Need info on my setup please

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justinw305

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Mar 6, 2009
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My family and I purchased a foreclosure that came with an in ground pond in the back yard...I plan to follow the "swamp to sparkling" tutorial on here to get it usable. My issue is with the pump setup, I don't have any experience with inground pools and don't know where to start with the DE filter...it also has an inline chlorine feeder(no idea what to do with that). I have the pictures of the setup http://picasaweb.google.com/justinw3053/PoolPumpPictures#, please feel free to comment on there or here with any operating tips or instructions.

All I really need is instructions on how to run my setup. Thank you for reading and any help you may be able to give me.

Justin
 
40k gallons is a pretty large pool. With a 1 HP Super Pump and that plumbing, my guess is you will have at least 50 GPM and perhaps a bit more. So your turnover will be about 12-13 hours and you will want to run the pump at least that long in the summer. In the heat of the summer, you may need up to 24 hours of run time to keep things clean. So you can set the timer shown in your pictures accordingly.

The valve on the suction side of the pump looks like it is for controlling the flow from a skimmer and a main drain. Most of the time you will want to leave it as shown in the picture to ensure the best efficiency.

Other than that watch your chems and maybe read some of the Pool School articles.

[EDIT] Sorry, I forgot to mention that the in-line chlorinator uses Tri-Chlor pucks which contain CYA as well as chlorine. If you are going the BBB route, then you may want to keep it installed if you ever need it for vacations. If you decide to use the Tri-Chlor, remember that it will continue to add CYA and at some point, the chlorine will not be as effective. I would only use it when absolutely necessary. You will have a much cleaner and easier to maintain pool with the BBB method.
 
Justin, welcome to TFP!!

To be quite honest - that filter plumbing will probably cause me a few nightmares :eek: However, as long as it works, it works. The SP 733 valve (Dial-A-Flo) you show will cause you some problems, but it's easy enough to keep it workable for some time (the trick is to keep the internal o-rings 'over lubricated' - if it gives you trouble, let me know and I'll tell you the part #s for what needs to be replaced most often) There is a LOT of 'slop' in the plumbing and I can't fathom why things were run that way, but if all you want right now is to get the pool up and running and clean, we can address the issues I see at a later date :)

I'd swear that the pool is supposed to have a liner in it (I've never seen the steel walls left exposed like that :scratch: but I haven't seen every pool in the world) but I can't see a receiver in the pics and the seams look to be caulked to the waterline (though not below it?)

You've inherited a pool that I sincerely prey will service you for many years without your having to buy nor replace any key components! Please do as Mark suggested and read Pool School, which will answer many of your questions. At the bottom of Pool School you'll see 'Further Reading' which has articles that can add a little more to what's in Pool School and includes one on "Use and Care for a DE filter".

We welcome you here and truly want you to have a trouble free pool experience :!: We are on hand to help in any way we can! 8)
 
In 2 years I've never read a post about a stainless steel pool. :shock: Wow. If I didn't see it I wouldn't believe it... a quick google search found me this site that showed pics of stainless steel pools....http://www.claytonlambert.com/pools/

Anyway, good luck I hope everything with your equipment can be hooked up and work properly for you, the equipment guru's here will help with that I'm sure.

Ditto the advice about keeping the inline chlorinator for vacations, make sure you read about them to understand how they affect your water chemistry.
 
:shock:
IMG_7625.JPG

Wow. You definitely came to the right place! Can't wait to see how this thing looks clean.
 
Thank you all for your input. My next question is about starting the cleaning process...everything I have read starts with a working pool and filter. A little background on the pool: the house has been empty since Oct 07, apparently the pool was left full until early summer 08 and either fully/half drained. Since most posts assume the pool is in working order/has been in use, how do I begin?

Pool status:

The pump works

Haven't dug into the filter to see what the inside looks like

The water level is about 2 foot down as of now

My first plan of attack is to get a "leaf rake" to get all of the solids/dead critters off the bottom of the pool, after that do I fill the pool to the appropriate level or do I try to clear it up first using only the bottom drain? If you have a better plan please point me to it or lay it out here if you would.

