The skimmer that is pulling air: How long have you left it on? I'm sure you've thought of this already but could it just be air in the line?
Welcome to my SWAMP!
- Thread starter Fancypants
- Start date
joshs2000ss said:
Not sure where the air is coming from, but even if it has been running for hours I still get air.
It depends on how well your pump works, but I have been find that my net is missing a lot and/or stirring stuff up and not necessarily getting it out of the water. I'd vacuum to waste if you can, as that might get some grime/slime out of the bottom directly without having to let your filter turn the water over frequently.
I am in the same boat as you, and while my water is clearing up, I still have a mound of gunk on the bottom that just isn't going away. Vacuuming seems to be making the most progress for me. Personally, I'd rather replace displaced water than wait for the filter to clean this thing up.
I am in the same boat as you, and while my water is clearing up, I still have a mound of gunk on the bottom that just isn't going away. Vacuuming seems to be making the most progress for me. Personally, I'd rather replace displaced water than wait for the filter to clean this thing up.
Fancypants said:
Is your water level high enough?
I am assuming you have a real skimmer, which if the water is too low, would leave it susceptible to drawing in air as the water waves back and forth. Maybe try raising the water level 2-3 inches and see if it gets better. Add more as needed to finish.
I think my Jandy Valve might be put together incorrectly. This is a picture of what I imagine is a properly put together one.
And her is a picture of my Jandy Valve:
Notice that the handle on mine appears to be going in the opposite direction. I can't rotate my handle 180 degrees against the stops. I get, maybe 60 degress of motion in the handle.
I am thinking about taking apart my Jandy tonight, re-positioning it, and seeing if that is where my air is coming from. I hope none of the gaskets are screwed up in it.
Thought?
And her is a picture of my Jandy Valve:
Notice that the handle on mine appears to be going in the opposite direction. I can't rotate my handle 180 degrees against the stops. I get, maybe 60 degress of motion in the handle.
I am thinking about taking apart my Jandy tonight, re-positioning it, and seeing if that is where my air is coming from. I hope none of the gaskets are screwed up in it.
Thought?
DCAG
0
If your three way valve is like the top picture, then "off" closes the pipe it's pointed to... as you probably guessed. And the normal operating position is like the top picture, with the middle pipe connected to the pump. It looks as if it was installed like that because the pipes did not line up.
Dan
Dan
Also might want to get a hose and a leaf blower going around the area just to keep additional debris from making its way into the pool.
DCAG said:
Dan, if I am reading your post correctly, then you think my Jandy valve is installed correctly per the way my pipes line up? I might take it apart anyhow, just so I can have a clear understanding of which handle position does what. Can you figure out what my valve is doing the way it is set-up?
joshs2000ss said:
Josh, I have cleaned up since that picture was taken
I took that picture before doing ANY work on the pool, when I was just trying to figure out what was what.
If I want to use a drain jet to troubleshoot my non-working skimmer, how to I plug the other skimmer? Could I just use a gizmo? Or is that not recommended.
DCAG
0
Better if I explain how the valve in the top picture works first:Fancypants said:
If the word "off" is moved towards the top/bottom pipe, it'll slowly turn off that top or bottom pipe. (6 or 12 o'clock position)
There are probably two stops to keep you from moving the valve past those points. If you loosen the knob in the middle and lift the handle away from the valve a bit it allows you to turn past those stops, which would allow you to turn the off position to the middle pipe. (which is how one would turn off both pipes - the stops are there to keep you from turning off both pipes by mistake if the pump were running)
In your photo, it looks like the valve has been moved past the stops and is being used to close the pipes at the 6 or 9 positions with only a few degrees of movement allowed.
If you were to take this apart to put it right, the valve would have to be rotated 90 deg right, with the middle pipe going to the pump. Then you'd have to rotate the handle's off position to be as it shows in the top picture. You'd have to move the pump to the left, or use a flexible hose from the valve to the pump. If you take off the valve, it'll make more sense how it works when you look inside it.
Does that help?
