EC-65 sending algae into pool

[shill]

Hi All - I hope someone can help. I just replaced the upper and lower plates on a EC-65 filter (the bottom one has broken and the top was cracked). I also took the opportunity to replace the 10 worst fingers that were there whilst i had it in pieces. As the pool was out of operation for around a week, algae took over the pool and it is now green.

I started running the pool, pretty quickly the pressure builds up and needs bumped; however this is where the problem lies, after bumping i watch algae be spewed into the pool via the return line. I am at a lost as to what is causing this. Does anyone have any ideas to help me get my pool back to blue?

Thanks!
Steve.

 

[waste]

Steve, welcome to TFP!!

In addition to the info in Pool School (link in my sig) there is a post I wrote here which may help you.

Did you match up the top and bottom tube sheets (plates) correctly?

I'm sorry that I can't go into much detail right now - but I'm about 1 1/2 hours past my normal bedtime

I'll definately look at this thread tomorrow and give more info, if someone else hasn't

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Steve,

I can't tell definitively, but it sounds like you are counting on your filter to get rid of algae. That won't work.

You need chlorine in your pool. Do you have pool water test results you can post up? Do that and we'll help get your pool clear.

 

[shill]

First off, thanks for the welcome.

All year long we have been battling against zero chlorine in the pool and this is not the first time there has been algae in the pool (against the pool walls and floor) So far, we have been able to vaccum the side and problem gone - i am guessing it gets locked into the filter (so not sure how the filter doesn't help in removing the algae). This time with the pool not running for just over a week the algae got much worse and the pool turned pee green!

What are you suppose to check for when matching the plates? I have all the nuts/bolts in. For complete disclosure I have also added two custom nut/bolts near the bump shaft to assist with installing the e-clips.

Let me take a sample to a pool store and i will post their results. The other thing that happened this year is that the PH fell off several times so I ended up dumping 12 boxes of 20 mule team into the pool to assist with that. (Pool volume is ~28K gallons)

Thanks!
Steve.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

i am guessing it gets locked into the filter (so not sure how the filter doesn't help in removing the algae).

It doesn't kill it, chlorine kills it. Certainly the filter filters the water of the greenies, but they are still alive and well inside your filter.

I recommend you get yourself a good test kit, like the TF-100.

Welcome

 

[waste]

As I lust re-read your initial post, it occurs to me that the sealing gasket might not be in properly - this would allow the bypass you are experiencing.

I hate to tell you to break it apart again, but somethings not sealing, either at the plates or the gasket

 

[duraleigh]

Shill,

I want to reemphasize that your filter, working or not, is irrelevant to algae control in your pool. Chlorine kills algae.

The lack of chlorine in your pool is responsible for the algae bloom and your filter cannot filter it out.

The Pool School up in the header above has some good articles on pool water chemistry. Read through them and post back your questions. Everyone here will help get your pool clear.

 

[shill]

Here is the update:

Bought 6 more fingers; going to pull the filter apart tonight and replace any damaged fingers that i can see.

Got the test results too.

Temp: 80
Saturation: -0.8
CYA: 107
TC: 0.6
FC: 0
PH: 7.2
Total Alk: 81
Adj Alk: 49
Hardness: 158
Phosphates: 300-500 (There were looking through a view finder and estimating)

They recommended SeaKlean Phosphate remover to lower the phospates and belived that was the reason that i couldn't maintain a chlorine reading in the pool. (I had read something on the internet about that being a possibility too)

The current plan is to add the phosphate remover and run the filter for a day. The next day i aim to shock the pool and start algae killing! Please chime in if i am all screwed up.

Dave S, I agree with what you are saying about the filter not controlling the algae

Steve.

 

[JohnT]

Got the test results too.

Temp: 80
Saturation: -0.8
CYA: 107
TC: 0.6
FC: 0
PH: 7.2
Total Alk: 81
Adj Alk: 49
Hardness: 158
Phosphates: 300-500 (There were looking through a view finder and estimating)

300-500ppb is a reasonably low phosphate reading. The high CYA is the reason you are struggling. Maintain your chlorine at 8-10ppm and your problems will go away. Return the phosphate remover if you haven't used it yet.

 

[duraleigh]

Shill,

I'm simply chiming in with JohnT for emphasis. Bag the phosphate remover....phodphates are causing you no harm.

You need chlorine in your pool immediately.

Next step is to address your very high CYA but chlorine should be a priority.

 

[shill]

Friday night update:

Pulled everything apart tonight - again!

Replaced 6 tentacles (I bought six so i figured i would replace the worst six i could find) One had a visible tear at the bottom of the tentacle, one was frayed badly and the others were just the worst looking (i am fairly sure nothing was getting through them). I will post an update when i have to bump the filter as to whether my plume of algae problem has gone after the filter rebuild.

I put everything back together and realized that i did originally put it together without the plates aligned; they are now. I also realized, I have a EC-75 not EC-65

I have gone to poolcalculator.com and entered my stats. It is calling for shock level of 26 which equates to 10lbs of chlorine! I hope it doesn't chew it all up in an hour as i only have 50lbs of the stuff and at $100 / tub that would get really expensive really quick. Don't worry, i am learning, i will be shopping at Walmart next time.

Thanks everybody for their insights so far.

Steve.

 

[launboy]

DON'T USE THAT CHLORINE! It will raise your CYA which is already too high. If anything you need to drain water out of your pool. Actually, you need to drain almost half of the water to get your CYA to a reasonable level. Don't drain it all at once though. Only a couple inches at a time.

