New Pool Owner - First Day Today

[kimkats]

There is some stuff you need to get to lube the rubber o-rings. Here is a link to what some of it looks like.

Amazon.com : Lube Tube - Pool Gasket Lubricant : Swimming Pool Water Pumps : Patio, Lawn Garden

No Vaseline or such.

This will make it easier to get that pump lid off and on and sealed.

Rock in basket. Take it out and see what happens. Mine stays in without any problem and it might block the hole going into the pump.

To super filter your pool try this:

Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter

Now my word of caution. You need to be able to baby sit the pool when you do this at the start until you learn what your filter likes.

Add 1/4 cup at a time. See what your new gauge says. You are looking for a 1 psi rise. Some pools really react to 1/4, some need 2 cups so................keep an eye on it. Keep checking it every once in a while after adding it as the pressure might rise as it polishes your water.

If your pressure goes up too high turn off the pump and turn your lever to backwash and backwash it out and start again. We had one person that could only add a tablespoon to his pool.

When you backwash you will need to add some more as it will go out with the water.

Your FC looks good.

Can you read the heads/tails on a coin in your deep end?

Kim

 

[Cinic]

Thanks for the o-ring lube link.

I'll check a quarter this afternoon.

FC this morning was 9.0. So a 0.5 drop overnight.

Any particular type of DE to buy if I try this method? Something particularly noted for pools?

 

[DaninFLA]

DE can be found at most Lowes/Home Depot. just make sure you buy the DE that's sold in the pool section, not the landscaping stuff

 

[pooldv]

Chlorine usage is starting to get to normal range.

Chlorine level is set based on CYA and the Chlorine CYA Chart. So, the main priority is to never let it drop below minimum. I don't like it to even get to minimum personally. But, each pool behaves differently and I like to run mine a tad to the high side. Once you are in the day to day keep notes and you will soon understand your chlorine usage and how your pool reacts to heat, swimming, etc. It is fine, even preferred, to take FC up a couple of ppm above target before and after big swim days or lots of people in the pool. It is safe to swim with FC up shock level for your CYA. We have 70 cya and we swam daily during our SLAM a month ago with FC 25-28. So, the bottom line is a little more chlorine is quite a bit better than a little less.

I don't know why someone would put a rock in a pump strainer basket. I would take it out. People sometimes put rocks in skimmer baskets if they float up.

There is no normal or target filter pressure. There is clean pressure and then you clean the filter when pressure rises 20-25% from clean. 8 or 10 is fine.

Cloudiness is the last thing to clean up from a SLAM. Sometimes people will add DE, Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter to clear up the last bit faster.

You are doing a good job of picking this up and are definitely on the right track.

 

[Cinic]

For reference, I never did SLAM this pool. I'm guessing when we got here there was little to no chlorine but the water looked good. I'd probably been keeping the FC in the 4-7 range for a few days there with just 1/2 jug per day. With my CC numbers what they are, and the fact that I'm seemingly passing an OCLT test, I don't think I have an algae (or other) problem.

Then when I got the kit I started dialing it in. I think I'm going to shoot for centering the FC at 9. So if I have a 3 PPM average daily usage I may try to keep it from 7.5 to 10.5. Most days nobody will be in the pool anyway during the sunlight when the FC is being eaten up.

Here's a question: If my pH doesn't drift up beyond the 7.7, is there any compelling reason to try to knock down the TA? It doesn't sound difficult to lower TA. And our water features would probably provide good aeration. But I don't want to get in the habit of chasing numbers for sake of chasing numbers.

Thanks to everyone for all the help so far.

John

 

[pooldv]

Ok, that sounds fine on not slamming. That sounds like a good plan on chlorine levels. If your PH is stable then your TA is fine. If PH does rise some and you add muriatic acid to lower PH from time to time it will slowly lower your TA as well. Also keep in mind that the PH test is only good up to 10 FC, above 10 it is not valid.

 

[Cinic]

Update for today.

FC levels seemed reasonable when weighed against the swim load and storm we had yesterday. More drop than a non-swim day.

I did add some DE to the system. 3/4 cup raised the PSI from 8.5 to 9.5. It almost immediately started going up from there. I assume the filter is grabbing additional stuff from the water and increasing the pressure. I brushed the pool and it kinda spiked a couple psi. It's pretty high now at 15 only 4 hours after adding the DE. Any advice here? Should I backwash now? I'll probably turn off for the night if I don't backwash. I don't want it to get crazy overnight.

