Clean filter - first great then output goes down

[krypto69]

Hi,

I'm a noob, so bear with me.

Just bought new house with 10k gal pool.

Had the pool re-diamond brited 17 days ago. Looks great and we have been brushing daily - chemicals all check fine at local pool store.

My problem -

I clean the cartridge filter every other day and the pressure drops down to 3-5 psi. I have two outputs things (sorry) that shoot out of a wall on the pool into the pool (return filtered water). These two water spout returns shoot out real far right after I clean the filter - and if I put my hand by my output jets (in the pool) they are blasting out water.

Problem is about 15 minutes later - the two water spouts on the wall are about half of what they were and the two output jets in the pool aren't putting out much water.

As a test, I cleaned the cartridge filter again - and same thing starts out strong then 10-15 minutes later - not much water output.

I don't think this is normal - I'm new at this but it wasn't doing this before. Could it be that the filter is just done? I was hoping to wait till 28 days to replace filter.

What else could it be?

 

[one_knight4u]

Your filter could have reached the end of its useful life. There comes a point where it is extremely difficult to wash out all the embeded particles. Another option is that the water just has alot of fine suspended particles that its just filtering out.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Do you have a pressure gauge on the filter and if so what does it read right after you clean it and what is it reading right before you clean it ??

When you clean it what seems to come off of it ?? What color, how much ??

Filter cleaning: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters

 

[Smykowski]

Welcome to the forum!

What you are describing is normal if the filter is getting very dirty. Can you post a full set of test results?

 

[krypto69]

Do you have a pressure gauge on the filter and if so what does it read right after you clean it and what is it reading right before you clean it ??

When you clean it what seems to come off of it ?? What color, how much ??

Filter cleaning: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters

Yep. Pressure gauge -

Immediately after cleaning it's around 3-5

15 minutes later it rises up to 20

Water and jets about half or what they were immediately after cleanig

 

[krypto69]

Welcome to the forum!

What you are describing is normal if the filter is getting very dirty. Can you post a full set of test results?

Thank you!

That could very well be it. The pool still shows the dust when brushing from the diamond brite - even on day 17.

Guessing I should just keep brushing and cleaning filter?

 

[danacc]

Test results?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

When you clean it what seems to come off of it ?? What color, how much ?? Does it look like the diamond brite material ??

What are you water chemistry results ??

 

[krypto69]

Test results?

Please excuse my ignorance, but how do I test?

- - - Updated - - -

When you clean it what seems to come off of it ?? What color, how much ?? Does it look like the diamond brite material ??

What are you water chemistry results ??

Chemistry is spot on according to local pool stores tests.

Water itself looks great, no discoloration. When I clean the filter there are some small pebbles and other small items and it doesn't look like the white 'fluff' that I was getting immediately after the resurface.

 

[one_knight4u]

Here at TFP we do not rely on pool store testing, it has been known to be inaccurate, and test strips are just as bad. You need a proper test kit to understand what is going on with your water chemistry.
Test kits can be found here.
The cheapest kit per test performed is the TF-100. If you order it with the XL option, it has enough regents to last quite awhile. Of course if you prefer you can search out your own test kit, but it is reccomended to use a FAS/DPD kit.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

"chemicals all check fine at local pool store."

Even if you post those number it might help.

Most of us here have our own test kits and take care of our pools without using pool stores or their chemicals. We use readily available stuff that in some cases is the exact same chemical you'd pay two to three times more at a pool store for. To lower pH we use muriatic acid at around 5-8 bucks a gallon from Menards, Home depot, hardware store and use "Pool Math" http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to figure exactly how much to add to take it from X to Y. With pool math you are entering your pools water capacity and the calculator figures how much chemical to add to adjust your water where you want it, no guessing. With products like Biogard's Lo N' Slo it tells you how much to add per 10,000 gallons to reduce it from something but doesn't tell you where it's reduced to. If you've found that your eyes like to be in 7.6 pH water you can't really hit that mark using their product without a lot of trial and error until you find out how much product reduces the pH how much.
That's just an example but it works the same with all the chemicals.
Your pool store is telling you that your levels are fine IN GENERAL but are they fine for your pool and are they really what you want or need for your pool ?? That's the million dollar question. You can spend less on chemicals and have a better looking pool that is also sanitary compared to one that might look good but not be.
If you read through this you will see the common chemicals we use http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals

The two common test kits we use are
TF-100 http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html
K-2006 http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Comple...8550249&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=taylor+K-2006

 

[krypto69]

"chemicals all check fine at local pool store."

Even if you post those number it might help.

Most of us here have our own test kits and take care of our pools without using pool stores or their chemicals. We use readily available stuff that in some cases is the exact same chemical you'd pay two to three times more at a pool store for. To lower pH we use muriatic acid at around 5-8 bucks a gallon from Menards, Home depot, hardware store and use "Pool Math" http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to figure exactly how much to add to take it from X to Y. With pool math you are entering your pools water capacity and the calculator figures how much chemical to add to adjust your water where you want it, no guessing. With products like Biogard's Lo N' Slo it tells you how much to add per 10,000 gallons to reduce it from something but doesn't tell you where it's reduced to. If you've found that your eyes like to be in 7.6 pH water you can't really hit that mark using their product without a lot of trial and error until you find out how much product reduces the pH how much.
That's just an example but it works the same with all the chemicals.
Your pool store is telling you that your levels are fine IN GENERAL but are they fine for your pool and are they really what you want or need for your pool ?? That's the million dollar question. You can spend less on chemicals and have a better looking pool that is also sanitary compared to one that might look good but not be.
If you read through this you will see the common chemicals we use http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals

The two common test kits we use are
TF-100 http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html
K-2006 http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Comple...8550249&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=taylor+K-2006

Thanks - great info. I will follow your recommendations.

Again excuse my ignorance here but could the chemicals cause my pump output to slow down so drastically?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Krypto, it's not ignorance. I think almost everyone starts out getting pool stored and sold chemicals by the arm load until something goes wrong and they start to look for a cure or another way of taking care of their pool.
Not saying this method is perfect but it sure beats having someone hand me something I didn't know what it was or how it really worked and telling me "Try This". With a couple weeks of reading articles and threads you pick up what does what and you start to understand what to add, how much to add and what it's going to do. It's a much better way of taking care of things in my opinion. Plus it saves you money in chemicals.

The chemicals shouldn't make any difference with the exception of using a floc and running it through your filter instead of vacuuming it to waste as the directions tell you to. That stuff can gum up a filter pretty easy. http://www.bioguard.com/Our_Products/Water_Enhancers/PowerFloc

Sorry for plugging the TFP method as it's a little off topic for your post but I figured you might be interested in checking it out.

 

[krypto69]

Krypto, it's not ignorance. I think almost everyone starts out getting pool stored and sold chemicals by the arm load until something goes wrong and they start to look for a cure or another way of taking care of their pool.
Not saying this method is perfect but it sure beats having someone hand me something I didn't know what it was or how it really worked and telling me "Try This". With a couple weeks of reading articles and threads you pick up what does what and you start to understand what to add, how much to add and what it's going to do. It's a much better way of taking care of things in my opinion. Plus it saves you money in chemicals.

The chemicals shouldn't make any difference with the exception of using a floc and running it through your filter instead of vacuuming it to waste as the directions tell you to. That stuff can gum up a filter pretty easy. http://www.bioguard.com/Our_Products/Water_Enhancers/PowerFloc

Sorry for plugging the TFP method as it's a little off topic for your post but I figured you might be interested in checking it out.

Thanks kiss. Appreciate your advice.