My SLAM w/ Duda Bags & Fiber Clear

[funandsun]

Re: My SLAM w/ Duda Bags & Fiber Clear

I agree. That looks suspect. This has been a great thread.

The stream of water over unions, joints and on top of site glass helped me locate a suction leak on my neighbors pool. He had a super small site glass hair line crack. Replaced and no bubbles. Try the stream of water around that suspect joint. The pressure of the water coming out of the hose doesn't need to be high pressure, just a steady flow. Good Luck.

Thanks Karendino.

It hit me this morning that at 1300rpm's where I found I do not get any new bubbles into the pump window is not where I need to test. I need 'active' suction, so I ramped up speed to 2400 and I could "hear" changing but it did not make a visible change in the window.

Not sure what that means with certainty, either I am in the right spot but the leak is where water is not staying long enough (since I can't really get a good hold to cup water around the pipe and hold the hose) or I am not in the right place. I put water over everything I could.

When I read others who have succeeded with this test, I read it as "as soon as water hit the right spot the bubble immediately went away" and maybe I am reading that right or maybe I am not reading that right.

Did you have to hold the water in place for 10-30seconds, 1 minute for enough water to get sucked in for the bubble to go away or was it in fact Immediately?

My plumbing is under our deck, I am 6' 3" about 20lbs overweight, it isn't exactly comfortable to stay in the contorted position I would need to be in to hold it for 1-2-3 minutes. If that is what I need to do, then I will make some adjustments (something to sit/kneel on) to my workspace where I can get more comfortable and try to hold the position better.

Either way, I do not think this pipe is supposed to swivel like I can very easily make it do with literally no resistance and until I secure that pipe I can't rule it out.

Try to keep reminding myself "When you hear hoof steps, think Horses not Zebras" which in my case or how I would apply that would mean, fix that first, if the problem remains, move on to another section.

Thoughts on this?

- - - Updated - - -

On a Fun and positive note, my SLAM is going great. I let my chlorine bleed off a little bit so I could run a battery of tests

FC 7
CC 0
pH 7.4
TA 90
CH 100
CYA 30

So other than clarity, I am good and safe, remaining in SLAM until water goes clear and the faster I resolve my leak the faster than will happen.

Nothing beats doing your own tests and knowing exactly where you are and why.

 

[RobertScalchi]

Wow those numbers are perfect!!! You get a clean bill of health from the Pool Doctor

 

[funandsun]

Re: My SLAM w/ Duda Bags & Fiber Clear

Wow those numbers are perfect!!! You get a clean bill of health from the Pool Doctor

BUBBLE IS GONE
https://www.troublefreepool.com/thr...suspect-from-this-union?p=1434622#post1434622

That is my write up of what and how.

- - - Updated - - -

Wow those numbers are perfect!!! You get a clean bill of health from the Pool Doctor

Yeah, thank you... I got the SLAM down... it's the plumbing that causes me nightmares lol.

Thank you everyone.

RPM's back to 2200, lets get this bad boy cleared up!!!

 

[splashpad]

Now you can fall (back?) in love with your sand filter!!

Air is a filtering (esp w/sand) foe!

 

[funandsun]

Re: My SLAM w/ Duda Bags & Fiber Clear

I will add that "the dude" did say verbatim: "If you vacuumed a lot of big leaves up you may have plugged the vac line. Easily fixed."

I sent him a text with credit telling him that he did call "debris"

I can say, I have a very very hard time believing that the twig/stick (basically the size of a christmas tree LOL) got in there this year. I have been running skimmer socks/hairnets all season and most of last season (and no rips ever noted) and I never run the pump without the skimmer baskets in place.

I guess I would have expected more degradation of it having been in water for so long and it was not really as water logged/pliable as I would have expected for it to make the sweeper 90s that are in place to finally find it's way to the pump basket.

So, who knows how long it's been in there... but I removed it, removed the cling wrap and no bubbles!

Can you tell I am excited? I am THRILLED!

- - - Updated - - -

Now you can fall (back?) in love with your sand filter!

Let's not get carried away LOLOLOL

But, yes, I can move forward with capping off the end of my discharge pipe so I can move into recirculate when I run the Metal Out to lift the iron from the liner which this year so far does not look nearly as bad as it did opening last year.

 

[funandsun]

Uhh ohhh

Not solved.

I went out again to check on the bubble, it was still not present

THEN

I noticed I had not reopened the skimmer valve.

opened it and within about 15 seconds the bubbles returned.

So at least now I know what area to inspect further.

yikes.

 

[Mendy48]

I should try this DE...what exactly is this. I'm still new to this...so dumb questions I know. I've heard of adding this to the skimmer, etc. What does. this do and how do I get it. I'm reading this thread and it looks like the psi increases drastically when adding, but afterwards (after a second dose of DE) it ceases to increase so much. I have so much pollen in my pool. I do have the Duda Bag on my return jet...it's awesome. Will the DE help with the pollen. I mean, what exactly does the DE do? and would I need it? Water could be a bit clearer, though the Duda bag is helping a lot.

That makes sense, Lightmaster. I did know backwashing cleared out DE, but I wasn't expecting the sudden spike in pressure to be compounded. After the first round of DE and a backwash, though, my second round of DE isn't spiking the pressure much at all. I managed to add just a bit less the second round to stabilize pressure around 18. I'll do another check right before bed to make sure I don't need to backwash again before turning in for the night.

