We got a swamp with the new house

rstarke · May 1, 2023

Hello, guys! My family just moved to southern Texas and with the house we got a pool. Unfortunately the previous owners did not close the pool properly so the whole ground was covered in leaves and other gunk. As so many others before us we walked into Leslies and a very animated guy told us we could get free water samping done and they would send us home with a care package. That care package ultimately was granular shock because 0 FC in the pool. Since we didn't know any better we dumped it in the pool thinking great swimming next. But suprise suprise the shock did not do anything and the next time we went in they sold us more. So I started resaerching and am glad to say I found this site and some great info on what's going on in a pool and what components are relevant to pool chemistry. So I got the TF-100 now and it works great in combination with the Pool Math app. Another very frustrating thing about the pool is that the INTEX components (intake and returns) were just plugged together and the return would just randomly pop off spraying pool water through the whole backyard so I ended up replacing everything with 1.5 inch PVC and the throughput and water movement is way better then before. I still have one leaking gasket I have to replace but it does not loose a lot of water so not the biggest concern. I am thinking of getting a surface level skimmer though because the tree right next to and above the pool is shedding a lot of organic stuff

Unfortunately I did not take any before pictures but I have been slamming for 1-1/2 weeks now and there is good progress but the filter is working hard to remove the desolved stuff. So I guess it'll take a little bit more time to go for a swim.

Here are some pics
* the tape just covers some pretty sharp metal clamps
* last picture shows the intake being barely visible through the cloudy water
* outside cleanup and better cord management are planned but inside first

PoolStored · May 1, 2023

Welcome to TFP!!! :shark:

You are correct, it will take a while for that filter to clean the pool, it will do it, might take a moment...congrats on progress!!!

Kaylee34 · May 2, 2023

Welcome to TFP! You'll be swimming in that pool before you know it.

Mdragger88 · May 3, 2023

Cool pool!
Keep with the
SLAM Process - make sure you’re using the correct fc level
FC/CYA Levels (if between 2 values round up)
Test & replenish fc as often as you can to help things go faster.
Sand filters definitely take the longest to clear - especially little ones!
You may want to try a deep clean of the sand if it’s not new as who knows what might be in there gunking things up (pool store potions

etc)

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...

www.google.com

If you’ve confirmed your sand is in good shape then you can try to add a little bit of de to help catch the fine stuff, this may be tricky without a skimmer.

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.

www.google.com

About the skimmer- there’s lots of threads here about cutting in a regular above ground skimmer. They cost about the same as one of those intex floating ones. A skimmer is definitely a game changer.

rstarke · May 3, 2023

Mdragger88 said:
Cool pool!
Keep with the
SLAM Process - make sure you’re using the correct fc level
FC/CYA Levels (if between 2 values round up)
Test & replenish fc as often as you can to help things go faster.
Sand filters definitely take the longest to clear - especially little ones!
You may want to try a deep clean of the sand if it’s not new as who knows what might be in there gunking things up (pool store potions etc)

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...

www.google.com

If you’ve confirmed your sand is in good shape then you can try to add a little bit of de to help catch the fine stuff, this may be tricky without a skimmer.

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.

www.google.com

About the skimmer- there’s lots of threads here about cutting in a regular above ground skimmer. They cost about the same as one of those intex floating ones. A skimmer is definitely a game changer.

Hi thanks for all the good advice!
I was really thinking of doing the skimmer right away but ended up having my hands full learning about PVC plumbing and cutting three holes in the pool for the bulkheads. I also wanted to see how the FlexPVC faired and Ican only say that is was an absolute pain and I regret using it. It is way stiffer than I anticipated which makes it even harder to use then just straight pipe. I would be open to advice on how to relief stress on rigid PVC from the movements of an above ground pool.
But yeah the skimmer, a better plumbing solution with shutoffs and a better equipment pad are definitely on the list.

Would you suggest a bigger sand filter for this size pool and if yes is there any specific ones you can recommend? I am going to open ours up this weekend to check if it is gunked up. I can say for sure that the pre owners used pool store stuff as there was a large tub of chlorine tabs and 6-in-1 test strips in the garage when we bought the house.

Thanks again and I'll post a picture of the inside of the sand filter as soon as I get to it.

