Hi all, I am haveing a hard time with my new pool. The water is clear, chems are good. But I keep getting a fine dust/sandlike debris that settles in the same spots after every vacuuming. I will try to report clearly on what I have done to date to find out what is happening.
First I was letting my robot vac loose every day. The debris would be just about all gone after it's cycle but would settle back in the same locations on the bottom (near each return for the most part)
Next I tried tying a stocking to a return and it caught nothing.
Then I put a skimmer basket filter in and it does not seem to catch the fine debris
Then I got out the manual vac and tried that. Got all the stuff up but it was right back in 6 hrs
Then I manual vacuumed to waste, then ran the normal pump cylce which is 2.5 hrs , twice a day. Debris comes right back
Then I just swept it and it immediatley dissappears but settles back in an hour or two
Then I Manual vacuumed and then turned the pump off for 24 hrs. only a little bit came back
Then I turned the pump cycle back on that evening and the stuff was back in the morning
Then I manually vacuumed and ran the pump on recirc only. The stuff came back just as ity did when doing the other methods
Then I vacuumed as much as I could get to with my battery powered shop vac (shallow end is all I can reach) This is the only way I could actually capture some of the debris. I plan to get it tested. I actually think the debris is either the colored cement and or the colored release agent used in the stamped concrte process. But I guess I cannot prove that unless I get it tested.
Then I manual vacuumed (to waste) several more times, thinking maybe I could clear out the stuff from the filter?? No help so far
Lastly, I am concerned that the pump is sucking air (and maybe dirt) from somewhere. I notice when i start the vacuume process that if I throttle back the main drain to get more suction, the pump basket empties itself and fills with air. If I open the main drain and turn on the water to the slide, the pump will clear up in 5 minutes or so. But even on the low pump setting the pump basket has some air in it. I changed the basket's gasket and it seems to have helped some but not much.
If anyone out there has any expertise in this area, i would certainly love to chat with you. This is my first pool so my knowledge on these things is limited to common sense. So here is my list of things I have come up with as possible causes.
Zeobrite filter media is not working, maybe a real good cartrige fltr would fix it??
I am wondering if the Pool co. Installed the Hayward filter improperly.
Maybe the valve on top of the filter is letting stuff by??
Could the very small debris have inundated the filter media and thus no amount of vacuuming to waste will rid the filter of it?
Is it possible that the system is sucking in air and dirt but only when the pump is running?? The pool does not seem to be losing water except of course when I vac to waste.
Maybe I should take the filter apart and clean it and start over?
Sorry to be so longwinded
Frustrated, and pool season is close around here!
First I was letting my robot vac loose every day. The debris would be just about all gone after it's cycle but would settle back in the same locations on the bottom (near each return for the most part)
Next I tried tying a stocking to a return and it caught nothing.
Then I put a skimmer basket filter in and it does not seem to catch the fine debris
Then I got out the manual vac and tried that. Got all the stuff up but it was right back in 6 hrs
Then I manual vacuumed to waste, then ran the normal pump cylce which is 2.5 hrs , twice a day. Debris comes right back
Then I just swept it and it immediatley dissappears but settles back in an hour or two
Then I Manual vacuumed and then turned the pump off for 24 hrs. only a little bit came back
Then I turned the pump cycle back on that evening and the stuff was back in the morning
Then I manually vacuumed and ran the pump on recirc only. The stuff came back just as ity did when doing the other methods
Then I vacuumed as much as I could get to with my battery powered shop vac (shallow end is all I can reach) This is the only way I could actually capture some of the debris. I plan to get it tested. I actually think the debris is either the colored cement and or the colored release agent used in the stamped concrte process. But I guess I cannot prove that unless I get it tested.
Then I manual vacuumed (to waste) several more times, thinking maybe I could clear out the stuff from the filter?? No help so far
Lastly, I am concerned that the pump is sucking air (and maybe dirt) from somewhere. I notice when i start the vacuume process that if I throttle back the main drain to get more suction, the pump basket empties itself and fills with air. If I open the main drain and turn on the water to the slide, the pump will clear up in 5 minutes or so. But even on the low pump setting the pump basket has some air in it. I changed the basket's gasket and it seems to have helped some but not much.
If anyone out there has any expertise in this area, i would certainly love to chat with you. This is my first pool so my knowledge on these things is limited to common sense. So here is my list of things I have come up with as possible causes.
Zeobrite filter media is not working, maybe a real good cartrige fltr would fix it??
I am wondering if the Pool co. Installed the Hayward filter improperly.
Maybe the valve on top of the filter is letting stuff by??
Could the very small debris have inundated the filter media and thus no amount of vacuuming to waste will rid the filter of it?
Is it possible that the system is sucking in air and dirt but only when the pump is running?? The pool does not seem to be losing water except of course when I vac to waste.
Maybe I should take the filter apart and clean it and start over?
Sorry to be so longwinded
Frustrated, and pool season is close around here!
