New pump and filter...why did I wait so long

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C

cillovely

0
May 31, 2011
19
Massachusetts
My old sand filter and pump was about 12 years old. About 3-4 years ago we were thinking we would be needing to shop around and get a new one. The drain plug in the filter was leaking, the strainer basket lid broke, and just little things. A friend had a old pump he didn't need so we used that, got a new drain plug for the fliter and worked ok.

Fast forward to this year, the morning of our leaving for a week long vacation our filter started to suck air, even with a new o ring the strainer basket was bubbling around the edges and leaking, and leaks just started to pop up everywere we looked, the skimmer, the return, hoses etc. We managed to patch it up as best as we could before going away but of course came home to a green mess. Fudged with it some more and then this past Sunday afternoon I got fed up and went to the pool store and purchased a new Hayward DE filter and pump. Monday morning pool was blue but a bit cloudy, Monday night clear as a whistle, this morning I swear it's glowing it's so clear. I don't think the pool has ever been this clear looking. We still need to get a new skimmer (which is 12 years old, too) it has a slight leak and you can hear air sucking in every once in a while, but the pool is amazing looking. It's like it just ate up the green (and when I did backwash I saw the green it ate :) ewww)

I'm not saying if you are having problems, run out and drop cash on a new filter, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just do it. And if anyone was to ask what kind of filter to get, I would strongly recommend DE. I know it requires a bit more work, but I was ending up spending lots of time on the sand anyhow. And I hardly call going to the filter and "bumping" it once a day and backwash and add DE once a week to it a lot of work... :party:
 
I love my DE filter. I lost that crystal clear pool this week as I had a higher than expected bather load and I was less than perfect at my testing. I bumped up the CL and I ran the pump overnight and its back to perfect. I ran 6 weeks on my first charge with bumping. It's been 2 weeks on this new charge and I have not seen my pressures rise more than 2 PSI after bumping.

Yes, it is a lot of work if you get a nasty bloom or a swamp but I can go from green to crystal clear in a weekend, given the proper dedication.
 
Exactly! But a good robot is very useful for keeping water crystal clear and the bottom clear of silt. :) I run mine almost every day. The 3 hour cycle really isn't enough to cover my entire pool, so I just run it as many days a week as I can, well, remember to walk out and turn it on. I work from home, should be doing it every day. Oops!
 
RobbieH said:
A pool can be perfectly clear on a sand filter. :)

Don't want to start an argument, just don't want someone to read this and think DE is a solution for an algae problem. :)
Click to expand...

I agree, an algae problem is not going to be solved by a DE filter. Chlorine is required to kill the algae and that typically makes your green/ swampy cloudy pool turn into a blue/white/grey cloudy pool. You still have a cloudy pool full of debris (dead algae), just in a different color pallet.

The filter, be it sand, cartridge or DE, is the only thing that makes your pool clear and removes the cloudy.

A sand filter is "easier" in that you run your pump 24/7 for a week and will filter out the debris with a couple backwashes during that week, as supported by pressures. It is easier in that you run your pump and your pressures rise slowly and too frequent backwashing will hinder the process.

A DE filter, with a large algae bloom will REQUIRE you clean or backwash your filter much more often than sand filter. Running a DE filter 24 hours is not going to happen with a active bloom. The media will get so plugged up with debris that water slows to a relative crawl. I normally need to bump the filter at least every 2 hours when I have had a bad bloom. It required I clean my filter twice in the same day. This is when I learned, for me, it takes less time to clean the filter via dis-assembly than it does for a backwash and related clean-up as I don't have a place for the dirty backwash (and DE) to go. I can pop off the head, clean the fingers, dump the old DE, and reassemble faster for a 100% clean filter.
 
I have the Leslie's Dolphin Deluxe 4. I got it before I knew about this website or the resources available to research all the different robots out there, but I've been pretty happy with it anyway. I happened to walk into the store one day (something I don't do very often!) and they had it on sale for $699. Regular price is $1099. It does a really good job most the time, as long as I keep the bag very clean. One thing I've learned is that I really wish I had a remote control for it. Sometimes there are just a few leaves I want to pick up from the bottom of the deep end, a remote would make this a breeze.