Mdragger88 · May 3, 2023

A bigger filter is always better lol

The saying goes- get the biggest filter you can afford & also still fit in your space.
Lots of folks use regular pvc on those pools without issue - many threads here about it.
The most important valve(s) in my opinion is on the returns - you could get by with just one right by the pump & it would make emptying the pump basket much easier & less like a water park.
If you want a fountain you may need a valve on that return to control flow so it doesn’t shoot across the pool or something. I also used a valve on the other return to control how fast my intex cleaner went.
Ball valves are pretty crummy in general & are not real robust but I have had better experiences with ones that look like this

Than the ones that look like this

They ones with the squared off handle seem to operate more smoothly (you should lubricate all of them regardless) & don’t crack as bad/break off not sure why. Some places carry a grey version that’s nice as well.
The last ones I got had a union on 1 side which was also nice.

rstarke · May 4, 2023

Lots of folks use regular pvc on those pools without issue - many threads here about it.

I read an experience report not too long ago of a guy who made a Youtube video where he converted his INTEX pool to rigid PVC and he had some major issues with pool movent causing leaks in his system. So I was a bit scared to go that route. But maybe a decoupling somewhere might have been enough.
I'll make sure I research it here some more before I go and change anything

Mdragger88 · May 4, 2023

rstarke said:
I read an experience report not too long ago of a guy who made a Youtube video where he converted his INTEX pool to rigid PVC and he had some major issues with pool movent causing leaks in his system. So I was a bit scared to go that route. But maybe a decoupling somewhere might have been enough.
I'll make sure I research it here some more before I go and change anything

To be honest, the flex pvc is fine - you may want to add a 45 coming off the filter if you can find one that’s not dwv since it’s cocked a little. But that stuff is expensive so I wouldn’t rush to replace it entirely. On my intex pools I had a mix of hoses & pvc. I currently have the same on my big pool due to the location of my equipment.

rstarke · Jun 6, 2023

Little update on the pool:
It is fairly clear now 3 weeks of SLAM. Since then I am working on the pH balance and am pretty close now. Still have slow rising pH due to slightly raised TA but getting close. The liquid clorine shocking has worked really well and the main reason it took 3 weeks was the totally undersized and weirdly constructed sand filter. I also probably could have brushed and vacuumed a little more but you know how it is

I am also adding a skimmer and some 3-way diverter valves into the plumbing since the amount of bugs and leaves is just insane. I'll also go down to one intake plus skimmer and put the pump and filter back on a proper base with hard-plumbing between the two. I'll also add a second return line that I can use as accessory port for a fountain and return side vacuum.

But I am another very happy TFP user! This site has so many good resources on how everything works together and how to approach things!

Mdragger88 · Jun 6, 2023

3 weeks is a long time- have you passed an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test ?
Also, the ph test is inaccurate at fc levels above 10ppm. So don’t test or adjust it until fc falls or you risk over correcting.
You have it a little backwards regarding ta & ph . The higher the ta the faster the ph rise.

Managing pH and Total Alkalinity - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

If using
PoolMath you can share your logs in the settings

Newdude · Jun 6, 2023

Make sure you square up the pipes on the valves. The bottom one is considerably off.

rstarke · Jun 7, 2023

Mdragger88 said:
3 weeks is a long time- have you passed an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test ?
Also, the ph test is inaccurate at fc levels above 10ppm. So don’t test or adjust it until fc falls or you risk over correcting.
You have it a little backwards regarding ta & ph . The higher the ta the faster the ph rise.

Managing pH and Total Alkalinity - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

If using
PoolMath you can share your logs in the settings

It mainly took three weeks for the measly filter to clear the debris. But it was very warm so I kept the SLAM level to prevent a setback. Since then I let the FC levels drop to 4 which is suggested by PoolMath and only then took my pH readings. My results are actually linked in my signature -> Pool Math Logs. I passed the overnight test while still slamming but had not yet achieved clear water and 0 CC.
I understand the relation between TA and pH and since my TA was 180 when I started (I think it was that high because the pool was neglected for almost 6 months) I expected rising pH levels. I was able to drop it down to 150 and added more muratic acid yesterday so I am probably looking at 130 now, just a guess though I'll be testing tomorrow again. So I wasn't suprised to see my pH still rising and hope to get it steady soon when the TA comes down enough. I was reading both the article you linked and the borates one before I started adjusting. As far as I can tell from the limited time with the pool though I'll be looking and high TA and pH and need to adjust for those. So I'll hold off on the Borax for now and see if it's necessary.

Newdude said:
Make sure you square up the pipes on the valves. The bottom one is considerably off.

Haha I didn't even realize how distorted the image was in the bottom. All the pipes are almost perfectly square since I cut them on a square cut rig. But the wide angle lens on the phone really distorts the bottom and top of the photo. But thanks anyway. I'll check everything before gluing/welding again just to make sure!

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