HELP, I haven't been able to use my pool since opening.

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HokiePride

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Jul 5, 2013
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uncovered pool and need help

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Hello, Everyone I've followed this thread and recently purchased a home with a 18x36 pool. When Memorial Day arrived I contcated my local pool company and paid for them to open my pool. I'm a pool novice with no skills as to how to take of one. After time, money spent and taken, I have realized I'm getting nickled and dimed and HAVE YET TO BE ABLE TO USE MY POOL> I'm $650 deep from multiple visits and different instructions given to me by the pool technicians.

1} 1st vist they finished taking the cover off the pool, I already unhitched from the perimeter. They sprayed it, dropped chemicals in the pool and explained how to utse the filter after they put it together. Explained backwashing/priming/Testing levels/Vacumming. Here is the problem. WHen they revealed the pool it had tons of algea {which had a black tint covering the entire bottom of the pool. After showing me how to vacuum they just dropped everything, pumped to waste and left.

Over several days I believed it would clear and we could begin using it. Well I then found situation #2.
2} They failed to explain weekly maintenance thoroughly, which I'm learning through money spent and time on this site as well as time spent at my pool. I couldn't tell you the countless amounts of shocked dropped in this pool along with the amount of chemicals dropped in the pool. This led to them coming back and dropping more in the pool and leaving. They left with backwashing instructions to complete over a 48-72 hr period until clear water comes out of the discharge side. I tried to do so and water continued to get murky again. Chlorine levels 0. They aslo explained CYA doesn't matter, only PH, TA and FC. I then broke the plastic handle on my Hayward EC65.

3} This leads to problem #3. I know understand I'm fighting myself because since day 1 I can't get the water to clear up. I then noticed what the pool techs noticed on visit #1. Everytime they attempted to vacuum, pool filter was losing suction. No matter how many times you recharge it. I then tried to do this over several days, and continued to check on filter. Noticed pump running, no water filtering. Steam was releasing from the basket. I then primed it and got it flowing but my wife informed me, she and the pool company which came out for a third time discovered a possible air leak in the 2" pipe leading from the filter to the pvc pipe leading in the ground. It has a locknut and about 3" long, connected into the 2" filter PVC going into the filter basket. As the water fills into the basket when I first turn on the filter it runs well but flow drops off.

My questions are, how do I go about repairing this leak? DO i replace this small pipe or can it be patched?
What do I do next to get the water balanced? I read where people are using regular bleach, 6% by the gallons and baking soda for ph.
I didn't know you could pour liquid bleach in pools you swim in {please don't laugh}. Is the baking soda better than the PH or TA you buy in a pool store?

I'm in desperate need to get this up and running. I have a 1 yr old and 7month preggers wife who wish to enjoy it this summer.
 
Re: uncovered pool and need help

Welcome to TFP.

A picture of the equipment pad and the leak would help.
Is the leak on the suction of the pump or the discharge?
It sounds like you're calling the pump the filter? Just making sure we're talking about the same thing.
 
Re: uncovered pool and need help

:wave:Welcome to the board HokiePride
If you want to take over your pool first thing you need is a good test kit like the TF-100 with xl option(I have one)
Then you need to post your results here and tell the pool stores goodbye
All the experts here will be glad to help you as long as you listen to them (that's what I did)
and don't feel bad about not knowing you could use bleach in your pool I didn't know that either until I found this site
 
:x My wife and I purchased a home which had a pool the size of 18x36. When it was opened in the beginning of the summer, I paid for it to be opened by a pool store. I actually uncovered it and they dropped chemicals, put the filter together and walked off. I explained I had no idea what I was doing. After several frustrating calls and contacting other sotres in the area, no one is willing to come by and help us turn this swamp into a sparkling oasis. I read several posts on this forum and began slamming my pool and checking levels and sure enough it began to come clear, after taking the filter to a store and having it chemically dipped.

Well, since algae was still present, a full bloom occurred. Since I was unable to keep up with the process due to work. My problem now is I have green water and a filter which clogs every time I add DE. Summer is almost over and we have yet to be able to swim in this pool. I have done everything under the sun to get this water to clear up or filter running and I just can't seem to get ahead. I'm wasting time, money and effort. I'm very inexperienced. I believe I have spent upwards of $2,000 in chemicals since Memorial Day. I just don't understand why this filter continues to drop pressure and not filter the water.

I have read several pool school posts and still am left wondering what to do. I have taken the filter apart and found DE muddied on the bottom. The fingers were not properly coated.

1} DO you dilute the DE and add to skimmer, with no air pressure.
2} I continue to add chlorine while I have my filter soaking in a 40 gallon trash can.
3} How long should I leave it soak.
4} Do I continue to add chlorine while my filter is soaking.
5} Once put together, how do I continue to fight this algae bloom.

Please help, I'm out of answers and up to my neck in debt due to this process I have been going through.
 
