Passed the OCLT this morning... zero FC loss and no CC! Going to check water clarity as soon as I get home from work...
Your water is looking good. DE is not a permanent fix for a channelled filter, since it is gone after each backwash. Your sand filter may be fine, it just might have taken longer to clear. If you think you have a channeled filter take a look and check this thread: http://www.troublefreepool.com/my-sand-is-channeled-how-to-fix-it-t7626.htmlwkener2 said:
Allright. So I had a beautiful pool for five days, then I get home from work today and I am greeted by a green pool :-( The water is still crystal clear, but the bottom and sides of the pool are covered in yellow/green... I did a test and here are the numbers:
FC 5
CC 0
PH 7.7
I have kept the FC at proper levels since I passes the OCLT, so in my opinion there is no way that algae could have bloomed in this pool. I guess I am going to have a go at opening the filter and looking at the sand: Do I have to take apart the multi-valve and remove the pipes or can I just loosen the two bolts that hold the collar onto the top of the filter? Here is a pic:
FC 5
CC 0
PH 7.7
I have kept the FC at proper levels since I passes the OCLT, so in my opinion there is no way that algae could have bloomed in this pool. I guess I am going to have a go at opening the filter and looking at the sand: Do I have to take apart the multi-valve and remove the pipes or can I just loosen the two bolts that hold the collar onto the top of the filter? Here is a pic:
Attachments
First thing to do is another OCLT. If it on the sides of the pool then it is not pollen. It sounds like algae.
For now, the sand filter is not your problem.
For now, the sand filter is not your problem.
Linen,
I understand your thinking... but if this is algae then why isn't the FC attacking it? When I brush it the yellow/green stuff clouds up and dissapears, does algae do that?
I understand your thinking... but if this is algae then why isn't the FC attacking it? When I brush it the yellow/green stuff clouds up and dissapears, does algae do that?
It can. It is possible you have Mustard Algae. Does it seem like there is more in the shady areas of the pool? Here is a link to the Mustard Algae article: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/mustard_algae
No, the only place where there is more of it is in front of the returns and along the lip between the shallow and deep ends of the pool...
Turned the main pump off last night before going to bed. Went out this morning at daybreak to look - no yellow/green stuff on the bottom or sides of pool. Should I try adding more DE to the filter?
Now I've really messed up: I unscrewed the clamp that holds the multi-port valve to the filter and lifted up on the valve to try and get a hose in there for cleaning. I ended up pulling the center pipe up and to the side, so now the valve will not sit on the filter neck :-( If I take the valve completely off and remove the sand from the filter will I be able to re-seat that center pipe and put the sand back in?
wkener2 said:
Don't fret too much. Yes, do what you suggested. Let the filter drain, scoop out what you can, if you have a shop vac, that can help also. Do you have the fill adapter for sand so the pipe stays in the middle of the filter when putting the sand back in? I actually removed my sand this spring, just to check it and the laterals in the filter & put the old sand back in again. It's not a real hard process, just some time & a little messy.
On your green water issue, just going to maybe suggest another problematic alternative. If you are sure you are passing the OCLT, and your usage during the day is not excessive, Your water is clear, just green, maybe it is an issue with Metals? I only ask because after a stain removal treatment this spring with citric acid, getting the chlorine to hold again, all of a sudden a few days later, I came home to a green water pool. Emerald Green! As I find out now, my municipal fill water has lots of copper. Evidently the stain removal put the metals right back in the water adding them all to the mix with the heavy laden fill water. I can go a few days now & see a tinge of green in the water & a bit of staining again, I add sequestrate & by the end of the day everything is blue & the staining is gone again. I'm going to live with it this way through summer & planning on doing a heavy drain come winter.
Again, not detracting from what others are suggesting, just my experience, & maybe??
No, I don't have the sand guide :-( I can just cover the top of the center pipe, right?
Wow, spent five hours tonight getting my filter put back together... I cut all the plumbing to the MPV and attempted to remove it, but it appears that the center pipe was cemented to the MPV :-( Also, the center pipe was almost three" too short - it doesn't even reach the stabilizer on the bottom of the filter! I cut the center pipe from the MPV and put a coupling in with another 3" of PVC to get it close to the right length. Thankfully none of the laterals were damaged in any way. However, the sand level was about 4" below what Tagelus calls for, so I added a 50lbs bag. I installed threaded unions on all the plumbing to the mpv so I don't have to do this all over again, and fired the filter back up. It seems to be working fine, but I now have a leak as I have air coming out the returns. I think that it is on the line between the pump and the filter...
I do have one question: Nothing inside the filter can cause a suction-side leak, right? Just wondering if those couplings on the center pipe have a good seal...
I do have one question: Nothing inside the filter can cause a suction-side leak, right? Just wondering if those couplings on the center pipe have a good seal...
If you have air coming out the returns, I would say you have a suction side leak somewhere. Not between pump & filter, but between pool & pump. Nothing inside the filter should cause an air leak. You would see water leaking(shooting) out under a pressurized condition. Double check the o-ring on the pump basket lid, & check the gasket on the drain plug for the pump basket.
Wow, you did get into some work on the filter didn't you?
Good luck,
Dave B
Wow, you did get into some work on the filter didn't you?
Good luck,
Dave B
Woke up this morning and now sand is building up in the pool under the returns :-( I'm assuming that the sand is getting into the center pipe around my coupling install.... I'm going to pull the mpv off the filter again when I get home :-(
Left work early and pulled off the mpv... turns out there was a gap between my coupling and the center pipe that sand was getting through, so I used another coupling to lengthen the pipe so it is nice and tight with no gaps. Also, I found the source of my air bubbles: The seal on the pump strainer basket cover was bad. Once I cleaned the two surfaces and lubed the o-ring the bubbles went away! I am running the filter now and shocking the pool once more 
Hopefully I can put all this behind me soon...
Hopefully I can put all this behind me soon...
Sounds like you did a nice job trouble shooting those two problems 
Now just continue to follow the shocking process until you pass all three criteria (as always, listed in my sig).
Now just continue to follow the shocking process until you pass all three criteria (as always, listed in my sig).