Circulation Problems?

Jun 17, 2015
19
Houston, Tx
I am a new pool owner. The pool just got finished in May.

I struggled at first to keep my chemicals stable and water clear, but then I found TFP. I did a SLAM, I add .5-1 gallon of bleach everyday and my water has been crystal clear with very stable numbers.

The one thing that still bothers me is all the visible debris I see in the water. During the day you can not see it, but at night near the light it is very apparent that there is a lot of "stuff" floating around my pool. I have attached a pic of my water during the day and one at night.water_day.jpgwater_night.jpg

I am now wondering if I am having a circulation problem and my water is not getting filtered appropriately. The specs on my pump say it should do 142 gallons a minute. I run my pump 8 hours a day which should turn my water over more than twice a day.

So that makes me question my plumbing. My experience with my pool builder was less than great and I wouldn't be surprised I have a problem with my circulation but I don't really know how to be sure.

So my question is how do I test my circulation? When I feel that pressure coming out of the returns I can pretty easily stop the water with my thumb. Is that typical? When I dive down to the bottom of the pool I can not feel any suction from the intakes at the bottom of the pool. Is this typical? Is the suction that usually goes through these pretty imperceptible? Being a new pool owner I just don't really know what is normal.

Thanks for any input or suggestions.
 
In front of the light at night you will be able to see more debris in the water than in the daytime. It doesn't mean there is a problem with circulation or filtration. Pollen, air born dust, and particulate too fine for your filter to catch will show up at night in the lights.

How often do you need to vacuum?

How long has it been since the slam was completed? It may take awhile to filter out the finer debris.

You should not feel strong suction at the main drain. There should be two main drains plumbed side by side, far enough apart that you cannot lie across and block both of them. They operate together, either both on or both off to prevent entrapment.

How long has it been since the cartridges were cleaned? How often do you brush the pool? Curing plaster releases a lot of plaster dust,and that may be what you are seeing as well.
 
i have that stuff in my pool when the light is on at night also. it drives me crazy, and i think the water is dirty. glad to see its not just me.

i run 8-12 hours 1500rpm on intelliflo VS
 
I run my pump 24/7 @ 1200rpm. Still have particulates under a spotlight.
It seems better though at a lower rpm. Maybe the high flow stirs up debris that would normally sink to the bottom. I run the robot on a quick cycle 2-3 times a week.
I don't really care. It's crystal clear in the day and the chem levels are fine.
 
My old plaster finish had that problem when we first bought our house. With the new finish it may just be plaster dust is my guess. Our pebble sheen doesn't have it anymore.
 
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.