A river ran thru my pool

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SamD

0
Dec 26, 2012
28
Double Oak, Texas
With all the rain in Texas, the ground is saturated and last night we got a very hard rain which cause a river of run off to flow into my pool and cause a mess. The pool was crystal clear, and not it looks like a dirty pond with zero visibility.

Should i keep the pump off for a few days and let it settle to the bottom and vacuum it out somehow, or do i just keep the pump running and backwash multiple times a day? If backwashing is the solution, I'm assuming I need to add back DE every time. Correct?

Sam
 
My advice: jack the FC up a few points while the pump is on. Let the pump go off as scheduled. Let it settle out overnight and vacuum it up. If you have no multiport valve that allows you to vacuum to waste, you'll be backwashing a lot. I collect roof runoff in my spa and let it act as a settling basin. It'll be brown with 2" visibility and the next morning, it'll all be settled out.
 
I have a backwash valve that allows me to vacuum to waste if that's what you mean. I don't currently have a way to manually vacuum the bottom of the pool, but I will go today and get one at the pool store. Any suggestions on type/brand?

I'm assuming the hose to the vacume connects to the skimmer port, and if I put the filter on backwash, I will be able to vacuum to waste, correct?

Sam
 
SamD said:
I have a backwash valve that allows me to vacuum to waste if that's what you mean. I don't currently have a way to manually vacuum the bottom of the pool, but I will go today and get one at the pool store. Any suggestions on type/brand?

I'm assuming the hose to the vacume connects to the skimmer port, and if I put the filter on backwash, I will be able to vacuum to waste, correct?

Sam
Click to expand...
I bought my vacuum and hose at Lowes. Yes, it plugs to the skimmer suction port. Backwash is no good for vacuuming. You'll just send all that silt inside the grids where it will ruin them. If you don't have a multiport with a waste setting, you'll just have to vacuum to filter and backwash it and recharge when it gets clogged.

There are pictures of vacuum heads and multiport valves in the Visual Encyclopedia.
 
I'm not familiar with your filter type so somebody may need to correct me here but vacuuming on backwash wouldn't be bypassing the filter entirely like a vacuum to waste option.


Edit. Richard beat me with an even better response
 
Vacuuming to waste bypasses the filter yes-
If the Multiport valve is in the backwash position, it reverses the normal flow of water in the filter and all the dirt would then be INside the grid; not on the surface as designed when in filter mode.

You always vaccum to waste (when possible as this lowers water level quickly) or vaccum in filter mode( this would require more frequent grid cleaning)

I pull my cover off the filter and hose the grid off and backwash for only a few seconds on low speed. This keeps me from wasting pool water but still have nice clean grids. The put top back on adds DE Substitute- done
 
SamD said:
Sounds like I need to install a 3-way valve between my pump and the DE filter so I can vacuum to waste. Which model valve would you reccomend?
Click to expand...
No. I don't have a multiport. I wish I did, but not bad enough to start cutting into the plumbing. It works just fine vacuuming through the filter. How often do you anticipate this kind of filter load? You can buy bags and bags and bags of DE or fiberclear for the price of a multiport valve and the miscellaneous PVC pipe and fittings you'd need, not to mention the time factor.

Just vacuum and backwash when it loads up and get it over with. The longer that stuff sits on the bottom, the more likely something is to stain the plaster.
 

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Just posting up a Howdy to the OP We have been dealing with the exact same storms and that has delayed our installation for the last 3 weeks.
All of the ponds on our place have overflowed multiple times and we need the pool up prior to the retaining wall goes up.
Gil
Argyle, TX
 
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