Was Green - still a little cloudy

Jump to latest Follow Reply
G

Gyro_head

0
May 28, 2010
21
Let me start with saying I love this forum and the BBB system. I have been doing pretty well for several years AFTER giving up on the pool store and all their chemicals.

I went through about a week at shock level (around 14). The water was very green, and within the first few days it improved a lot. But it hasn't been improving the last 2-3 days and still a little cloudy. Scrubbed the sides, vacuumed a few times, and cleaned filter several times. I let the FC come down to get a good PH reading...Here are my numbers:

Vinyl above ground 7500 Gal pool with cartridge filter

5.5 FC
O CC
7.2 PH
95/100 TA
20 CH
40/45 CYA

Should I go back up to shock level and wait longer for it to clear up or do something else? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I agree but also wanted to get a good PH reading. Should I adjust PH before going back to SLAMing? I have an aerator hose that does it pretty quick. Borate is around 15 (based on test strip which is all I have for that measurement.

The pressure is only around 2.5psi, it never really goes very high. Don't think I've ever seen it above 5 but I don't watch it very close because it never seems to change much regardless of a "dirty" filter. I often wondered if that is part of my issue with not getting "crystal" clear? The filter cartridge is 2 years old, I used an old one for the first few days to get most of the junk out then put this one in which seems to be in pretty good condition. At least it looks decent and white. Anything I can do with the filter before going back up to shock level?


I'll have to find the signature section and add the info later...thanks!
 
Gyro_head said:
Is it possible I have a filter issue since the pressure isn't going up and the filter is running 24/7 and I passed the overnight FC drop test? Or just get the FC back up and keep SLAMing???
Click to expand...

You did not pass the part of the SLAM criteria for your water to be clear, so you have not passed the SLAM.

Do you have a good flow of water coming out of the return? If you do there is probably nothing wrong with your filter.

- - - Updated - - -

The better your water gets the less your psi will rise.
 
Yes, good flow through return. Was worrried that maybe small particles are bypassing somehow and recirculating. But as you stated, I did not pass the "clear water" so I am bringing it back up to shock level now. How long should this take before considering filter issues?
 
I cannot say how long it might take to get the water clear since it really varies. As long as you have good water flow from the return then I would not worry about the filter. Just backwash when the pressure rises and you notice lower water flow from the return.

Get everything back hop to SLAM level and we can go from there. If you want to upload pics to photobucket you can copy then paste the IMG code here.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Jacuzzi brand 50 GPM 50 SqFt filter cartridge. I added 140oz 8% bleach last night and the FC is at 17.5 and 0 CC now. Lets see if these pictures show up...Its hard to see how cloudy the water is, I think the light makes it look worse but its definitely not good yet.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132553694@N08/17631356240/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132553694@N08/17631081688/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132553694@N08/17792569126/in/photostream/

Sorry, I can't get the picture to show up using Flickr, only the link.
 
Update:
Still SLAMing, FC did drop to 11.5 today because I was away, but I just added bleach to bring it back up To 18 FC. The water is looking better but still not crystal clear yet. The pressure hasn't changed from around 2.5 PSI
 
Still cloudy...seems like I'm not making progress and this shouldn't take this long to SLAM. Any suggestions? Any way to rule out the filter system not catching the small particles? Pressure stays at 2.5.
 
OH ... well of course it is that low on low speed ... you did not have that it was a 2-speed pump in your signature.

You should use high speed pressure to check when you need to clean the filter.
 
Oh, didn't know that, always learning something new here! Also forgot to say that the flow feels normal too (low speed). So running on low during normal filtering and SLAMing is correct? And on high for vacuuming and to check the rise in pressure occasionally? If a clean filter is around 10/12 psi, at what pressure would you say the filter should be cleaned?

Based on all of this, do you think there is a possibility of a leak in the filter system? Or just keep SLAMing? Seems like it's not clearing up. I had no FC drop overnight several days ago already.

I will update my info.
 
It runs clean at 12.5psi. I just cleaned it to check, it wasn't very dirty but I noticed the top of the filter was not tight around the plastic support that the filter sits on (not sure what it's called). It's the part that directs the water after the filter down to the outlet. It seems like this should be tight otherwise water can bypass the filter pleats through this gap. I took a piece of small diameter vinyl tube and packed it into this gap...letting it run overnight to see if this helps.

I am also keeping it a shock level a little longer.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply