Need your help - only have until Dec. 2nd 2009

[HardTrance9]

Hi all,

One of the pools (SG on my signature) it's super heavy loaded with CYA and CH.

It has an Aquarite system with a DE filter (picture attached).

The house will be empty from today until December 2nd. (just got the news).. so I wanted to try to drain some water to start balancing it, but when I tried to do this.. I couldn't find how to actually achieve this

Could someone help mi a little about how to drain water from this kind of system? I only read it has the option of "Spa Drain" but that's it...

All the other pools with a Sand Filter are more obvious but it is the first time we are going to drain some water from this one... which by the way is getting some algae =( so we have to move as quick as possible..

There are no manuals nor nothing for this pool... kind of a mess (as with the other, but we are trying to change this little by little)..

 

[duraleigh]

Hey, HT,

That filter should have a push-pull valve or a multiport valve that takes water away from the filter and distributes it either back to the pool or (frequently) to a drain.

Can you get another pic a little lower and around on the other side so we can see where the pipes coming out of the filter lead to?

 

[JoshU]

Yep, the valve should very similar that of the sand filter you mentioned. Unless this is actually a Clean & Clear Plus cartridge filter. A picture of the other side would be very helpful.

 

[HardTrance9]

Thanks!

Mmmm does this pictures help?

Valves of this one are pretty bad and broken.. (that's how they were.. )

 

[JoshU]

That is actually a cartridge filter, not a D.E. filter. Sand and D.E. filters have multi-port valves for operation (i.e. "Filter", "Backwash", "Waste", etc.) and you would be able to use this valve to drain some of the water. In your case you don't have a multi-port valve.

Hopefully someone installed a garden hose spigot in the plumbing. You could use this to drain the water if so. Remember to turn the skimmers off (via the ball valve(s)) if you're draining enough water that the waterline will drop below the proper waterline for the skimmer to operate. In this case you'll just want to pull water from the drain(s). If the ball valves don't work or there is no spigot to use you'll probably need to use the next suggestion...

The next best option would be a small submersible pump or as a last resort you could use something like a pool vacuum hose to siphon the water out of the pool.

Also, on a side note it looks like the chlorine generator cell may be installed before the heater. Ideally it should be installed after the heater.

 

[zea3]

That is actually a cartridge filter, not a D.E. filter. Sand and D.E. filters have multi-port valves for operation (i.e. "Filter", "Backwash", "Waste", etc.) and you would be able to use this valve to drain some of the water. In your case you don't have a multi-port valve.

Josh, it is possible to have a DE filter without a multi-port valve. My DE filter does not have one, in fact I just installed a ball valve on the waste outlet of my filter the other day so I could clean the filter without flooding the yard. The original set up for my above ground is very simple, water goes out through the skimmer, ball valve just before pump, ball valve between filter and return and that is all. I do have a knob on top of the filter to "bump" the grids and knock the DE loose to re-generate the filter. I don't think he has a knob on his filter, though. Shouldn't there be some sort of drain on the filter regardless of what it is? I do think you are right about using a submersible pump to drain the pool since he is on a limited time schedule.

 

[HardTrance9]

Many thanks for your insights JoshU and zea3...

Wow... well I will try to see what can it be done...

The levels in this pool are so so so so bad!

The algae that was growing a little kind of stopped now, but now the water looks a little "foggy"... will take pictures and post in some minutes..

We added 4 liters of muriatic acid yesterday and the pH is still on 8.2...

We have added bleach (for the algae), but well... I have this pool thread here and will continue with the chemical discussion there I think.. http://www.troublefreepool.com/very-high-results-t17934.html

Will try to see if how can I drain this pool... time is running!

Many thanks!!

EDIT:

Phewwww.... just got some latest news... pool will not be used next Wednesday... will be used until Dec. 20th!! Great news so we can try to figure out how to deal with this messy pool...

 

[HardTrance9]

Well... actually pics won't help... water looks better now, but is just an optic ilussion...

Here are the pics as promised, but will continue posting in the other thread about the chemicals..

Here I will post our findings about how to drain this pool... using the previous comments...

 

[polyvue]

Hello HardTrance9,

JoshU provide an excellent list of options (from best to... adequate) that should enable draining of this pool. My cartridge filter has a removable (drain) plug near the bottom of the shell that could be used for drainage, but I've never tried this. If you need to drain quickly, buy or rent one or more submersible pumps ($60-90 purchased ) that work with a standard garden hose.