I also checked my CYA again for practice and got 90 or 100 this time. I'll do a few more of those tests to see what's real. I don't want to be under chlorinating because of bad test results. Do the pool stores check CYA? I wouldn't mind using one of them to check my work. Or are their tests more suspect than my work?

I'd greatly appreciate some advice on the filter pressures and what I should do next.

John

 

[Cinic]

Pressure got up to 17 psi and I decided to backwash. Couldn't risk it continuing to climb overnight. It's right back down to 8 or 8.5. That being said, I believe the water appears less cloudy. I think I'll try the same thing tomorrow afternoon and see if clarity continues to improve.

 

[pabeader]

Good plan.
What we say around here is that you should backwash when the pressure rises 25% over clean. So for you, when you start with 8.5, that would mean around 11. You can continue to do the DE add each time after you backwash. It sure seems to help sparkle up folks pools who have sand filters. Just watch that pressure.

 

[kimkats]

Glad the DE worked for you. If you want to add DE and not have to babysit it as much do not add quite as much. Each pool likes different amounts. Play around with yours and see what yours likes and can handle for a period of time without a HUGE spike.

Kim

 

[pooldv]

Yes, the filter pressure rising more after the DE add is the filter doing more filtering. Sometimes people will add DE and backwash every 2-3 hours a few times per day to get the water cleaned up a little faster. The 25% is not a hard and fast rule, check your water flow at the pool returns and if it is still pretty good you can go longer. All of your equipment can easily handle 50 psi or more.

By all means go a few ppm higher on your FC if you are swimming a lot, nervous about your actual CYA number or any other reason. The only downside is a few bucks wasted on extra bleach. With CYA at 90 or 100 it is safe to swim with FC up to mid-30s, so going with 10 or going with 12 is fine no matter what.

We had a bunch of folks swimming yesterday. CYA is 70, I normally keep FC at 9-10 and I bumped it to 15 and everyone had a great time. Pool was crystal clear at 11 last night and again this morning after having 10 people in and out, more in, of the pool for 12 hours straight. I haven't tested yet this morning to make sure FC stayed above 7-8 overnight. I can't tell the difference between 6, 9, 15 or even 25 when I was slamming and we were swimming. Except when we were slamming I did notice whiffs of combined chlorine from time to time. But, I kinda like that now because I know that means dead algae.

 

[Cinic]

Things going well. I added another round of DE today. Pressure only went up .5 psi this time and I let it go with that. It's only gone up about 4 psi in 7 hours so I'm letting it go overnight. Water is looking very clear.

I also added a 1/2 jug of 14.5% MA to the pool last night. It dropped the pH by a 2-3 tenths. I then left the aerator fountain on overnight and the pH was right back up to 7.7 again this afternoon and oddly my TA didn't change from 120. Probably a testing accuracy issue. That and I didn't really take the pH down all that low so it probably didn't change that much.

Two questions:
1. I have what looks like some version of a Hayward Navigator going around the bottom of the pool. Well it's not really going around all that well. Seems to stay in the deep end and not get all around to the shallow end. Are these things worth diagnosing and repairing? And when are these supposed to run? I think it was just left in the pool continuously. So it ran every night. The main jandy valve split suction between the port for the Navigator and the main drain/skimmer. I had the Navigator totally out of the pool when I was doing the DE run. I have been brushing a lot manually and going down to the bottom with the hose and sucking up any loose bits I see. I need to get a manual vacuum in the meantime.
2. I forgot with my long winded question/statement above.

 

[pooldv]

LOL! There are two kinds, suction and pressure. Suction is created by the main filter pump. Pressure side cleaners have a booster pump on a timer. Most people leave their pool vac/cleaner in the pool and they run on a timer a couple of hours a day when the pump is running. There are parts available to rebuild them or the pool store can usually rebuild them. They are not cheap.

Gonna be time for some water pics again soon!

 

[Cinic]

Guess I'll look into what specific cleaner model I have and potential replacement parts.

Pressure was 17 this morning and the water looks great. You can really tell at night with the light on. The pump will turn off shortly and I'll backwash this evening. What's the protocol with the DE? Once I'm happy with the water, stop adding it? Or do this process whenever the water looks like it needs some extra 'sparkle'? I don't know exactly what was in the water making it cloudy that the DE removed.