To shock your pool you need to use Bleach or Liquid Chlorine. Any other type of chlorine will add CYA to the pool, which you don't want. I strongly advise going to Pool School(here on TFP) and reading up on BBB and everyhitng else there. You will learn A LOT.

HTH,
Adam

 

[shill]

My current thought is as follows - yell if I am way off base.

We will be closing the pool is 30 days or so - i figured use what i already have even if it sends CYA even higher. At the end of season, throw the remainder of the product in the pool and install the winter cover.

At the beginning of the next season, drain the pool completely and start from scratch with my friends Mr. Arm, Ms. Team and Mister Clorox.

Thanks!
Steve.

 

[launboy]

Sounds like it'll work. You will need to maintain a higher than average Chlorine level to keep algae at bay, but if you already have the stuff so why not use it.

Also, depending on your water table you might want to rething draining the whole pool at once. If the water table is high(which is very possible with spring rain) your pool might want to Pop Out of the ground. Most people will reccomend doing many small drains and taking 1/3 at most of the water out at a time.

Good Luck,
Adam

 

[Butterfly]

At the beginning of the next season, drain the pool completely and start from scratch with my friends Mr. Arm, Ms. Team and Mister Clorox.

My suggestion to you is that you TEST your water at the beginning of next season BEFORE you make the decision to drain! Your CYA issues could disappear during the winter and negate the need for drains/refills.

Remember when testing the CYA level (next spring) bring the pool water inside and allow it to become room temperature before testing. :!:

hth

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Friday night update:

Pulled everything apart tonight - again!

Replaced 6 tentacles (I bought six so i figured i would replace the worst six i could find) One had a visible tear at the bottom of the tentacle, one was frayed badly and the others were just the worst looking (i am fairly sure nothing was getting through them). I will post an update when i have to bump the filter as to whether my plume of algae problem has gone after the filter rebuild.

I put everything back together and realized that i did originally put it together without the plates aligned; they are now. I also realized, I have a EC-75 not EC-65

I have gone to poolcalculator.com and entered my stats. It is calling for shock level of 26 which equates to 10lbs of chlorine! I hope it doesn't chew it all up in an hour as i only have 50lbs of the stuff and at $100 / tub that would get really expensive really quick. Don't worry, i am learning, i will be shopping at Walmart next time.

Thanks everybody for their insights so far.

Steve.

If your CYA is 107, according to the chart (see my sig) your FC shock level is about 40, NOT 26....that's alot more chlorine than you think, to keep it up at shock till the pool clears. Does the contain tub Cal-hypo? That would be okay to use a bit because 1, it does not contain CYA, and it will add calcium....your pool is cement, right? Your CH is below 200 which is probably too low for your pool. If the tub is Dichlor, don't use it. It will add way too much CYA and you will be worse off than you are now. Also, your PH is a bit low, so when your pool is clear, I would bump that up with a little Borax to about 7.6. I can only assume your PH is low and your CYA is too high because you are using trichlor or dichlor for chlorine, both are acidic and lower PH.

Ditto the advice to retest the CYA in the spring as Joyce advised, and ditto not completely draining....it's might not be necessary and the chlorine (at a lower CYA) CAN kill this problem and clean it up.

 

[shill]

Adam - the pool was built around ~50 years ago and i can't speak for the floor but certainly can for the side walls. It is ~8" of concrete followed by about 10" of aggregate; i can't imagine it popping out of the ground if i emptied the whole thing - but a good thought because if I had a block style pool, I am sure i would never have thought about that! Also, the previous owners must have emptied it several times to paint the walls; we are thinking about installing a liner but that will be another story for another day.

Good news about the filter; bumped it and no plume of algae, replacing the tentacles and reassembling the innards seems to have done the trick. Thanks all.

I am off to shock!

 

[shill]

I heeded to popular opinion and cleaned out Walmart shelves - became the proud owner of 25 176oz bottles of bleach.

I pitched 8 bottles into the pool and send the chlorine sky rocketing. An hour has gone by and the filter has been bumped numerous times. I have tested the chlorine level by making a 8:1 ratio watered down; guessing it is around 24 now (i know i need a better test kit - will be part of spring opening); i started at i believe 26 per pool calculator. frustratedpoolmom, i looked at your chart where you have shock value at 40; do you have any idea why it would vary so much from the poolcalculator? On the poolcalculator i had to set my CYA to 200 for it to recommend a shock level of 40.
Another couple of hours went by and now the FC is aroung 14; time to chuck some more bleach into the pool. It is already looking so much better; there are parts where you can actually see the bottom again!

Thanks!
Steve.

 

[JasonLion]

frustratedpoolmom, i looked at your chart where you have shock value at 40; do you have any idea why it would vary so much from the poolcalculator? On the poolcalculator i had to set my CYA to 200 for it to recommend a shock level of 40.

The shock level recommendations from my Pool Calculator and Chem Geek's Chlorine / CYA Chart differ mostly because they were written by two different people. We each made slightly different assumptions and came up with slightly different results. As it turns out, either shock level will work.

 

[shill]

Jason - thanks for the info - i like your number; it was cheaper! I think I have the beginnings of a blue pool again.

Update:

I had to break the filter down again tonight and clean it out. I sprayed down the tentacles and removed everything from the insides. Another 7lb of DE and away it went filtering again. The DE removed was very green! I was surprised that it still doesn't take long until the filter needs bumped; maybe i need to acid clean the tentacles.?