hello from Dallas,Tx

[mred]

have done some reading and i figured what a good place to become a member so i registered.
my name is Ed of coarse "MrEd" :blah:
anyways
here at my house i have ran into a few issues with my pool
1. my phosphate level is through the roof
2. occasionally have pollen dust or algae growing,brown stains "goes away like a dust"
3. cant seem to point my jets in the right direction.
4. pressure is at 21 with pool running. "normally at 19"
what i have done to help things
1. brushed pool and vacuumed every inch.
2. cleaned skimmers and hair net by the pump etc etc
3. took filter apart cleaned it head to toe. i have a hayward D.E. filter took out the grids and cleaned the grids inside out.
:arrow: my problems have really been with the phosphate level being to high,all the sudden they off the chart, i do have red tip photinia around my pool and we have some decent rain past couple of weeks. which could explain the high phosphate levels. so what can i do to lower the phosphate level?
so i go to my pool store and they sale me all this phosphate killer stuff
im confused, this phosphate killer stuff is new!!!!
what did people do before this $40 bottle of phosphate killing stuff.
" i have a hard time being sold on something at $40 a quart"
i tried it 2 bottles "$80" poured one bottle into the skimmer and one bottle into the side of the pool. it just plugged up my filter! so i had to backwash. take my filter apart and recleaned the grids!
i also have not put the D.E. back into my filter. my pressure started at 18-19 and has been 18-19 sense i bought the house and replaced all the grids 9 months ago and now it is at 21-22 with the pool running and no D.E sense i have done a thorough cleaning!
SO CONFUSED
i use to not have any issues what so ever and by the way the pool looks great

 

[searayboater]

So you have been running the filter for the past 9 months and haven't recoated the grids with DE? You're going to have to remove the grids again and clean them. DE filter grids are designed to be used with the coating of DE. If you run the filter with uncoated grids, dirt will clog the grids and you simply cannot just recoat DE over the dirty grids. It's not the grids but the DE that actually does the filtering. As for the phosphate level, I don't know.

 

[TizMe]

Welcome !!

There is some great reading at our pool school section. Can you post a full set of numbers from your tests


Read this thread about phosphates. It may answer your questions you have.

Also if you go to the control panel you can add your pool equipment to your signature which is always helpful when your posting questions so you dont have to type the info in all the time.

 

[mred]

Welcome !!

There is some great reading at our pool school section. Can you post a full set of numbers from your tests


Read this thread about phosphates. It may answer your questions you have.

Also if you go to the control panel you can add your pool equipment to your signature which is always helpful when your posting questions so you dont have to type the info in all the time.

TH:200
FC: 1/2
PH: 7.5
TA: 180
CA: 100

thanks i will check into it.

So you have been running the filter for the past 9 months and haven't recoated the grids with DE? You're going to have to remove the grids again and clean them. DE filter grids are designed to be used with the coating of DE. If you run the filter with uncoated grids, dirt will clog the grids and you simply cannot just recoat DE over the dirty grids. It's not the grids but the DE that actually does the filtering. As for the phosphate level, I don't know.

no, i just removed the D.E. 2 days ago

 

[TizMe]

What type of pool do you have vinyl, gunite fiber glass? What is your source of chlorine ?

Your TA is very high. It should be between 90- 110 Also check out this chart to find your corresponding chlorine level you should have in your pool for your CYA level. Your ideal CYA level depending on your type of pool should be 30- 50ppm for non SWG pools and 60- 70 for SWG pools. For your current CYA level you should be keeping a min of 7ppm chlorine in your pool.

 

[mred]

What type of pool do you have vinyl, gunite fiber glass? What is your source of chlorine ?

Your TA is very high. It should be between 90- 110 Also check out this chart to find your corresponding chlorine level you should have in your pool for your CYA level. Your ideal CYA level depending on your type of pool should be 30- 50ppm for non SWG pools and 60- 70 for SWG pools. For your current CYA level you should be keeping a min of 7ppm chlorine in your pool.

in ground gunite pool "Dry gun"
i knew i would leave some stuff out. LOL
i do not use a salt gen. i use regular chlorine granules.
i buy from leslies pools and i use there CHLORBRITE.

according to cya chart, if my cya level is at 100,so then i would i need> 7,12,39 ppm of fc.
so how do i get FC? i will assume that i will need to use a shock that has strictly nothing but chlorine. like a calcium hypo.
correct?
with this higher level of CYA can that cause the issues of not having enough chlorine levels in my pool,to where the chlorine is not effective and in return i will have some of these little yellow stains that will just brush away.

 

[Casey]

If your CYA is at 100, then it could actually be over 100!

Super-chlorinate with unsented bleach but... before you actually do that, I'd highly recommend partial drain/refills until your CYA is at 50. I mean, that's what I would do if my CYA was at 100 and ^.


If you don't have enough CYA, your FC is ineffective.

You have to have a HaPpY MiDdLe!

If you have too much CYA, your FC is ineffective.

Good Luck, Welcome to TFP and keep us posted!

 

[Swimgirl]

i do not use a salt gen. i use regular chlorine granules.
i buy from leslies pools and i use there CHLORBRITE.

Chlorbrite is di-chlor, which adds almost as much stabilizer, CYA, as it does chlorine. The chlorine gets consumed, so you add more, but the stabilizer stays and accumulates. Stop using it now, if you haven't already. Your CYA is probably over 100ppm, probably way over. Use unscented regular bleach or liquid chlorine to chlorinate your pool. They add nothing but chlorine and salt to your pool. Both bleach and liquid chlorine that they sell in the pool stores are the same thing; sodium hypochlorite. The only difference is the percentage of chlorine in it. You can start it using right away, btw. Once chlorine is in the pool, chlorine is chlorine.

You mentioned cal-hypo. That adds calcium; the only way you can use it without getting ugly scaling is if your calcium level is fairly low, and then if you do use it, you have to be careful not to let your calcium level get too high. Leslie's Power Powder and Power Powder Pro are cal-hypo.

 

[mred]

i do not use a salt gen. i use regular chlorine granules.
i buy from leslies pools and i use there CHLORBRITE.

Chlorbrite is di-chlor, which adds almost as much stabilizer, CYA, as it does chlorine. The chlorine gets consumed, so you add more, but the stabilizer stays and accumulates. Stop using it now, if you haven't already. Your CYA is probably over 100ppm, probably way over. Use unscented regular bleach or liquid chlorine to chlorinate your pool. They add nothing but chlorine and salt to your pool. Both bleach and liquid chlorine that they sell in the pool stores are the same thing; sodium hypochlorite. The only difference is the percentage of chlorine in it. You can start it using right away, btw. Once chlorine is in the pool, chlorine is chlorine.

You mentioned cal-hypo. That adds calcium; the only way you can use it without getting ugly scaling is if your calcium level is fairly low, and then if you do use it, you have to be careful not to let your calcium level get too high. Leslie's Power Powder and Power Powder Pro are cal-hypo.

thanks for the input swimgirl,the cal hypo had me confused also and lesilies will not or would not fill me in on the hypochlorite!!!!!!
this really upsets me too.
but lesilies did say that my water in my area has plenty of calcium in it,so i asked what is my alternative, they stated "CHLORBRITE"! :grrrr:
which i have stopped!!!
i just put in my 1"tablets for now.
i will try to get to the store this week and get some hypochlorite.
thanks a MILLION swimgirl!!!
Ed

 

[uwimage]

If you're in the N. Dallas area and feel the need to use a pool store I've always gotten pretty solid advice from California Pools (just don't buy their products, that Bio stuff is expensive!) Just use their advice

My new favorite place to shop (for parts, test supplies after I got my TF 100 kit from a sponsor/great member here is 1 Stop Pool Supply in Plano. The owner seems pretty honest...he even knew about the 'backswimmer' bugs I had and offered a product but said it probably wasn't worth it...it did work but so did adding borates! (I learned from here)

Welcome from one Texan to another!

And I look at Leslie's kind of like Jiffy Lube and I'd never trust them with my car...but they do have a great water test bottle to use with a good test kit at home (easy pour top) and it's free

 

[mred]

1 Stop Pool Supply in Plano. The owner seems pretty honest...he even knew about the 'backswimmer' bugs I had and offered a product but said it probably wasn't worth it...it did work but so did adding borates! (I learned from here)

Welcome from one Texan to another!

And I look at Leslie's kind of like Jiffy Lube and I'd never trust them with my car...but they do have a great water test bottle to use with a good test kit at home (easy pour top) and it's free

LOL
i know the store thanks
Ed