Australian Test Kit

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I was looking back through this thread this morning looking at new test kit options.

Sal, it's not uncommon to have fine dirt, dust go strait through the filter, I've had it hear and on next doors pool with both sand filter and cartridge. About two weeks ago I got a flocculant tablet for $8, ran it in the pool all day, let it settle over night and vacuumed (very quickly) to waste in the morning... now it's nice and clear.

I doubt any any of I Dave's advise needs support but for what it's worth I concur, there's no need to over clean (backwash) your sand filter. The dirtier they get the better they perform to a point, I'll go with 25% increase. My preasure guage is cactus so I do mine every 2-3 months. And a couple of tips;

Never move the sand filters selector without turning the pump off first, that will eventually cost you $$ in repairs.
Always disconnect power to the pump via the main power point, it has 10amp rated contactors. Switching power at the chlorinators or time clock switch will stuff them, eventually.
 
Yep:D. And I could make things worse if I try to fix it.

Has anyone got and used a CCL pH recently? Have they resolved the 0.5 increment problem?
 
I do not agree that it is common for fine dirt to pass through a correctly working filter.....they are designed to filter out dirt. The most common cause of "fine dirt" is, in fact, dead algae that reoccurs in your pool......there is NO filter that will filter out algae living in your pool and, when it dies, the algae "carcasses" look like dust or dirt on the floor.

If it is truly dirt going through your filter, it will be gritty and the filter has a defect.

On another note. I believe really correct pool management requires the use and interpretation of a working psi guage. If your pool has any mechanical issues, a correct psi reading is mandatory to interpret the problem correctly. Add that to utilizing your gauge to backwash at the proper psi and I think they are an invaluable tool.
 
Maybe not common but not uncommon to my area, I've had it several times, once was defiantly dead algae. Was told it could be something to do with a marine environment and coastal sea breezes. We've also had a lot of new housing development with extensive earth works. With a lot clay based soil I think clay can produce very fine dust.

I would love to replace my guage but was advised by the manufacturer not to try, I think mine has a bit of a design fault where the guage is incorporated into the selector handle. :mad:
 
FWIW I've been trying to break into my filter for the last couple of weeks to see what's going on inside, but to no avail !

I've already broken my strap wrench trying to undo the half union joins and even gentle persuasion with a full sized pipe wrench isn't making any inroads either !!
 
Jezza said:
Auspool- the gauge is in your selector handle? Have you got pictures? A fully functional filter should pretty much trap anything you can see in your pool.
Click to expand...

Geday Jezza,


I'm a tad over 11,500km away from my pool this weekend so a close up is a bit hard but you can kind of see it in the top of this pic.





With respect, if filters could trap anything there wouldn't be such an array of flocculants on the market. I run a glass media, Dimond Kleen, which will filter down to about 3 microns or 0.003mm which is much the same for sand or zeolite.


http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0267/2079/files/comparative-performance-of-diamondkleen-final-report.pdf?1239


I found a clay particle size classification scale in the lower end as;
Medium clay, 0.002 - 0.001mm.
Fine clay, 0.001 - 0.0005mm.
Very fine clay, less than 0.0005mm.
Given that marine detrital particles can be made up of amino acids, proteins and lipids these can be even smaller than 0.0005mm or 0.5 of a micron. To put it in perspective you need to filter down to 0.5 of a micron to filter out cryptosporidium and giardia. Without exact data I think the green algae, Chlorophyceae, are in the range of 20 - 1.5 microns and these will go through a filter, especially when dead and the cell wall has collapsed. Each particle on it's own is too small to see but get enough of it and it will create a cloudy appearance to the water, it will settle out and can be seen on the bottom, particularly if you stir it up, and it will go strait through a filter.

Steve. :cheers:
 
Salsiccia said:
FWIW I've been trying to break into my filter for the last couple of weeks to see what's going on inside, but to no avail !

I've already broken my strap wrench trying to undo the half union joins and even gentle persuasion with a full sized pipe wrench isn't making any inroads either !!
Click to expand...

And that's why I offered up some advise, it can be hard to break into a filter if it's never been opened and it's even easier break something which would be a bummer if it wasn't broken in the first place. Having said that if it is getting old and never been opened it is recommended to replace the sand ever so often but at the expense of a new filter I'm not sure. I would fun a floculant, vacuum to waste and go from there.

If you do consider changing the sand consider glass, I've done it several times now and it's not an easy job.

Steve.

- - - Updated - - -

squibcakes said:
yeah I have. It is now in 0.2 increments. Saying that, my eye site finds it hard to colour match with the the coloured bars on the test tube... Comparing with my old ph test kit is does read correct.
Click to expand...

Thanks Squib,

Steve. :) :cheers:
 

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AUSpool said:
With respect, if filters could trap anything there wouldn't be such an array of flocculants on the market. I run a glass media, Dimond Kleen, which will filter down to about 3 microns or 0.003mm which is much the same for sand or zeolite.

Given that marine detrital particles can be made up of amino acids, proteins and lipids these can be even smaller than 0.0005mm or 0.5 of a micron. To put it in perspective you need to filter down to 0.5 of a micron to filter out cryptosporidium and giardia. Without exact data I think the green algae, Chlorophyceae, are in the range of 20 - 1.5 microns and these will go through a filter, especially when dead and the cell wall has collapsed. Each particle on it's own is too small to see but get enough of it and it will create a cloudy appearance to the water, it will settle out and can be seen on the bottom, particularly if you stir it up, and it will go strait through a filter.
Click to expand...
Steve,

Pardon my editing your post down, but I thought it would make things clearer. What you are saying is supporting several things we teach here on TFP.

First, we are not big fans of floculants. As a matter of fact, I can't remember a time we recommended them, but it is possible. The reason so many are on the market is simple, it's because the pool shops make a lot of money selling them. The shop provides questionable advice which leas to cloudy water. then they get to sell you flocculant. Following our methods of proper sanitation all the time negates the need for such snake oil. I guess I should ask, are their snake oil salesmen down under?

Secondly, we generally find that the need for anything other than the properly sized sand in a sand filter is another thing that makes money for the pool shop owner while providing minimal additional benefits over plain sand to the pool owner.

Thirdly, our methods define algae, cryptosporidium, giardia and other such things as a chemical problem that the filter was never designed to eliminate. Again, this is where our love for chlorine comes in. Once you kill the little buggers then it's time to vacuum to waste if your filter has that option or to add DE powder to your sand filter so it can filter smaller particles.

As to your pressure gauge. How about just leaving the dead one where it is and cutting the return pipe and adding a PVC "T". You can then add a new gauge into the "T" portion of the new pipe section.
 
Hi guys,

Thanks again for all your advice re my sand filter. I *really, really* don't want to break my filter now as we are about to enter a hot spell and there is swimming on my immediate horizon !
Plus it looks like I need a new cleaner so that's my next urgent expense.

I'm going to do a quick vacuum to waste of the remaining fine dust since it worked last time and leave the filter opening exercise for another day.

I might also try the adding DE trick as that looks pretty easy and probably won't hurt and may actually work.

Now to see if the budget will stretch to a robotic cleaner !
 
Wish my budget could stretch to robotic cleaner, I'm the only robotic cleaner my pool will ever have.

I found it a bit hard to find DE, eventually found some food grade DE from an agriculture supply place.

Steve.
 
That was the best I could find around hear, we just don't seem to use DE for pools anymore.
 
Hi Steve,

I can see what you mean with the pressure gauge -so are Poolrite saying you need to replace the entire multivalve port as the pressure gauge is not removable? Otherwise I like Tim's idea of a 'T' as well.

Before finding TFP I used Floc and it didn't work for me as in I couldn't see any noticeable difference, notwithstanding the expense and when I found that I could balance my water chemistry with a good test kit, my water seemed to become clearer and I've never looked back. I would tend to go with the DE addition to the filter for greater clarity if needed before using any clarifiers or flocs.

By the way you can get pool DE from directpoolsupplies.com.au -4kg for $33.
 
Steve
I have the CCL pH test. I am finding it hard to read because the sample level is only about a third of the way up the tube with the comparator label all the way up the tube. They have increased sensitivity to 0.2. I am hoping to get more used to it as I gain experience being a novice pool owner. Coincidentally I am finding a dust/sand debris in my sunshine coast pool, although I have a cartridge filter, doubly coincidentally with a cactus brand gauge ;-)
 
Crmdgnly said:
Steve
I have the CCL pH test. I am finding it hard to read because the sample level is only about a third of the way up the tube with the comparator label all the way up the tube. They have increased sensitivity to 0.2. I am hoping to get more used to it as I gain experience being a novice pool owner. Coincidentally I am finding a dust/sand debris in my sunshine coast pool, although I have a cartridge filter, doubly coincidentally with a cactus brand gauge ;-)
Click to expand...

Good to see another local on here and although I'm new too, welcome.
Thanks for the CCL kit info, I'm still undecided with regards to a new test kit but it's good to know that the pH kit has a sensitivity of 0.2. The really great thing about both the Taylor and CCL kits is that they come with standard solutions. Once you've gained some experience with using the test run your test as carfully as you can with the standards and that will give you a little confidence about choosing the right colour match.

Thats so funny that my gauge is cactus (stuffed) and yours is a cactus gauge (brand), who would have thought.:)

Your dust, does it go through your filter? If you stir it up does it seam to never go away?

Steve
 
Crmdgnly said:
Steve
I have the CCL pH test. I am finding it hard to read because the sample level is only about a third of the way up the tube with the comparator label all the way up the tube. They have increased sensitivity to 0.2. I am hoping to get more used to it as I gain experience being a novice pool owner. Coincidentally I am finding a dust/sand debris in my sunshine coast pool, although I have a cartridge filter, doubly coincidentally with a cactus brand gauge ;-)
Click to expand...


I also encountered this issue, however the tube is designed to be read laying down with the lid on , which helps get a more accurate reading, as per the attached pic pH7.2 (00000003).jpg
 
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