Re: uncovered pool and need help

My wife and I purchased a home which had a pool the size of 18x36. When it was opened in the beginning of the summer, I paid for it to be opened by a pool store. I actually uncovered it and they dropped chemicals, put the filter together and walked off. I explained I had no idea what I was doing. After several frustrating calls and contacting other sotres in the area, no one is willing to come by and help us turn this swamp into a sparkling oasis. I read several posts on this forum and began slamming my pool and checking levels and sure enough it began to come clear, after taking the filter to a store and having it chemically dipped.

Well, since algae was still present, a full bloom occurred. Since I was unable to keep up with the process due to work. My problem now is I have green water and a filter which clogs every time I add DE. Summer is almost over and we have yet to be able to swim in this pool. I have done everything under the sun to get this water to clear up or filter running and I just can't seem to get ahead. I'm wasting time, money and effort. I'm very inexperienced. I believe I have spent upwards of $2,000 in chemicals since Memorial Day. I just don't understand why this filter continues to drop pressure and not filter the water.

I have read several pool school posts and still am left wondering what to do. I have taken the filter apart and found DE muddied on the bottom. The fingers were not properly coated.

1} DO you dilute the DE and add to skimmer, with no air pressure.
2} I continue to add chlorine while I have my filter soaking in a 40 gallon trash can.
3} How long should I leave it soak.
4} Do I continue to add chlorine while my filter is soaking.
5} Once put together, how do I continue to fight this algae bloom.

Please help, I'm out of answers and up to my neck in debt due to this process I have been going through.
 
Re: uncovered pool and need help

Bama Rambler said:
Welcome to TFP.

A picture of the equipment pad and the leak would help.
Is the leak on the suction of the pump or the discharge?
It sounds like you're calling the pump the filter? Just making sure we're talking about the same thing.
Click to expand...

It only leaks momentarily and stops. It was coming from filter when first reinstalled.
 
Re: uncovered pool and need help

SkyKid said:
:wave:Welcome to the board HokiePride
If you want to take over your pool first thing you need is a good test kit like the TF-100 with xl option(I have one)
Then you need to post your results here and tell the pool stores goodbye
All the experts here will be glad to help you as long as you listen to them (that's what I did)
and don't feel bad about not knowing you could use bleach in your pool I didn't know that either until I found this site
Click to expand...

Everything reading ok but chlorine is ZERO.
 
DE filters get dirty very quickly when you are trying to clean up a swampy pool. The pressure should rise as the filter traps the dirt. Fresh DE should fall off the fingers when the pump is off. As DE collects more dirt the coating becomes thicker and eventually it will cake the fingers and return flow into the pool will drop. Then you can either bump the filter to knock the DE off and run the pump to re-coat the grids, or you can open the filter and clean everything out. If the filter is filling with dirt from a swampy pool quickly then it is doing its job. As far as soaking the fingers, overnight or 8 hours is usually enough.

I have a couple of questions for you.
What are you soaking the fingers in? Are you able to close up the filter when the fingers are soaking? Do you have a FAS/DPD test kit? Can you post a complete set of current test results?
 

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A fingered DE filter, when cleaning a swamp, can be a lot of work. I know from experience. When the swamp is at its worst, you can plug up a filter, 10+ PSI increase, in less than 30 minutes. You can look at this as being a "pain" or a "blessing", Pain in that you need to clean it...again! or a blessing that you have filtered that much green and other debris out of the pool in such a short period of time. A sand filter can take a week to show real signs of clearing a swamp with 24/7 pumping.

When I have had this issue, the number one goal is to kill the algae. If you can bypass your filter and run 24/7 while you are cleaning your filter, that's great. I cannot ump without my filter in place. I would say to sort of treat the process of keeping your FC high and killing the algae as one process and filtering the dead stuff out as another process, parallel but separate.

This has been my process for de-swamping in a weekend. You will need a fresh bag of DE or cellulose and several bottles of bleach
  1. Turn the pump off overnight, in the morning slowly vacuum to waste, using a manual vacuum head on a pole, the stuff that sank to the floor.[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  2. refill the pool[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  3. start the pump and run the pump for an hour[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  4. test your pool to see all of you levels at least FC, CC ph and CYA[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  5. Adjust your pH if incorrect and your FC is 10 or less[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  6. SLAM the pool by raising your FC to shock using bleach[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  7. Wait an hour, Test just your FC[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  8. Adjust your FC by adding bleach[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  9. Filter as much as you can. When you pressures rise from your low "clean PSI" to high "dirty PSI" in more then 2 hours, [/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  10. pump the bump/regenerate as often as you can[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  11. When your pressure rises from low to high in less than 30 minutes after bumping, bypass the filter and then take the filter apart and clean the fingers with a garden hose until as clean as possible[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  12. dump the DE [/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  13. re-install the filter head and charge with a 100% DE load per the manufacturer's chart[/*:m:26m0pyxs]
  14. repeat step 7-13 as often as required until clear[/*:m:26m0pyxs]

With my pool, this can be done in two days if the time and dedication are there. You will learn to hear the pressure increase in your filter. The pump noise changes. I know if I hear pump cavitation, my filter is plugged and I can hear that noise from across the yard.
 