 

[splashpad]

Uhh ohhh
Not solved.
I went out again to check on the bubble, it was still not present
THEN
I noticed I had not reopened the skimmer valve.
opened it and within about 15 seconds the bubbles returned.
So at least now I know what area to inspect further.
yikes.

Can you only partially open the skimmer valve? I think the pipe isn't large enough for your pump strength, (just personal guess) so it's creating a vortex (like the "tornado" pop bottle experiment)

 

[madyogi]

Mendy - My impression is that the Duda Bag and the DE do very similar things. The DE basically forms a fine layer on top of your sand to filter out tiny particles that might otherwise get through the sand. See Adding DE to Sand Filter -- I have done this a fair amount this year. Just mix 1/4 cup of DE with water in a bucket, slurry it around and slowly add to skimmer basket. Check pressure 2-3 minutes later. Repeat until PSI goes up 1 tick. After that check PSI every 30 minutes or so, and backwash when it goes up 20-25% above baseline (or 10 PSI depending on how you roll).

 

[funandsun]

Can you only partially open the skimmer valve? I think the pipe isn't large enough for your pump strength, (just personal guess) so it's creating a vortex (like the "tornado" pop bottle experiment)

I will try that.

Good news though is that I could run just main drain and that "should" help with the clarity down in that end until I can get this sorted out.

 

[splashpad]

I will try that.

Good news though is that I could run just main drain and that "should" help with the clarity down in that end until I can get this sorted out.

+1! Definitely!

 

[funandsun]

Can you only partially open the skimmer valve?

You can hear the water start to move through the skimmer valve when it is opened enough and I also planned to wait about 30seconds to 1minute before I advanced the valve open.

Turned 1/5, waited and timed it (i know, a nerd with an iphone can do lots of nerdy things) and within 15 seconds I had alots of bubbles.

Shut the valve and bubbles stopped coming.

Again, I have isolated it to the skimmer side.

Working on it mostly in this thread https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/161983-Suction-Side-Leak-I-suspect-from-this-union

Will update here when a solution is found. Till then, I have main drain 100% open, skimmer 100% closed and rpm's at 2200, running filter 24/7 until water clears up.

 

[funandsun]

Ok, little weekend update here.

Water is getting clearer with just running the main drain.

I can see the main drain very clearly from the top deck, no picture because we slept in and now the iPhone camera doesn't pick it up but it is there and keeps looking better and better!!

Yeehaaw!!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend everyone!!

 

[splashpad]

By far an excellent update!

 

[madyogi]

Hey, fun, where do things stand on your twisty union and potentially related air leak? I found some similar play in the union coming out of my filter and into the return line when I swapped out my sand a couple weeks back. When the pump's running everything's fine, but when it's off I'm definitely losing pressure, so I'm curious if you or "the dude" isolated the problem ...

 

[funandsun]

Hey, fun, where do things stand on your twisty union and potentially related air leak? I found some similar play in the union coming out of my filter and into the return line when I swapped out my sand a couple weeks back. When the pump's running everything's fine, but when it's off I'm definitely losing pressure, so I'm curious if you or "the dude" isolated the problem ...

Thanks for checking in madyogi... I was having guests over Monday, Sunday I really wanted to vacuum the pool, have had the skimmer off since last Thursday, clarity got much better every day, can clearly see main drain and dirt on bottom, so only running the main drain really helped. (I will remember that next year even if not 100% off on skimmer, certainly down 50% and let that main drain really work that deep end where the majority is anyway.)

Back to vac, so Sunday, I head over to the pump in my head it went like this "if I turn down rpm's to 1300, I can vac and not bring in tons of air", so I go to the pump and while I am holding the button to lower the speed I glance up at my nemisis (the skimmer valve/union) and I see drip.....drip....and I think ah haa! the folks over in plumbing said I "should" see a drip when the pump is off. Problem was I never saw that last week and I was all over that area.

Oh well, I figure I need to tighten it, so I go upstairs grab my plumbers wrench get all situated and ready to put the wrench on the union and I see this.



Now, that is new. I took pics last week and while none of them offer this close up, I can zoom in pretty good on my side and I do not see that massive crack, sure it could have been there and been a hairline but that thing is splitting right down the middle and I never touched it.

So, as of right now, I am waiting on "the dude", this is obviously his busy opening time and not sure when he will get to my area, I have the hot tub place coming to diagnose that because it is not heating (found that out yesterday) but my appointment isn't for 2 more weeks and maybe sooner based on cancellations workflow etc... if "the Dude" isn't here by then, I will have this place fix this valve and whatever else is wrong (if that is not my only problem) and will go from there.

Water is fine pool is clear and we are on the only open clean pool on our street (3 others in throwing distance)... even with 1 hand tied behind our backs with a limping plumbing issue which only furthers my conviction that TFP methods work great and anyone who says different is doing something wrong or has some undiagnosed restriction.


So, We are very happy with everything considered.

 

[madyogi]

Thanks for checking in madyogi...
Water is fine pool is clear and we are on the only open clean pool on our street (3 others in throwing distance)... even with 1 hand tied behind our backs with a limping plumbing issue which only furthers my conviction that TFP methods work great and anyone who says different is doing something wrong or has some undiagnosed restriction.


So, We are very happy with everything considered.

Here, here!!

 

[splashpad]

Wow, hope dude or store gets that pool plumbing in order!

Nice job despite one hand tied behind your back!

 

[splashpad]

Just checking in on you!

 

[lightmaster]

How are things going? Did you get that union replaced and your pool still clean and clear?