Pool Problem # 1

[garysoasis]

Hi all, my name is Gary from Long Island, NY. I opened my 16 x 32 above ground pool equipped with a 2 HP Hayward pump and sand filter model TM -12 about a month ago...still haven't dove in yet.
Mistake number one was on the initial start up of filter. I shocked it. Added 14 lbs Alkanlinity, some calcium, algaecide, shocked again and again...then realized I hooked up the hoses wrong. I went from the skimmer to the pump. From pump into return on filter. Then from pump on filter to the return on the pool. So, nothing was getting filtered. The water was just getting pumped back into the pool. Question # 1: I shut the pool pump down in frustration and was surprised after two days that I could see the bottom of the pool. I also saw a layer of sand from one end of the pool to the other. How did all the sand get into the pool? It's a decent amount...so.
I emptied my filter of all the water and am going to change the sand that's left in it. Question # 2: How much sand do I put in the sand filter? I don't even know what brand it is because the pool and filter came with the house when we bought it. Model TM - 12 is all it says. It has filter, waste, backwash, rinse, recirc, closed on the top piece that swivels to each choice with a black handle.
Question # 3: Can I vaccum up all the sand after I replace all the sand in the filter without screwing something up by putting dirty used sand back into the sand filter?
I think this will solve my problem and the reason why the pool would not clear up and all the sand got into the pool was because I hooked everything up wrong...does that sound correct??

THanks a lot.
Gary

 

[PaulR]

It sounds like you had the filter hooked up backwards, so I'm not surprised the sand got into the pool.

TM-12 is probably the model number for the multiport valve, not the filter, based on a little Google searching. Are you saying the filter has no stickers or anything on it at all? Without actually looking at it, nobody's going to be able to tell you anything specific about the filter, if you can't find a model number.

If it were me, I'd be okay with vaccuuming the sand back into the filter. "Dirty" is not an issue, after all that's what backwashing is for. You haven't damaged the sand any, and hopefully not the liner.
--paulr

 

[garysoasis]

The pool is crystal clear after changing out the sand in the filter (and making sure it was hooked up right, ahem) vaccumed twice and brushed a few times. Still feel tiny granulars of sand when I cup my hand over the return. Not a crazy amount but can feel it. Wondering if that is kinda par for the course with sand filters or if something is causing this and it will get worse over time? PH is good. Chlorine is good. Have to add some alkanalinity, 4lbs but otherwise water test was good. Any suggestions on a good cover and pillow for when I close the pool up? It's 16 x 32, 4 feet high. Part of the reason why i had such problems getting it clean besides the backwards hook up was that the cover had a hole in it and when I removed it a lot of the debris from the winter fell into the pool. Yuck! From clear to green in seconds.
Thanks for the advice Paul. I appreciate it.

Gary

 

[PaulR]

If the sand coming out of the returns stops after a while, then I'd chalk it up to stuff left in the plumbing from the backwards hookup; or possibly an artifact of changing the sand, I haven't dealt with a sand filter for 30 years so I don't remember how that all works. If it doesn't stop, that would sound more like a problem inside the filter.

Hopefully some Northerner with an AGP will come along to talk about covers and such, I've only had in-ground and where I am now it doesn't freeze.
--paulr

 

[AnnaK]

Hi Gary,

What sort of debris do you get during winter?

We live in eastern PA and don't cover our AGP. As long as the water isn't yet frozen I use the leaf net to scoop out what has dropped to the bottom. By January the pool is pretty much a big block of ice. Come mid-April I'm back at it, scooping debris once a week or so. That's also when I add a couple large bottles of bleach which gets stirred in during the swishing around of the net. Then we add water to an appropriate level and I vacuum as soon as I can stand putting my arm in the cold water long enough to clear the air from the vacuum hose. We start running the pump about 5 hours during the night once that first vacuuming has been done and the skimmer socks catch what's left in the water.

We only used the winter cover the first season and found it to be a mega pain in the you-know-what.

 

[NWMNMom]

If your pool is anywhere near trees or fields, then a cover may be in order. No trees, dirt, debris - no cover needed.

We use a leaf net cover OVER our winter cover until all leaves are done dropping (looks like a big net that goes over fruit trees to keep birds out). Pull it off/empty the leaves and store the leaf net cover until spring. The winter cover that remains on is a "micro" mesh winter cover by Arctic Armor - it looks solid but has tiny mesh weave to allow the melted snow/ice/rain before freezeup and at spring melt to drain through the cover into the pool but not dirt and debris. No pillow is required as the whole thing sits on the water and does not suffer damage from freezing just like that until spring. We pull it off to crystal clear every year. I WISH we didn't have the tree/debris issue, I would not use a cover at all.