Tons of debris + constantly tearing filters

[astead]

We've had this pool for about 8 years now (previous owner built it). Its very close to a very large eucalyptus tree, the medicinal kind which is also used in flower arrangements. Needless to say, it drops tons of leaves and sometimes small twigs/branches (hardly ever thicker than my pinky finger) into the pool, and lately what seems like thousands of a certain kind of beetle larvae. When we moved in they had a jandy energy filter and manual switching of the jandy valve to clean and just filter. I removed the jandy enery filter and just had the cleaner line coming off the main filter, as I heard those energy filters can break and then drain your pool without you knowing it. I also got a bigger cleaner than what was installed, but still went with a non-booster pump cleaner still with a dual speed pump.

With all these changes, at least the sweep has been automated, but the filter cartridges keep tearing, and I typically replace all 4 of them every year. I can tell they are torn because I get stuff clogging the inline filter for the cleaner in the wall of the pool, so things are getting past the filter. I just replaced them a couple months ago and I'm already seeing stuff come through the filter. When this happens it seems as if the filters are practically ineffective and the pool gets dirty with stuff floating in the water not getting filtered. It also makes the sweep grind to a crawl as its inline filter gets jammed full of stuff and causes extra work for the pump.

Every other pool I've seen uses a booster pump cleaner, and I have been wondering if pushing the water on high speed through the filter is whats causing the tearing filters. I've been debating:
- going back to an energy filter and bypassing the main filter while running the pump on high speed for the sweep
- getting a booster pump and replacing my cleaner, so I can run the pump on low speed only. Not sure if pulling through the filter would be as damaging as pushing through it.

I'm not sure what the best option is, or if there is another way to (as automated as possible) have a clean pool.
Here is a picture of the pool, where you can see the eucalyptus tree in the background:

 

[duraleigh]

What is the point of the energy filter and are you using it? Is it installed before your primary filter or after it?

 

[pooldv]

Sounds like you have a suction cleaner which sucks up debris and carries it back to the filter. A booster pump cleaner is a pressure cleaner. The booster pump adds extra water pressure to the cleaner to blow water through the cleaner to pick up debris off the floor into the cleaner bag. Nothing goes to the filter so that would help your situation. Or a robot cleaner would also keep debris from moving to your filter. Or a leaf rake to scoop out sticks first. Is it seasonal or does it drop sticks all the time? If all the time then I would cut it down.

I don't understand how sticks are getting to your filter in the first place. The skimmer basket should catch them and then the pump strainer should catch them.

 

[Richard320]

How about adding an inline leaf canister?

 

[mas985]

Are you sure the cartridges are actually tearing? Have seen the tears in the fabric? Sometimes the cartridges don't seat properly in the manifold and debris can sneak by them. There may be something wrong with the manifold too.

 

[astead]

What is the point of the energy filter and are you using it? Is it installed before your primary filter or after it?

I believe its a smaller filter that's used in the cleaner line that bypasses the main filter. I removed it and don't have it anymore after someone told me they break and if you aren't watching it will run the pump and drain your pool.

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Sounds like you have a suction cleaner which sucks up debris and carries it back to the filter. A booster pump cleaner is a pressure cleaner. The booster pump adds extra water pressure to the cleaner to blow water through the cleaner to pick up debris off the floor into the cleaner bag. Nothing goes to the filter so that would help your situation. Or a robot cleaner would also keep debris from moving to your filter. Or a leaf rake to scoop out sticks first. Is it seasonal or does it drop sticks all the time? If all the time then I would cut it down.

I don't understand how sticks are getting to your filter in the first place. The skimmer basket should catch them and then the pump strainer should catch them.

Its year round. Sticks don't normally make it to the filter, they sit in the bottom of the pool till I fish them out. We have a pressure cleaner, but it doesn't use a booster pump, it runs by turning the pump onto high speed. I've researched the robots a bit, but I don't know how well it would do with the amount of stuff getting into the pool and I'd have to go put it in every day and then take it out. (I've read its not safe to leave it in the pool all the time and the chlorine can cause more damage over time that way)

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How about adding an inline leaf canister?

These are on the suction side, right? I've used one in the past with a vacuum attachment when it gets really bad after a storm, but without a suction cleaner it wouldn't work automatically.

 

[morzh]

aren't skimmer basket and the pump skimmer basket for this?

 

[astead]

Are you sure the cartridges are actually tearing? Have seen the tears in the fabric? Sometimes the cartridges don't seat properly in the manifold and debris can sneak by them. There may be something wrong with the manifold too.

I haven't seen tears in the fabric. Is there anything I should check for in the manifold?

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aren't skimmer basket and the pump skimmer basket for this?

Yeah. Our skimmer basket and pump basket are normally full of stuff. Maybe I just need to clean them out more often. I currently try to clean out the skimmer basket once a week, but sometimes it goes two weeks. The pump basket gets cleaned out every three weeks or so.

 

[mas985]

I haven't seen tears in the fabric. Is there anything I should check for in the manifold?

Tears in the fabric should be pretty obvious so that may not be the cause. I would inspect the other parts to look for cracks, holes or pieces missing. Also, there is a very small filter screen that goes on the air purge tube and if that is missing or missing the screen, that can allow debris to reenter the pool. See number 12 below:

 

[astead]

Thanks! I'll try and check that out either tonight or another night before this weekend.

 

[jobondur]

Anybody else think that's a sketchy looking diving board to have your kid jumping off of? The slide looks fine but that diving board looks like an accident waiting to happen.

 

[AprilsZoo]

Yeah. Our skimmer basket and pump basket are normally full of stuff. Maybe I just need to clean them out more often. I currently try to clean out the skimmer basket once a week, but sometimes it goes two weeks. The pump basket gets cleaned out every three weeks or so.

I think as long as you have the tree you are going to have to resign yourself to checking and cleaning out the baskets *much* more often.

I check my skimmer everyday, and sometimes more than once, if I know that there is likely to have been a lot of debris blown into my pool (i.e. monsoon season).
My pump gets a visual "look-see" everyday at the same time as my skimmer, and opened and cleaned as necessary based on what I see-- prob. once every week or so, sometimes longer.

I'm pretty sure that most people, even those who do not have litter-heavy foliage in their yard, check their skimmer, etc. a lot more frequently than you indicate.

Could you at least look to see how full they are every day, when you are doing other things in the pool, like brushing, running the net around the surface, checking the chlorine, swimming, etc?
I would expect that when your skimmer and pump basket are filled with debris, it is harder on your pump and affects your entire filtration/circulation cycle.

I'm curious: if you aren't seeing any visible tears in the filters, specifically what is it that led you to the conclusion that they are "constantly tearing"?

 

[CUTiger78]

Anybody else think that's a sketchy looking diving board to have your kid jumping off of? The slide looks fine but that diving board looks like an accident waiting to happen.

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