Here's another question: Vacuum hoses? When I was running the DE Saturday, I pulled out the cleaner and hoses and put them in a poolside storage box which coiled the hoses. The hoses seem to have taken a 'set' at some of the tighter turns and they're not straight anymore. Are they ruined? Should I pull them out and set them in the sun straight? Are they old and need replacing?

 

[DaninFLA]

if your pH is rising quick, sounds like it, you need to try and lower you TA. you should be lowering your pH to 7.2 for this process and letting it rise to 7.7 or 7.8 or so and then doing it again. will take a few weeks but your TA should start to lower and as it does, the pH rise will slow down. you will not have to lower it as often as you go along. you keep lowering it until your pH starts to be pretty stable and/or your pH rise slows down enough.

 

[Cinic]

The pH has never tested over 7.7. Should I be particularly worried if it doesn't go over that? I guess what I'm saying is that it's stable at 7.7. Should I be looking for stability at 7.5 or some other number?

 

[pooldv]

Stable at 7.7 is great. If it stays that way then leave TA alone.

- - - Updated - - -

Guess I'll look into what specific cleaner model I have and potential replacement parts.

Pressure was 17 this morning and the water looks great. You can really tell at night with the light on. The pump will turn off shortly and I'll backwash this evening. What's the protocol with the DE? Once I'm happy with the water, stop adding it? Or do this process whenever the water looks like it needs some extra 'sparkle'? I don't know exactly what was in the water making it cloudy that the DE removed.

Here's another question: Vacuum hoses? When I was running the DE Saturday, I pulled out the cleaner and hoses and put them in a poolside storage box which coiled the hoses. The hoses seem to have taken a 'set' at some of the tighter turns and they're not straight anymore. Are they ruined? Should I pull them out and set them in the sun straight? Are they old and need replacing?

You can add DE anytime to polish up the water. It helps the sand filter to filter out finer particulates faster. Usually the sand filter will get there, just a little more slowly. Also, you might need to Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter next time your are bored and not dirty enough.

I don't know anything about vacuum hoses. But, I would try the sun approach.

 

[Cinic]

You can add DE anytime to polish up the water. It helps the sand filter to filter out finer particulates faster. Usually the sand filter will get there, just a little more slowly. Also, you might need to Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter next time your are bored and not dirty enough.

That Deep Clean doesn't look like a summer job in the Phoenix area. Maybe something for a cool October afternoon.

I really haven't tried to figure out how old the filter is. But the case is starting to show the fibers in a few spots. And there is a small leak from one of the pipes into the case. I'm not sure how much time/effort/money I'm willing to throw at a unit that could be nearing the end of it's useful life. I'll probably assess the whole system at the end of the swim season here.

Oh - one more thing. That rock in the pump filter basket was a necessity. It floats otherwise. There's a spot for a looping handle that keeps it pushed down, but that handle was missing in the one for the main pump. But it was there for the secondary pump for the waterfalls. I ended up swapping the baskets so the main pump didn't have the rock.

 

[pooldv]

That is interesting about the rock. Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Cinic]

Been a good couple of days. I seem to have the FC levels in check and they are about what I expect whenever I test them. I haven't been really accurate with my chlorine additions - generally go in 1/2 jug increments by feel. 1 jug is good for about 5 ppm on my pool. My pool volume seems to be a bit higher than the initial estimate shown in my sig. I seem to lose about 3 to 3.5 FC during the day to sun. This thing gets blasted by the AZ sun until mid afternoon.

My pool cleaner (automatic) doesn't work very well. It's a Hayward Pool Vac Ultra and appears to have many years on it. It doesn't go up the sides at all and can't even get to the shallow end of the pool. I haven't decided if I want to throw parts at it or not. I may just get a manual vacuum for the near term as that will be easier than swimming to the bottom with the end of the hose and trying to suck stuff up.

The filter pressure is weird. When I start the pump, the pressure starts around 10. Then over about 4 hours it slowly rises to 15-17 then stabilizes. This is with 3/4 cup of DE in the filter. Is this normal? I back washed it last night before bed and it ran w/o DE overnight. It doesn't behave like that w/o DE in the filter. I'm going to experiment more with DE amounts.