I just got back from going outside to fire it up. :) I also did some quick checks and I need some MA. pH is almost 8.0.
 

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My little Aquabug does pretty darn good for me...but then I have a smallish pool and a flat floor and 90 degree walls. She can get all of the stuff off the floor in a 2-3 hour run and if I need to remotely control her, I grab the hose or a pole and move her to where I want.
 
techguy said:
A DE filter, with a large algae bloom will REQUIRE you clean or backwash your filter much more often than sand filter. Running a DE filter 24 hours is not going to happen with a active bloom. The media will get so plugged up with debris that water slows to a relative crawl. I normally need to bump the filter at least every 2 hours when I have had a bad bloom. It required I clean my filter twice in the same day. This is when I learned, for me, it takes less time to clean the filter via dis-assembly than it does for a backwash and related clean-up as I don't have a place for the dirty backwash (and DE) to go. I can pop off the head, clean the fingers, dump the old DE, and reassemble faster for a 100% clean filter.
Click to expand...
Very true, this was mine on pool opening. I didn't have time to shock before closing in the fall, I'll have to make the time this year. Since the pool has cleared and filter regenerated I haven't had to touch it unless I vacuum. Then a bump or 2 and keep going. When the going is good it's very easy run.
 
techguy said:
My little Aquabug does pretty darn good for me...but then I have a smallish pool and a flat floor and 90 degree walls. She can get all of the stuff off the floor in a 2-3 hour run and if I need to remotely control her, I grab the hose or a pole and move her to where I want.
Click to expand...

It's not quite that easy in my pool. ;) I can't even use a pressure or suction cleaner!
 
Nice to hear! I myself just got my pump and filter via UPS today. I searched for a month on what to buy and I ended up with the Hayward EC40 perflex DE Filter and Matrix 1hp pump. The pump was my hold up. I wanted a 2 speed, Hayward Matrix with twist lock cord and built in timer. I finally found a pump, but it is a single speed but has all the other things I wanted. I also got a new chlorinator today and I am going out tonight to get new hoses clamps etc..By the weekend, I will be brand new. My current system is only 4 years old, but things are going wrong and I am tired of mending them, not to mention I wanted a DE filter.Going to put that stuff away and use it for a backup. Good luck with the new system.
 
RobbieH said:
A pool can be perfectly clear on a sand filter. :)

Don't want to start an argument, just don't want someone to read this and think DE is a solution for an algae problem. :)
Click to expand...
I don't think it is a solution to an algea problem, but I don't have algea problems anyway. My pool has always been clear on a sand filter, now it is going to be clearer :party:
 
For me, I am so happy with my new cartridge filter after 11 years struggling with DE (Purex 48 sf) that came with the house be bought. In that 11 years, every summer, the heater always acted up, normal light doesn't turn on because not enough flow. The pressure on the filter went up fast after backwash or even a total clean out even with skimmer socks. We do have trees around the pool. Then I couldn't find a replacement for the valve and decided to get new (460 sf, I think) cartridge filter. It's almost a year and filter pressure still just a little above zero (on half speed) without a single wash and the heater has been working perfectly. The water look better because of better flow rate. I guess 48 sf of filter was also way too small for our pool. The saying of " always buy a biggest filter possible" is very true.
 
NJpoolguy said:
RobbieH said:
A pool can be perfectly clear on a sand filter. :)

Don't want to start an argument, just don't want someone to read this and think DE is a solution for an algae problem. :)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I never meant that myself. I just choose DE after having sand for so many years. I'm sure if we had gotten a new sand filter I'd be just as happy.

And I talk to other pool people and some hate DE, others love it. It's all what you prefer. I know there is some work to the DE at pool closing time, but back when we were uneducated pool owners (2 years ago, so for 10 years), we were dumping our sand each year and cleaning out the filter. So this is not new to us :eek:

My psi has not moved in days now that it's so clean. I have hardly had to bump it at all. I still do from time to time, out of paranoia and have backwashed once after it turned so pretty blue.

For me, since my pool is so sparkling after the switch, I am very glad with my choice. :party:
 
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