One more thing: I don't have that exact valve, but mine allows me to take the handle off completely, and put it back on wrong. If that happens, I need to figure out which pipe is off, then put the handle back on correctly.
Dan
Fancy Pants
Just throwing a bone out there, Ilive in Kannapolis, and I get my liquid chlorine at a place in Concord for 1.85 a gallon, they sell 15 gallon buckets fairly reasonable unless you got something to transport in, place is called Carribean Pool Service. If interested I have the digits. 4541 Raceway Dr SW Concord, NC 28027
(704) 795-7665
Just throwing a bone out there, Ilive in Kannapolis, and I get my liquid chlorine at a place in Concord for 1.85 a gallon, they sell 15 gallon buckets fairly reasonable unless you got something to transport in, place is called Carribean Pool Service. If interested I have the digits. 4541 Raceway Dr SW Concord, NC 28027
(704) 795-7665
Bowlin, thanks for the tip. My parents live in Denver and I take 85 on my way. If I have room in the car and need chlorine, I will give them a look.
Forgot to take pictures today, but the water is slowly clearing, I can almost see the shallow end!
I was thinking about using some "clarifier" just because I am inpatient and want to see the bottom of my pool for the first time!
Sean
Forgot to take pictures today, but the water is slowly clearing, I can almost see the shallow end!
I was thinking about using some "clarifier" just because I am inpatient and want to see the bottom of my pool for the first time!
Sean
Fancypants has not posted photos in a while so I am going to post some from 5/23, he will post more from today later. I think our swamp is turning out well, with our round the clock work.
These pictures are from today.
As you can see, the difference between 5/23 and today 5/28 is slight, the water is still quite cloudy, could this be because I am using cal-hypo? Could the calcium in that be creating a "cloud"
Here is a set of full test results from today at around noon:
FC: 10.5ppm
CC: 1.5ppm
TA: 100ppm
pH: 7.2
CYA: not registering
CH: 120ppm
When I started CH was at 30, and that was on 5-19, so in 10 days the CH has gone up 90ppm. My CH levels are still under "acceptable" levels to prevent scaling, but if I switch to liquid chlorine do you think the cloud might go away? If it is in fact Calcium?
I ask also because I have been backwashing FAR LESS frequently than I was, maybe once daily. I know that the air filled gauges aren't that accurate, but my pressure goes from ~11psi to ~14psi in a day. In the beginning it would make that jump in an hour, then every couple hours, then every several hours, now once/twice daily.
**Edit** I did just notice that the water looks more "blue" in the new pictures, so maybe that is a sign that the water is clearing because the liner is blue?
As you can see, the difference between 5/23 and today 5/28 is slight, the water is still quite cloudy, could this be because I am using cal-hypo? Could the calcium in that be creating a "cloud"
Here is a set of full test results from today at around noon:
FC: 10.5ppm
CC: 1.5ppm
TA: 100ppm
pH: 7.2
CYA: not registering
CH: 120ppm
When I started CH was at 30, and that was on 5-19, so in 10 days the CH has gone up 90ppm. My CH levels are still under "acceptable" levels to prevent scaling, but if I switch to liquid chlorine do you think the cloud might go away? If it is in fact Calcium?
I ask also because I have been backwashing FAR LESS frequently than I was, maybe once daily. I know that the air filled gauges aren't that accurate, but my pressure goes from ~11psi to ~14psi in a day. In the beginning it would make that jump in an hour, then every couple hours, then every several hours, now once/twice daily.
**Edit** I did just notice that the water looks more "blue" in the new pictures, so maybe that is a sign that the water is clearing because the liner is blue?
Welcome to tfp, MrsFancypants 
I vote that MrsFancypants is the spokesperson for fancypants from now on since her first post included pictures of a pool getting cleaned up
I doubt it is clouding due to the calcium since your other numbers are pretty good.
Sand filter take awhile to clear a pool. Once your OCLT is <1 ppm and you do not have any CC, then you may want to try DE. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/add_de_to_a_sand_filter
How much cya have you added and what cya level do you think you should be at?
