It is a confusing number of products on the market that claim to clarify pools. The ones I've used in the past produce a layer of silt like quality that takes a lot of water to suck it out. There seems to be a flocculant that goes in the skimmer and takes 24-48 hours or more to clear and does not make a sediment at the pool bottom. However I can't find out what produce works this way.
Pool clarifier not needing major vacuum to waste
- Thread starter Ironchef
- Start date
We have generally found that the need to use any of the products you are describing is very rare. Any filter should be able to clear the pool without the use of additional chemicals.
My understanding is that "clarifiers" cause the particles to stick together and then more easily captured in the filter.
"flocculants" have very specific instructions on turning off the pump and letting everything settle to the floor and the vacuum to waste.
What is the background of you pool? What is wrong with your water?
Post up some test results.
Please add your pool details and location as described HERE as it will help us help you.
My understanding is that "clarifiers" cause the particles to stick together and then more easily captured in the filter.
"flocculants" have very specific instructions on turning off the pump and letting everything settle to the floor and the vacuum to waste.
What is the background of you pool? What is wrong with your water?
Post up some test results.
Please add your pool details and location as described HERE as it will help us help you.
To keep your pool water looking good I would suggest keeping your water properly balanced. With proper FC levels and enough pump run time it'll look good.
Check out pool school.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
Check out pool school.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
I started out with a green swamp pool this year. I did a partial water change because of high CYA from adding bags and bags of tri-chlor shock. I didn't know any better at the time. Then using lots of bleach, I got it almost clear. I got the water balanced where I was getting consistent readings and kept diligently cleaning my small cartridge filter everyday as well as running the pump 24/7. The water cleared a bit more but there seemed to be just a last little tiny bit of cloudiness I could not get rid of so I turned to a clarifier I had used once before a couple of years ago before I found this site. I know folks here frown on the use of clarifier but in my case, it worked. After using just a couple of ounces, my filter cartridge started trapping much more dirt and within days my pool was crystal clear. In the long run, I may have accomplished the same results without the clarifier but it sure seemed to speed the process. YMMV of course. Just my personal experience.
Michael
Michael
No one asked what kind of filter I have...it's a hayward sand filter. I can run this 24/7 and it will not clear the water. The sand filter is limited to a 25 micron size which is not good enough for the particles in my pool.
The term "floccualtion" is defined as bringing together (particles). They do not necessarily fall to the bottom in a solution. I see this in making beer at home. In the case of the pool it would mean that the small particles would come together to make a larger size that the filter can catch.
How can a balanced pool deal with clearing fine particles??
The term "floccualtion" is defined as bringing together (particles). They do not necessarily fall to the bottom in a solution. I see this in making beer at home. In the case of the pool it would mean that the small particles would come together to make a larger size that the filter can catch.
How can a balanced pool deal with clearing fine particles??
I've heard some people add some DE to their sand filter with decent results.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
A sand filter, even without any filter aids (like added DE), is quite capable of providing extremely clear water, assuming it isn't broken and you give it some time to work. Using clarifier can occasionally speed up the process of clearing the water dramatically (and will have no effect what so ever on other occasions). But the sand filter alone will get there given time.
What an opportunity to dredge back up my pool pictures. 9 year old sand, never changed (but cleaned), and nothing BUT sand in the filter. Never used clarifier, floc, DE or any other additive. All photos taken through about 8 feet of water.....results speak for themselves.[attachment=2:3nv8dy9h]clearpoolauto1.JPG[/attachment:3nv8dy9h][attachment=1:3nv8dy9h]Clearpoolcoin.JPG[/attachment:3nv8dy9h] [attachment=0:3nv8dy9h]clearpoolauto2.JPG[/attachment:3nv8dy9h]A working sand filter and proper chemistry can make ANY pool sparkle.
Attachments
Ironchef said:
That's a reasonable question to ask. Perhaps the answer is a properly balanced pool will have nothing living in it. What are the fine particles you have made of?
Maybe we could make this analogy, properly balanced pool = beer after yeast has done it's job, you can siphon it then and it's pretty clean. Not properly balanced pool = beer still fermenting, you can siphon it then but it'd still be a mess...
I think you are just getting frustrated with your sand filter and adding some DE to it should make you happy.
Here is my water analysis for the cloudy pool.
Total chlorine. 0.5
Free chlorine. 0.5
PH. 7.2
Total alkalinity 86
Calcium hardness. 221
Stabilizer. 31
Cu,Fe. 0.0
I was told to add 2 gal liquid shock and have added one more BUT THE POOL IS STILL CLOUNDY.
IT IS A CAROLINA BLUE.
any ideas as to solution or cause
Total chlorine. 0.5
Free chlorine. 0.5
PH. 7.2
Total alkalinity 86
Calcium hardness. 221
Stabilizer. 31
Cu,Fe. 0.0
I was told to add 2 gal liquid shock and have added one more BUT THE POOL IS STILL CLOUNDY.
IT IS A CAROLINA BLUE.
any ideas as to solution or cause
Are those pool store test results? If so, that is part of the cause. Their tests are very inaccurate. If you haven't already, you need to get the correct test kit. After that, you will need to follow the process. It sounds like everything is mostly dead, so this shouldn't take as long as some of the swamp to clear threads. If when you do your own test CC<.5 and OCLT<1, you can try adding DE to your sand filter. This is a long thread and I don't have time to re-read the whole thing, so I am sorry if I have repeated anything that has already been said.
So you apparently do not have one of the recommended test kits and are not following the shock process (see Pool School).
Do those and the pool will clear up ... your FC is far too low even if your pool was clear.
Do those and the pool will clear up ... your FC is far too low even if your pool was clear.
Oh, yes. I forgot to add that in. If the CYA test is correct (which it very well may not be) you should NEVER let chlorine get below 3. Since your pool is cloudy, you should be shocking and maintaining to a level of 13.
Ok,ok ill get a recommended test kit and some DE. I'll read the pool school too. When I clears I'll report.
Thanks
Thanks
Ok I have the DE but how to I use it. Shall I put some in the skimmer or do I put it in the top of the sand filter?
The cl is now at 10!
The cl is now at 10!