Looking for filter maintenance tips, specifically how to avoid a nasty issue like I encountered with my own system this weekend.
Until recently I have never owned a pool, above ground or otherwise. I moved into a house with an in-ground covered pool a few months ago, and other than dump a few quarts of liquid chlorine (left from previous owner) in it every other month I left it alone. It still has a bit of leaves and what-not in the bottom but the water appears very clean for the most part (the cover seems to function extremely well). It's 32' X 16' and I believe approximately 18000 gallons if my math is correct.
While I know nothing about pools or filters, I am comfortable with hand and power tools. Thanks to a handy YoutTube video (this one actually: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3q19HIm12w) I finally worked up the courage to clean the filter system which I had assumed was in dire need. I assumed correctly.
The pool with the retractable cover (I cannot rotate this picture for whatever reason):
The filtration system (the labels are toast, but I believe it to be a STA-Rite System 3):
My first red flag was when I opened the drain valve on the front and nothing came out except a bit of air and a few white chunks of questionable origin, then nothing. No water at all. After cracking the thing open and removing the nasty green cartridge filters I discovered what you see here:
It may not look like much, but whatever that white stuff is completely blocked the front drain and took me ages to clean out completely. I would REALLY like to know how the previous owner managed to clog this thing and what this white material might be. It had the consistency of sand with a slightly soapy texture, and almost no smell whatsoever. Nothing smelled of chlorine at all. I filled a large bucket with two inches of nothing but this white stuff. Is it some kind of leftover pool shock or chlorine tablets? This is all very new to me (I still am not %100 sure about the relationship between shock and chlorine).
The filtration system works a thousand percent better since I cleaned it all out, and I can actually see the jets moving the water around now. I'd like to keep it that way. If anyone has any ideas on how the previous homeowner screwed up and how I can avoid making the same mistake he did, i'd love to hear it! I also appreciate any quick tips you'd have for a new pool owner. Thanks for reading!!!
Until recently I have never owned a pool, above ground or otherwise. I moved into a house with an in-ground covered pool a few months ago, and other than dump a few quarts of liquid chlorine (left from previous owner) in it every other month I left it alone. It still has a bit of leaves and what-not in the bottom but the water appears very clean for the most part (the cover seems to function extremely well). It's 32' X 16' and I believe approximately 18000 gallons if my math is correct.
While I know nothing about pools or filters, I am comfortable with hand and power tools. Thanks to a handy YoutTube video (this one actually: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3q19HIm12w) I finally worked up the courage to clean the filter system which I had assumed was in dire need. I assumed correctly.
The pool with the retractable cover (I cannot rotate this picture for whatever reason):
The filtration system (the labels are toast, but I believe it to be a STA-Rite System 3):
My first red flag was when I opened the drain valve on the front and nothing came out except a bit of air and a few white chunks of questionable origin, then nothing. No water at all. After cracking the thing open and removing the nasty green cartridge filters I discovered what you see here:
It may not look like much, but whatever that white stuff is completely blocked the front drain and took me ages to clean out completely. I would REALLY like to know how the previous owner managed to clog this thing and what this white material might be. It had the consistency of sand with a slightly soapy texture, and almost no smell whatsoever. Nothing smelled of chlorine at all. I filled a large bucket with two inches of nothing but this white stuff. Is it some kind of leftover pool shock or chlorine tablets? This is all very new to me (I still am not %100 sure about the relationship between shock and chlorine).
The filtration system works a thousand percent better since I cleaned it all out, and I can actually see the jets moving the water around now. I'd like to keep it that way. If anyone has any ideas on how the previous homeowner screwed up and how I can avoid making the same mistake he did, i'd love to hear it! I also appreciate any quick tips you'd have for a new pool owner. Thanks for reading!!!