Good stuff techguy! :goodpost:
Hokie Pride, you absolutely must stay on this, keep SLAMing! But we have to know your CYA levels to help you with that process. I do hope you have your own recommended test kit.

If not.... buy the TF100 and a Speed Stir. It's the single best and smartest investment that you'll ever make for you and your pool!
It, along with this forum, provides empowerment and freedom from the pool store.

Hang in there, you can beat this the TFP way and never have to set foot in a pool store again, at least not without knowing EXACTLY what to buy, what it should cost, why you need it and that you need NOTHING else! :mrgreen:

You can do this!
Hands you some POP "pool owner patience".
:cheers:

Ps. Please fill in your location under your profile, located in the user control panel @ top. We won't tell anyone where you are, promise! Woodchuck's Honor! It's just so we know your climate and how best to help you help your pool is all. :)

Thanks,
Tony.
 
If you can take out the fingers and still close the filter then you can run the pump and this will just re-circulate the water. That way you can keep adding your chlorine without clogging up the filter. When the majority of the algae is dead you can put the fingers back in, add DE and start filtering everything out. You may have to clean and recharge the filter daily if you have a lot of dead algae to filter out. It may take a while to filter and vacuum everything out.
If you cannot remove the fingers then you cannot use this method to re-circulate water. If the fingers are in the filter you must charge it with DE in order to prevent damage to the fingers.

You may or may not have valves set up to recirculate or vacuum to waste. If you post a picture of your equipment set up we can help identify what's what.
 
First thing I need to ask is how to properly refill the filter with DE? DO you dilute it first or just circulate without air? Each time I clean and put back together all the DE is on the bottom of the filter.
 
IIRC, the correct method is to weigh the DE or use a DE scoop (available at any pool store) and pour the DE powder into the skimmer and let the water draw it into the filter through the pump. This is what I do. I don't know the difference between dumping it in the bottom but I think the process of drawing in in via the skimmer coats the fingers better.
 
When I add DE to the filter, I add 2 scoops of DE to a bucket of water at a time and stir it up. I then pour it slowly into the skimmer with the pump running. I have the blue scooper from Leslie's and it measures 3/4 of a pound of DE for each unpacked scoop. If you only backwashed the filter, add only 3/4 of the full amount of DE the filter requires. If the filter was broken down and cleaned then you need to add the full amount of DE the filter requires.

Do you have a recirculate setting on your filter valve? If you do, then run the system in recirculate until the algae is killed off and then turn the valve to filter to get rid of the algae.

You should not have to take the filter apart each time it clogs up. You should only have to backwash the filter when the pressure increases by 25% over the clean pressure and then add only 75% of the DE. You should only have to break down the filter after you have cleared the pool.
 
When de-swamping, I like to take it apart to ensure I get all of THIS out of the filter.

IMG_5295.JPG
 
techguy said:
IIRC, the correct method is to weigh the DE or use a DE scoop (available at any pool store) and pour the DE powder into the skimmer and let the water draw it into the filter through the pump. This is what I do. I don't know the difference between dumping it in the bottom but I think the process of drawing in in via the skimmer coats the fingers better.
Click to expand...

Update@
Been at this all day. Finished soaking it over night. Cleaned off chemicals, put it back together and added DE top filter. I now see I should have diluted it first. I will do so next time. Pool has made drastic color change in 6 hours. Eevry hour I was superchlorinating it. Now when I measure chlorine is purple. The water is blue but cloudy and I see some spots of green. I'm slowly rebuilding.
 
ping said:
When I add DE to the filter, I add 2 scoops of DE to a bucket of water at a time and stir it up. I then pour it slowly into the skimmer with the pump running. I have the blue scooper from Leslie's and it measures 3/4 of a pound of DE for each unpacked scoop. If you only backwashed the filter, add only 3/4 of the full amount of DE the filter requires. If the filter was broken down and cleaned then you need to add the full amount of DE the filter requires.

Do you have a recirculate setting on your filter valve? If you do, then run the system in recirculate until the algae is killed off and then turn the valve to filter to get rid of the algae.

You should not have to take the filter apart each time it clogs up. You should only have to backwash the filter when the pressure increases by 25% over the clean pressure and then add only 75% of the DE. You should only have to break down the filter after you have cleared the pool.
Click to expand...

Very important piece of info. Did not know this info but I will make sure I remember this. Yeah, like I posted above, I broke it down, soaked it and started it back up. I'm watching it every hour to make sure to bump it, to clear the fingers. I didn't know if I backwashed I should only use 3/4 because the pool stores all stated to use full amount. Bad mistake because it cakes up. I found this each and everytime I took it apart. My scoop is a orange 1lb Hayward scoop.

Now my water is getting bluer but its cloudy. Circulating well but I think since it's mid day it's time to backwash.

Any ideas what to do next since I'm breaking down the algae. I will test the water again but the kit I have is not the one everyone keeps recommending. Its a basic kit. I will order one though.

Again water is cloudy and excessive chlorine but atleast it's no longer green. Just green spots on the bottom of the cloudiness I see.
 

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