What setting on Filter while vacuuming

[ericjdaniels]

Hello, I am brand new to pools. The sand filter I have has a multiport on the top with a worn off label. I may have tracked down the options as: Filter, Backwash, Rinse, Recirculate, Closed, Winterize and Bypass to waste.

Here are my questions:

What settings do I choose when I am vacuuming? I have been vacuuming on filter. Then backwash, then rinse. But should I be using Bypass to waste, then backwash then filter??

What does recirculate mean?

What is bypass to waste supposed to be used for if not during vacuuming?

Thank you all!!!!

 

[yeggim]

Unless you have a lot of muck, leaves etc or want to get rid of water, vacuum on filter. Vacuuming to waste for long periods of time will throw a lot of water out of the pool.

Only backwash when your filter pressure is 15 to 20% over clean pressure. In other words if after backwashing your filter gauge reads 12 psi, you would wait till it reads 14 or 15 psi to backwash.

After backwashing you rinse.

 

[Charlie_R]

Once you know the brand and size of your filter, check their website for a replacement position label. Most have tose available at nominal cost, just for problems like yours. Also see if the still have an owners manual available. Most do, in PDF form.

 

[ericjdaniels]

If I have the pump on low, I have never gone above 5psi. If I kick it up to high, it bounces but I've seen it bounce as high as 15. I tend to vacuum on high and run the filter on low. I have backwashed after ever time I have vacuumed, but maybe I need to stop. We just have dirt/scum at the bottom of the pool that we keep trying to vacuum, and it keeps coming back.

How am I doing?

I'm in touch with the manufacturer and hopefully will get a replacement soon.

 

[Richard320]

I vacuum on filter and backwash once or twice a year is all.

Unless you have enormous drifts of dirt to suck up from a landslide, a flood, or a haboob, the filter should be just fine holding whatever you vacuumed up.

[center:1aaf1n5l]

haboob[/center:1aaf1n5l]

 

[ericjdaniels]

Wow, that haboob looks like a party.

Here's a pic of the stuff we are trying to get to go away. Hasn't wanted to go away for a while now. We finally have our chlorine and CYA under control so we are going to vacuum and see if it stays away this time. Still learning the ropes of our k-2006, or else I would post all of my measurements.

If you have any other ideas of how to get rid of this lovely stuff, let me know, Thanks all!

[attachment=0:131pp1da]Pool.scum.jpg[/attachment:131pp1da]

 

[duraleigh]

Sound like and looks like dead algae to me. You really should use your test kit and post some numbers.

 

[ericjdaniels]

Here are our numbers:

FC - 8.5
CC or TC - 0
pH - 7.6
TA - 50 ppm
CH - 60 ppm
CYA - 70 ppm (just added last night so might still be settling out?)

 

[Richard320]

I see a ladder in the vicinity. Find a small plastic scrub brush or a nail brush, something small, and the next time you're in there cooling off, give the rungs, especially the bottoms a once-over.

 

[ericjdaniels]

Well, we vacuumed and swam a bit today and have left the filter on and the pool looks like a million bucks! I think we may have had some algae or something and since out CYA and chlorine were so low, it just kept coming back. Thanks everyone!!

 

[ericjdaniels]

I spoke too soon. The skum has returned this morning. Our chlorine/CYA numbers were good yesterday. What should we do? Running out of ideas.

 

[Charlie_R]

Shocking your pool, and defeating algae

These two section should help.

 

[Patrick_B]

I vacuum on filter and backwash once or twice a year is all.

Unless you have enormous drifts of dirt to suck up from a landslide, a flood, or a haboob, the filter should be just fine holding whatever you vacuumed up.

[center:wjcyykmx]

haboob[/center:wjcyykmx]

We had exactly this come in yesterday about noon. Got it covered in time though!

 

[vsat88]

No kidding, Not to say I am anything more than a nOOb but..I agree with the guys above as my pool was doing the same thing and by following the above suggestions of brushing carefully and a really thorough shock the problem is gone. Back washing too often was not good for my situation and adding DE to the filter (sand filter) really helped as well. With best regards. vsat88.

 

[ericjdaniels]

Sounds good. I am on it. We didn't scrub the walls and the entire pool, so maybe that is the problem. We only scrubbed what looked like a problem.

Taking measurements again...off to scrub...praying against haboobs. Then again, you all should do that, cause if the Jersey Shore gets a haboob, I figure the end of the world is next.

 

[ericjdaniels]

One more thing: My wife came home from the pool store with "Fiber Clear." It is listed as a "safe D.E. Alternative." I told her that I wanted to put some D.E. in the filter and she told the pool guys who told her to buy this.

Ever heard of it? Should I just go buy D.E. and return this?

 

[ericjdaniels]

Here are our numbers:

Yesterday:
FC - 8.5
CC - 0
pH - 7.6
TA - 50
CH - 60
CYA - 70

Today:
FC - 6.5
CC - 0
pH - 7.0
TA - 50
CH - 60
CYA - 70

We are going to add some borax, scrub, then add chlorine. Any other suggestions?

 

[JasonLion]

The fiber DE substitutes will work, though the quantity you need will be a little different. Since you need to figure out the quantity anyway (by watching the filter pressure while adding a little at a time) that isn't a problem.

When dealing with reoccurring debris on the bottom of the pool, it is often good to try raising the FC level 2 or 3 above your normal level and see if that makes any difference.

 

[ericjdaniels]

Thanks for the suggestion JasonLion. We'll try that!

 

[ericjdaniels]

So our FC dropped from 12 to 7 overnight. Our pH is 7.4 and all other measurements are the same.

What is causing us to lose so much chlorine overnight? It did rain last night, but nothing major. Really hoping this trouble free pool will show up soon.