. A few spots the size of a quarter. You have a serious outbreak going on.
Yeah, that was my original problem. Isolated spots. But once I pulled out the stairs I figured out that there were pounds of that stuff in there and the pump was causing some of it to come out into the main part of the pool, causing those pockets. This picture is what happened when I took out the stairs.
It’s going! Lol. Started last night. Almost 24 hours in and it’s looking pretty good.How's the SLAM going?
Great.
Now make sure you have some P.O.P. on hand (Pool Owner Patience) and SLAM away.
Also we love pictures.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,783
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Spray them with diluted bleach & scrub all the nooks & crannies of them inside & out. Rinse well. How are they weighed down? If its loose aggregate that’s exposed to water (sand or gravel) find another way that’s sealed. I use concrete filled bleach jugs with duct tape before capping. They are hung under the steps with a rope. Others have made capped pvc pipe weights.
You also may need to drill extra holes in the steps for circulation purposes & so u can access the hidden areas with a brush or hose while they are in the pool to prevent build up. (I use a bottle brush)
Post a pic of the steps & we can give u ideas.
Algae forms biofilms to protect itself from chlorine- this must be brushed to allow the chlorine to reach the algae.
If you saw my picture of what it looked like when I removed the stairs, you will see there is an obvious difference lol. Not quite there yet but I’m confident it will work out!
Attachments
The stairs are weighed down with sealed containers full of sand. Unfortunately, with the way the stairs are designed, I don’t think I can effectively clean them even with additional holes. I will probably just need to pull them out once a season and really clean them.
Attachments
Much better. Keep up the SLAM. You will be amazed how "sparkly" the water will look when the algae is all gone.
When we used "sealed" bags of sand, they leaked, and algae invaded them. We now have sand in pvc pipe with glued end caps. They do the trick.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,783
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Mine have a ballast that goes in a hole just like that - the pool installers put sand in it before I could stop them. He assured me it wouldn’t be a problem & that the steps wouldn’t move . It quickly turned green & nasty in the ballast & it got sand/dirt in the pool every time u took it out to check it
It is also not near enough weight to adequately weigh down the steps hence the concrete/sand filled sealed bleach jugs. Without them the steps will just float away.
Even with the jugs they move so to be really secure they need to be attached to the deck.
I added lots of holes all around the bottom after the 1st algae battle. Then more after each subsequent algae battle. I think I have it good now.
Fwiw- I have NEVER allowed my fc to fall below minimum for my cya. Poor circulation in the steps caused my issues each time. Each time I resisted pulling the steps because its a pain but it caused things to drag on. The last time I got very aggressive & put large holes so I could get a brush in there around the lip at the bottom on a regular basis as well as shove the hose in there when i top off the pool. No more issues since.
I love their functionality but they aren’t without their downsides & need for tweaks.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,783
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Gopherboy6956
Well-known member
Not to Hijack the OP's thread - but I've got a few updates to share.
Now before I go to far, I will be doing a SLAM, just couldn't this weekend as we had expected pool traffic. I'm not losing chlorine very fast at all, so I could hold off.
Yesterday I took my time vac'ing the pool before we used it - and I attached one of those 1 micron filter bags to my return (same as the slime bag, just like 1/6th the cost). While it DID catch a lot and get very dirty - today, I had more of the same in the pool when I opened. So - i'm left to assume it's algae and not just silt / dirt etc.
I was actually able to get up close photos of the stuff today as well, hoping @duraleigh or @mariane can verify.
So - conclusions, those filters DO work to catch stuff the sand filter doesn't always, with plenty of flow if you get a big enough one. I'll probably use one going forward (because it's easy now that I built it) whenever i clean the pool. I also probably have algae and will slam this next week and see what happens.
Just a refresher, you leave the filter running 24/7 during a SLAM, correct?
Here's some photo context:
Post Filter bag before use
Post Filter bag after use 1
Post Filter bag after use 2
Bottom of Pool 1
Bottom of Pool 2
Bottom of Pool 3
Thank you!
Now before I go to far, I will be doing a SLAM, just couldn't this weekend as we had expected pool traffic. I'm not losing chlorine very fast at all, so I could hold off.
Yesterday I took my time vac'ing the pool before we used it - and I attached one of those 1 micron filter bags to my return (same as the slime bag, just like 1/6th the cost). While it DID catch a lot and get very dirty - today, I had more of the same in the pool when I opened. So - i'm left to assume it's algae and not just silt / dirt etc.
I was actually able to get up close photos of the stuff today as well, hoping @duraleigh or @mariane can verify.
So - conclusions, those filters DO work to catch stuff the sand filter doesn't always, with plenty of flow if you get a big enough one. I'll probably use one going forward (because it's easy now that I built it) whenever i clean the pool. I also probably have algae and will slam this next week and see what happens.
Just a refresher, you leave the filter running 24/7 during a SLAM, correct?
Here's some photo context:
Post Filter bag before use
Post Filter bag after use 1
Post Filter bag after use 2
Bottom of Pool 1
Bottom of Pool 2
Bottom of Pool 3
Thank you!
Gopherboy,
My opinion has it that your filter is throwing the stuff right back in the pool. I could see possibly very slight stuff maybe coming back but that much tells me the filter isn't holding any of it. I'd investigate the filter and fix whatever it is before you go any further.
My opinion has it that your filter is throwing the stuff right back in the pool. I could see possibly very slight stuff maybe coming back but that much tells me the filter isn't holding any of it. I'd investigate the filter and fix whatever it is before you go any further.
Gopherboy6956
Well-known member
I just don't understand how it would be doing that. What would I even look for?
When i used the 1 micron bag to completely clean the pool, the stuff still showed up the day after too.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,783
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Is the stuff squishy/slimy or is it gritty? Kinda looks like sand to me.
May be best to start a new thread with your issue as it gets confusing.
Does it "poof" when you try to vacuum it? If it does, it's algae. But I agree it looks like sand and debris. Also, I think algae would leave the bag greenish, not brown.
Also as Mdragger88 wrote: it would be good for you to start your own new thread so it gets other's attention.
Update: I did not do the OCLT. I know, I’m a terrible person lol. I forgot to do it before church Sunday morning and then we used the pool for Fathers Day and every day since, basically. This is a picture from today, pool still looks amazing 3 days later. I feel like the SLAM definitely did the trick. I will continue to maintain target FC levels and will probably do an OCLT soon. And, yes, those are PVC hand rails. The original rails were rusting through and cost $350 to replace!! I made these for $30. We will see how long they last. Thank you to everyone who helped me through this process!!
It's TFP's pleasure to help out fellow pool owners.
The reward is seeing "sparkly" pool pics
The reward is seeing "sparkly" pool pics