Pool won't stay clean

Jump to latest Follow Reply
bigbrewbowski said:
How can I tell if it is indeed algae?
Click to expand...
Sometimes by the light green cloud or "poof" when brushed. Other times by trying to pinch it between your thumb and finger to check the consistency. Might be slimy. Finally it's simply the failure of the OCLT. In your AGP, you may have limited circulation, so fine dust, pollen, and other debris from the area can easily float onto the water's surface sink, then congregate in all of those seams and such.
 
bigbrewbowski said:
I brushed it and it "poofs" away in a cloud of dust.
Click to expand...
Okay. I would still do the OCLT. If you fail, you know what to do next. If you pass the OCLT, you still have the option of increasing to MA level for 24 hrs.
 
Texas Splash said:
......In your AGP, you may have limited circulation, so fine dust, pollen, and other debris from the area can easily float onto the water's surface sink, then congregate in all of those seams and such.
Click to expand...
Ok this trigged a bell to go off in my head.

I did my pool DIY. I picked all the equipment, did all the piping, figured it out as I went along.

I have a variable speed pump, and have been running it at less than 1/2 speed. Is it possible that I'm running it too slow?

One more thing, The return jet is pointed somewhat down but not as far down as it could be. Here's a picture. Does it need to be pointed at the bottom of the pool?
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20240706_180553015.jpg
    PXL_20240706_180553015.jpg
    485.4 KB · Views: 1
Texas Splash said:
Half speed with your VSP should be around 1,700 rpm and that should be fine. You can try adjusting the return jet eyeballs, sometimes it helps, but it only pushes so far.
Click to expand...
I was running 6 hours at 1500, 6 hours at 1250, and 12 hours at 950. I ran it for about 6 hours yesterday at 2500, and overnight at 1800.

Passed OCLT. Will hop in to clean it soon. I had to clean it 2x yesterday, it got really dirty.

It was overcast and rainy, FC barely dropped yesterday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Texas Splash
Hello! The next time you pull those steps out, do yourself a favor and get rid of ALL of the sand. Clean thoroughly. You can drill extra holes for circulation if you like. Then just allow them to fill with water, and every now and then, inject them with some chlorine water to prevent algae.

I’ve got a gross picture that shows what the inside of my steps looked like with sand, and this was when I pulled them out of my absolutely pristine Intex when I was replacing it with my current pool.

IMG_0225.jpeg

You can easily make weights to keep them from floating. Some use a couple of empty bleach bottles, filled with pea gravel and chlorine water and tightly capped, then hung from the underside of the steps.

Is your area somewhat windy? I noticed you have completely graveled the area around your pool, but the neighbor’s yard appears to be a bit sandy. You may be dealing with fine silt blowing into your pool.

Have you popped your filter open to get a look at your cartridge? That could provide some hints as well.
 
kellyfair said:
Hello! The next time you pull those steps out, do yourself a favor and get rid of ALL of the sand. Clean thoroughly. You can drill extra holes for circulation if you like. Then just allow them to fill with water, and every now and then, inject them with some chlorine water to prevent algae.

I’ve got a gross picture that shows what the inside of my steps looked like with sand, and this was when I pulled them out of my absolutely pristine Intex when I was replacing it with my current pool.



You can easily make weights to keep them from floating. Some use a couple of empty bleach bottles, filled with pea gravel and chlorine water and tightly capped, then hung from the underside of the steps.

Is your area somewhat windy? I noticed you have completely graveled the area around your pool, but the neighbor’s yard appears to be a bit sandy. You may be dealing with fine silt blowing into your pool.

Have you popped your filter open to get a look at your cartridge? That could provide some hints as well.
Click to expand...

Gross ladder. I'll keep that in mind. I did pour bleach down into the ladder before I closed it up. I may drill some holes so I can add more bleach during the rest of the Summer.

Our neighbor behind us cut down the trees and is building a house. Last Summer there was a huge dirt hill, and I initially thought that was what was getting into the pool. This Summer it's smaller, and weeds have grown over most of the area. I figure it was dead algae, not fine silt. I was getting a lot less of the gunk with higher FC. I've also had 0 CC for the last 1.5 days.

I was meaning to clean the cartridge, but haven't gotten around to. But now that I have been running the pump at much higher speeds, the brown gunk has pretty much entirely gone away. FC is stable, and the pool is looking great. Thanks again to @Texas Splash who provided the clue about pool circulation!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Texas Splash

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply