Got my test kit and results! Now what?

[Mkla216]

I do have one question. I know a lot of the dead algae is sitting at the bottom of the pool. I do not have a good pool vacuum to vacuum it up. My regular abs head and hose will not run off of my sand filter because it does not create enough suction. I can't afford another filter so I am at a loss on that situation.


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[kimkats]

Now there IS a puzzle!!!! I am going to throw some things at the wall and see what sticks:

-5 gallon bucket with poly fill in it and a t-shirt type material over the top....hole at the bottom on the side to stick a hose into. use a sump pump (harbor Freight has them for pretty cheap) to suck up the dead algae and into the bucket so the water is forced through the poly fill and up and out through the t-shirt material.

-Stir up the water over and over and hope the skimmer will pull it out and into the fitler

Does the hose get any suction at all? If so you can "sneak" up on the dead algae and slowly suck it up.

Let me know if any of this sounds like something you can do. I wonder if Y-tube has any videos for homemade filters?

Kim

 

[BattleOfYakima]

Does the hose without a head on it have strong suction?

 

[Mkla216]

I've looked at the homemade filters and tried all I could. I don't believe it's getting any suction at all. I tried cutting the hose shorter and that didn't work either. Which it's so weird because I hook my skimmer basket up to my strainer inlet and it sucks just fine.


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[BattleOfYakima]

Try filling the entire hose with water, keeping both ends under water, and getting the hose hooked into the skimmer/hose port and see if that results in a strong suction at the end of the hose. Air will kill the suction action. I believe the instructions tell you to have this hooked up with the pump off, then turn pump on. Always follow instructions for safety and ideally they work too. If that doesn't do it, or if you need another copy of the instructions, we should be able to find that online, or at least an instructional video.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh.... you might have one of the models that requires you to take the skimmer basket lid and turn it 90 degrees and cover the basket part causing all the water to be sucked through the little hole your hose goes in. Only do with pump off as it really sucks down hard and could hurt fingers or even be rough on pump idk

 

[kimkats]

I've looked at the homemade filters and tried all I could. I don't believe it's getting any suction at all. I tried cutting the hose shorter and that didn't work either. Which it's so weird because I hook my skimmer basket up to my strainer inlet and it sucks just fine.


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Can you show us what you are dealing with? "hook my skimmer basket up to my strainer inlet" Not sure what this means.

Kim

 

[Mkla216]

Well I can't really show you a picture because the water is too cloudy to see it clearly. I hooked up a skimmer basket with an adapter that hooks up to my strainer inlet.


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[Mkla216]

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[Mkla216]

Like this

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[Mkla216]

That's how I was hooking the vacuum up too


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[kimkats]

And it goes to the filter?

 

[Mkla216]

Yes.


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[kimkats]

Hummmmmmmmmmm is there no way you can't find a way to stick the filter in there? I seem to be missing some info. Lay out for me all you have done that works or does not work. There has to be a way to help the hose suck.

Kim

 

[Mkla216]

My pool has two intakes where the water is sucked in. I bought an adapter that will attach a hose to one of the intakes. When I attached the skimmer that hangs over the pool (like the pic above) to the intake it has a lot of suctions. But when I attach the hose it doesn't.


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[kimkats]

Can you plug the other intake so all of the sucking power goes to the vacuum hose?

 

[Mkla216]

Tried that. Didn't create any more pressure. I have noticed my pool is sucking a little better lately I guess I can try it again.


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[Mkla216]

So I've been slamming the pool for 10 days. I haven't noticed a change in the water clarity this week at all. It's still really cloudy. How much longer do you think this will take?


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[kimkats]

Have you been taking a picture a day looking down at the steps? If not you should start doing so. THAT is where you will see the improvement the most. Your eyes will not "see" it day to day but the picture will show you.

It was quite cloudy so it will take some time to clear up. I wish I knew how long it will take but there is really no way to know. Keep the brushing up and the filter running.



Kim

 

[Paul & Crystal]

Welcome from OKC!

Crystal

 

[BattleOfYakima]

Depending on your sand filter size, gallons per minute filtered, and other stuff - some slams take days while others take a month if your sand filter is way, way too small. Kim's point that improvement is best based on consistent photos, like ladder, steps, vac head on bottom, is important because as she points out, we're not necessarily dealing in daily changes our eyes/brain can process day to day. If you are truly looking for ways to speed it up, the experts can advise whether now is the time for either cellulose fiber or diatomaceous earth added to your skimmer in a very scientific way to expedite small particle filtration. It is 100% unnecessary unless you need the process your sand filter is doing accomplished faster. I believe photos for a few days is suggested before going there to make sure you are making progress, to verify everything working properly, just slowly.