I do think your water looks more blue than green (may be the lighting) which would be a good sign.
I vote that MrsFancypants is the spokesperson for fancypants from now on since her first post included pictures of a pool getting cleaned up
I doubt it is clouding due to the calcium since your other numbers are pretty good.
Sand filter take awhile to clear a pool. Once your OCLT is <1 ppm and you do not have any CC, then you may want to try DE. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/add_de_to_a_sand_filter
How much cya have you added and what cya level do you think you should be at?
I do think your water looks more blue than green (may be the lighting) which would be a good sign.
Just curious my NC brethren Mr and Mrs FancyPants, how many leaves were on the bottom of that swamp, I am going at my pool with a lil less gusto than usual. I did purchase the leaf sucker to help me along the way, however I think a entire oak tree has landed its leaves in my pool. But I should know better!!! Anywhoo looks like your swamp is improving nicely. And a small pc of advice if I could. Duraleigh suggested to me one time back in the day that I was barely tapping the chlorine with a small hammer he said that I needed a sledge hammer ie bring that shock level back up to around 25 for a bit, I bet the cloud will go away quicker.
However what do I know I get in this same shape every year, and these folks kind hearted as they are continue to help a brother out.
Hoping to jump in my pool by the 4th of July
However what do I know I get in this same shape every year, and these folks kind hearted as they are continue to help a brother out.
Hoping to jump in my pool by the 4th of July
Bowlin: So far not too many leaves, but the pool did have a mesh safety cover on it, which keeps out a lot of the solids. Most of what we have in the pool are seeds and pine needles that likely blew in under the lip of the cover.
I am not kicking my shock levels up that high because, as far as I can tell I have no/little CYA to buffer it.
linen: When I got started I put in 1quart (32 fl. oz.) of powdered stabilizer from Leslie's in the pool, that should have brought the CYA up to ~10ppm, I waited a few days, then put in another quart which should have brought it up to ~20ppm. I wanted to go incrementally since it can take the stuff a while to dissolve. I checked it today, and could still clearly see the dot at the bottom of the test tube with it filled all the way up to the 20ppm line. I hadn't tested before today because I assumed that since I added it, it would be in there.
I am thinking about adding another 10ppm, because 30 wouldn't hurt, and I would like for it to show up on the test.
Now that I think about it though, if I am adding it in a sock via the skimmer, and I am backwashing frequently, then there is a chance that some/a lot of that made it out with the backwash. How do you guys feel about diluting it in hot water and then putting it right in the pool? Thinking that might help be sure it is IN the pool. I ask MrsFancypants to do that today if she had time, not sure if she has had time or not.
Also, she is a better spokesperson, much prettier than I am.
I am not kicking my shock levels up that high because, as far as I can tell I have no/little CYA to buffer it.
linen: When I got started I put in 1quart (32 fl. oz.) of powdered stabilizer from Leslie's in the pool, that should have brought the CYA up to ~10ppm, I waited a few days, then put in another quart which should have brought it up to ~20ppm. I wanted to go incrementally since it can take the stuff a while to dissolve. I checked it today, and could still clearly see the dot at the bottom of the test tube with it filled all the way up to the 20ppm line. I hadn't tested before today because I assumed that since I added it, it would be in there.
I am thinking about adding another 10ppm, because 30 wouldn't hurt, and I would like for it to show up on the test.
Now that I think about it though, if I am adding it in a sock via the skimmer, and I am backwashing frequently, then there is a chance that some/a lot of that made it out with the backwash. How do you guys feel about diluting it in hot water and then putting it right in the pool? Thinking that might help be sure it is IN the pool. I ask MrsFancypants to do that today if she had time, not sure if she has had time or not.
Also, she is a better spokesperson, much prettier than I am.
My preferred approach is a sock hung in front of the return. That way my backflushing can be totally independent of the cya. Then when I walk by the pool, I give the sock a squeeze.
The hot water will not work afaik.
The hot water will not work afaik.
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