DE in the pool

[dscut]

Hi all,

I am running into a dilemma these couple days with DE. Initially my pump ran at high pressures and I backwashed several times and added around 50-75% DE after backwash. After several times, I start to notice DE in the pool. Tried to use Polaris to stir the water and hand pump but it seemed not working very well. I fixed the multivalve leaking by replacing the gasket, and also purchased a new set of grids to replace old ones. I am not sure whether I should add more DE to the pool since the new grid seems to discharge DE into the pool as well or maybe I should let the new filter to pick up most of the DE in the pool before adding more DE to the skimmer? To make things worse, I shocked the pool earlier this week and now my algae is gone but the whitish remaining is still in the pool.

Please help.

Thanks!

Dave

 

[techguy]

If you can vacuum the DE into the filter, thats great. i would worry more about getting the circulation going and then worry about the DE in to pool.

How did you shock the pool We recommend the SLAM method

[slam:1ipzy0sk][/slam:1ipzy0sk]

 

[duraleigh]

+1 what techguy said. :lol:

 

[harleysilo]

I am not sure whether I should add more DE to the pool since the new grid seems to discharge DE into the pool as well or maybe I should let the new filter to pick up most of the DE in the pool before adding more DE to the skimmer?

What DE filter do you have?

So you think you are getting more DE in the pool? You could place a pantyhose over each of the pool returns, maybe zip tie them in place, and verify if DE is being added to the pool.

I'm confused, did you add the appropriate amount of DE to the filter after you installed new grids? Do you have the ability to vacuum manually? And vacuum to waste bypassing the filter?

Something may be wrong with the new grids or your installation if DE is still getting into the pool.

 

[dscut]

Thanks Techguy for the reply. I followed the SLAM by bringing up the chlorine level before adding AquaChem shocks into the pool. The water now turned from green to blue yet it is like milky blue with either DE or dead algae in the pool. I tried to manually vacuum it out but have not been very successful. The water is circulating ok - it's just that running filter without the regular DE into skimmer worries me.

If you can vacuum the DE into the filter, thats great. i would worry more about getting the circulation going and then worry about the DE in to pool.

How did you shock the pool We recommend the SLAM method

[slam:13tz6e9m][/slam:13tz6e9m]

 

[dscut]

I have a 60 sq ft. DE based filter. I have just replaced the old grid with new one after running the pool for several days. It has already get out some of the DE in the pool through multiple backwash.

I will need to try the pantyhose trick to verify DE is being added to the pool - but I can see that the water discharged backinto pool are white colored.

I have n't added DE into the skimmer after installed the new grids - I am hoping the new grids can pick up the rest of existing DE in the pool.

I have one question though - should the bleed valve be inserted all way into the grid plastic handle or it should be 1/4 way into the handle as some of the online pic show?

Dave

I am not sure whether I should add more DE to the pool since the new grid seems to discharge DE into the pool as well or maybe I should let the new filter to pick up most of the DE in the pool before adding more DE to the skimmer?

What DE filter do you have?

So you think you are getting more DE in the pool? You could place a pantyhose over each of the pool returns, maybe zip tie them in place, and verify if DE is being added to the pool.

I'm confused, did you add the appropriate amount of DE to the filter after you installed new grids? Do you have the ability to vacuum manually? And vacuum to waste bypassing the filter?

Something may be wrong with the new grids or your installation if DE is still getting into the pool.

 

[harleysilo]

I have a 60 sq ft. DE based filter. I have just replaced the old grid with new one after running the pool for several days. It has already get out some of the DE in the pool through multiple backwash.

I wouldn’t expect the filter to capture DE that is laying on the bottom of your pool without you manually vacuuming it up.

I don’t understand what you mean by “through multiple backwash”.

I have n't added DE into the skimmer after installed the new grids - I am hoping the new grids can pick up the rest of existing DE in the pool.

You are supposed to charge your grids with new DE as soon as your turn the pump back on. Failure to do so can cause problems. Please read use-and-care-for-de-filters-t4086.html

I have one question though - should the bleed valve be inserted all way into the grid plastic handle or it should be 1/4 way into the handle as some of the online pic show?

Please post some links to the pictures you are talking about, you haven’t listed the brand yet.

 

[techguy]

If you run the DE filter with only the grids in place (and no DE) you can damage the grids.

So, if I understand correctly, you replaced the grids on your DE filter with new grids and since then, you are seeing the white flow from the filter and into the pool. The water is whitish and this could be due to dead algae (normal color of my dead algae) OR you are seeing DE collect in the floor of the pool.

These comments are based on my experiences with a DE filer in an AG pool and several swamp cleanings over the years.

If I turned off the pump, the DE in the pool is likely to settle to the floor within 30 minutes into a whitish layer on the floor. If I have dead "whitish" algae in the pool, it will settle... but much slower than DE.

So... if I turned off my pump for an hour and I saw clear water over a white layer on the floor of my pool, I would guess a DE leak from either torn grids (fingers in my filter). I would them use my manual vacuum and carefully vacuum it into my filter. I would watch my pressures while doing this.