Also can I get a decent test kit from a store versus buying online? I would like to get a TF-100 caliber kit without waiting/paying for shipping if possible.

Thanks again,

Justin
 
The first priority is to get everything solid out of the pool that you can.

While you are working on that, take the filter apart and look at the grids. Unless they look nice and clean already you should soak them in automatic dishwasher detergent (one cup for each 5 gallons of water) overnight, rinse them off and put the filter back together. While you are at it, remove any dirt or debris that you find in the filter. Now would also be a good time to replace the pressure gauge on the filter. Pressure gauges only last a couple of years and it will be important to have a working gauge for some of the subsequent steps, so best to just replace it.

Once the filter is clean and all the major solids are removed from the pool, fill the pool up to operating level, and turn on the pump and make sure water circulates without any major leaks. If that is all good, add DE to the filter, give it several minutes to settle down and note the filter pressure.

Once that is done, and water is circulating, you can start the process of fighting the algae. Keep in mind that DE filters can clog up rather quickly when fighting algae. You may need to bump and/or backwash the filter several times a day for the first few days.
 
justinw305 said:
Thank you all for your input. My next question is about starting the cleaning process...everything I have read starts with a working pool and filter. A little background on the pool: the house has been empty since Oct 07, apparently the pool was left full until early summer 08 and either fully/half drained. Since most posts assume the pool is in working order/has been in use, how do I begin?

Pool status:

The pump works

Haven't dug into the filter to see what the inside looks like

The water level is about 2 foot down as of now

My first plan of attack is to get a "leaf rake" to get all of the solids/dead critters off the bottom of the pool, after that do I fill the pool to the appropriate level or do I try to clear it up first using only the bottom drain? If you have a better plan please point me to it or lay it out here if you would.

Also can I get a decent test kit from a store versus buying online? I would like to get a TF-100 caliber kit without waiting/paying for shipping if possible.

Thanks again,

Justin
Click to expand...

Justin, I and I'm sure everyone else here, truly appreciate that you want to do this yourself :goodjob: We all want you to have a 'trouble free pool' and be able to get to that point without relying on a pool company to do it for you!

The leaf rake is a great :!: place to start, get as much of the large debris out as you can - I know the water is so murky that you can't even see the bottom but, the more you can get out, the better your task will be when you start up the filter system!! I must reiterate to read POOL SCHOOL :hammer: it will answer most of your questions on the 'how to's' and give you a good knowledge base for dealing with your pool :)

I know JasonLion said to look into your filter (yours is either a EC - 60 or EC -75 -- I can't tell from the pics) before you start trying to filter the water, however, if you refill the pool and get the pump running, you can open the drain plug on the filter and 'vacuum to waste' (most of the water will go out the drain port - all of it will if you plug the returns in the pool :wink: ) If you need help on setting up the vacuum, just give a holler and we'll help. You will need to take apart the filter and clean it (I can talk you through the entire process) before you pronounce your pool 'swimmable' .

You have a big project but, it's nothing you can't handle with the help you'll find here :thumleft:

As for the test kit, the Taylor 2006-K is ~ the same as the TF- 100 (I'll tell you from experience - the TF- 100, ships the same day that the order is received, if ordered before 2 pm (eastern time) and only takes 1 -2 days to arrive) If you can find the Taylor 2006 near you - go for it! - just make sure that it's not one that's sat on the shelf for a year :( [My personal opinion - get the TF- 100, it arrives quickly, the shipping charge is minimal and you will know that the test chems (reagents) are fresh!]

I'll keep my eye on this thread and offer any more help and info as you need 8)

-Ted
 

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Thanks for all of the tips, we finished taking wood enclosure off yesterday. The leaf rake worked really well...the smell of the stuff coming off the bottom is very offensive to say the least. The green/black sludge filtering through the leaf rake is probably the worst. Good times and we know it will be worth it when it is clean.

Thanks again,

Justin
 
There is an article in pool school comparing the kits....the TF-100 offers larger vials of solution, so its a very good deal. I don't know if you can find the 2006 in stores.... Lots of posts from people who have commented how quickly they receive their TF-100 kits, almost always in less than a week, some in just days.
 
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