New To Site-Pump Question/Back Pressure

[Shaun5870]

I have an inground pool, 18x36. The pool pump is a Pentair 4x160 IntelFlow. 1Hp.

I have the FROG system, Is anyone familiar with the system? The last two years I have had problems with back pressure which does not allow the water to pass through the FROG system. I find myself putting numerous amounts of chemicals in the pool throughout the season which results in $$$.

As I mentioned the pump is 1HP, it is about 30ft from the pool, and slighlty higher in elevation than the pool, would this have an effect on the back pressure problem I am having?

Any suggestions.
Thank you

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum :-D .

If you search "frog" on this site, you will find VERY little good news....sorry.

It sounds like you may have some water chemistry issues. Could you post some current test results to include FC, CC, CH, TA and CYA? That'll give us a much better picture of your problem and help us help you get started clearing it up.

Also let us know what city and state you are in. Have you started reading Pool School?

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

So, you've reached the point where you want to fill that hole in? That's what usually leads folks to search the web and end up here.

Here's some tips:
1) Trouble free does not mean maintenance free. Many people have tried to automate pool maintenance, nobody's perfected it.
2) The key to a pool that is the envy of all who see it is to test accurately and add only what is needed.
3) A good test kit is mandatory. Test strips don't cut it, nor does trusting the pool store testing. There's an article in http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/ that covers test kits. Just skip it, go to http://tftestkits.net and order up a TF100. And a speedstir. You can thank me later.
4) Study pool-school/
5) Read the forums. Be sure to check out the sticky threads. They're there because they are very common topics.
6) Bookmark http://www.poolcalculator.com/ You'll be visiting it often.

 

[Lershac]

Unfortunately, most people on this site who have used the "frog" system have not had good experiences.

Through time, real life testing, and the miracle of modern science, the people on this forum have found that the things needed to maintain the chemistry of your pool are simple. This is all covered in Pool School as linked in posts above, but I will give you the short version.

1. Get a good test kit. Taylor makes one, and the owner of this site sells one through an affiliated website. Both are great, the TF100 is a better value (IMHO). Testing your pool gives you the status of your pool NOW, and using http://www.poolcalculator.com you can target specific levels of the needed chemicals to put in to reach predefined target levels.

2. The chemicals you need can be found at your local grocery and hardware store. They are:

a)bleach
b)baking soda
c)Borax
d)muriatic acid.

3. You measure your pool with the test kit, plug in your results and such to the pool calculator website, and add the amounts it calculates, and within days you have a sparkling pool.

4. Wash rinse repeat for many years to come.

The driving force behind all this was cost. Some pool stores and even some builders have very little idea about water chemistry, or any financially driven desire to educate you about it, BECAUSE THE MAKE MONEY SELLING YOU CHEMICALS.

I know several people who spend many hundreds if not thousands a year on pool maintenance chemicals. Since building my pool, I have spent about $65 on chemicals to maintain my pool. Most of that being acid, because my pool is new plaster and the ph rises in those over the first year.

Get reading and understanding whats going on in your pool and take control. Then start planning what to spend the money you save on.

 

[Shaun5870]

Thank you for the reply. My current chemical readings are as of 27 Jan 12
CH 5.0
pH 65
Alk 5.0
Calcium 200

Living in Columbia,SC

Pentair Variable Speed 4 x160 1 HP. The pump station is up hill from the pool and about 20-30 feet from the skimmer. Is this enough HP for the conditions I have?

I have an inground pool, it seems I have a real problem with circulation,
For example; Today I tried to vacuum the pool, Closed the main drain, I was getting great suction from the skimmer I then added the Kreepy Krauly it seems there was not enough pressure to allow the Kreepy to start up. I am not sure what the problem could be? Any suggestions?

 

[Bama Rambler]

You either have some errors in reporting your numbers or we're not using the same terminology.
Here's what we use.
pH (kit usually reads 6.8 to 8.2)
FC = free chlorine (usually reads 0 ppm to 10 ppm)
CC = Combined Chlorimines (should be .5 ppm or less)
TA = total alkalinity (usually 50 to 150 ppm)
CH = Calcium Hardness (usually 0 to 1000 ppm)
CYA = Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer/Conditioner) (Usually 0 to 150 Sometimes much higher)

Your vacuum problem could be the kreepy itself expecially if the skimmer has good flow with it disconnected. It could also be a partial blockage somewhere. The impeller can get stuff stuck in it and may need cleaning.

What does your filter pressure read with the vac hooked up and unhooked?
What does the filter pressure read with the Main drain open and closed?