If after an hour or settling I saw a pool full of whitish/gray/blue water, I would assume I have killed most of the algae in my pool and need to filter it out.

When I have been at this stage, my pressures in my DE filter will go from low to high (10->18) in less than 2 hours and I would need to bump my filter (this is a special feature of my filter) and continue filtering until my pressures rise in 20 minute of less. Then I need to clean the filter. I normally disassemble and wash my filter when this happens as opposed to backwash as I can control how clean my filter gets. When I am cleaning a whitish/green pool, the grids/fingers get very dirty, very quickly and it require a TON of babysitting and cleaning. The end result is that the pool clears VERY quickly (1-2 days).

sorry for the long answer, I am going to stop now. If you have any other questions, let me know

DE can be a lot of work when you get green but when you are done, it's perfect.

 

[dscut]

Thank you Techguy for your help! It really helps me understand the difference between DE and dead algae.

I think my pool for now has a combination of both since I shocked the pool recently and the top water is pure blue now. I have run the new filter without DE this morning and it appears to have picked up some of the things in my pool but I will backwash and then add DE the first thing in the morning tomorrow. As of now, the new grid and the newly replaced gasket in multi-valve should have fixed the DE leaking issue. But I will wait and see - hopefully I will not get and new DE back to the pool.

For some reason, my manual vacuum was not very effective. Because of the whitish thing in the bottom, manual vacuum will always somehow stir the water and the whitish thing so I could not see 100% whether my vacuum was effective. So the end result is that I still have those things sitting on the floor. I tried to turn on the Polaris so it can constantly stir the water so that those things can float in the water and hopefully can be filtered through after they go through the skimmer and then the filter.

Not sure whether my way of thinking is correct.

Dave

If you run the DE filter with only the grids in place (and no DE) you can damage the grids.

So, if I understand correctly, you replaced the grids on your DE filter with new grids and since then, you are seeing the white flow from the filter and into the pool. The water is whitish and this could be due to dead algae (normal color of my dead algae) OR you are seeing DE collect in the floor of the pool.

These comments are based on my experiences with a DE filer in an AG pool and several swamp cleanings over the years.

If I turned off the pump, the DE in the pool is likely to settle to the floor within 30 minutes into a whitish layer on the floor. If I have dead "whitish" algae in the pool, it will settle... but much slower than DE.

So... if I turned off my pump for an hour and I saw clear water over a white layer on the floor of my pool, I would guess a DE leak from either torn grids (fingers in my filter). I would them use my manual vacuum and carefully vacuum it into my filter. I would watch my pressures while doing this.

If after an hour or settling I saw a pool full of whitish/gray/blue water, I would assume I have killed most of the algae in my pool and need to filter it out.

When I have been at this stage, my pressures in my DE filter will go from low to high (10->18) in less than 2 hours and I would need to bump my filter (this is a special feature of my filter) and continue filtering until my pressures rise in 20 minute of less. Then I need to clean the filter. I normally disassemble and wash my filter when this happens as opposed to backwash as I can control how clean my filter gets. When I am cleaning a whitish/green pool, the grids/fingers get very dirty, very quickly and it require a TON of babysitting and cleaning. The end result is that the pool clears VERY quickly (1-2 days).

sorry for the long answer, I am going to stop now. If you have any other questions, let me know

DE can be a lot of work when you get green but when you are done, it's perfect.

 

[techguy]

Stop running the pump without DE.

The DE protects the grids from getting debris stuck in the grid that don't wash out. When you get DE on the grids, you may find the debris is algae that is flowing thru the grids without DE. I agree you may have both DE and algae and dead algae does sink. Both can get cloudy when stirred.

What type of manual vacuum are you using?

 

[dscut]

It's the type of vacuum with a combination of water hose and vacuum head attached to the one end and the other end goes to the skimmer. The previous owner left it in the garage and I saw some of the YouTube video shows to use it to manually vacuum the bottom of the pool.

Stop running the pump without DE.

The DE protects the grids from getting debris stuck in the grid that don't wash out. When you get DE on the grids, you may find the debris is algae that is flowing thru the grids without DE. I agree you may have both DE and algae and dead algae does sink. Both can get cloudy when stirred.

What type of manual vacuum are you using?

 

[harleysilo]

You need to vacuum very slowly to avoid disturbing the DE that has settled out in the pool. That said you are trying to get the pool to suck it up itself by running the pool cleaner to disturb the DE, right?

Have you added DE to your filter yet? What is your filter's pressure? What is it's clean pressure?

 

[techguy]

Good to hear, I was concerned you had a leaf vacuum with a garden hose and bag. You have the correct tool. The manual should be easier than a Polaris and its whip. The manual will allow you control where you vacuum and how much it stirs up.

 

[dscut]

Thanks for the suggestion. I just got the chance to reopen the pump with new DE this afternoon. The pressure is at around 20 psi now - I hope after 12 hrs' running it is not going to increase too much.

You need to vacuum very slowly to avoid disturbing the DE that has settled out in the pool. That said you are trying to get the pool to suck it up itself by running the pool cleaner to disturb the DE, right?

Have you added DE to your filter yet? What is your filter's pressure? What is it's clean pressure?