Water circulation issues

[power4pools]

I'm new to this forum, so thanks for any assistance.

I have an older marcite pool (details in signature). Even with a 1 hp pump and 150 cu ft cartridge filter running 7+ hours a day, and SLAM method and maintaining chemical levels, my levels keep bouncing and I feel that it is due to low circulation with 1 return and 1 skimmer in the shallow end, compared to more modern designs with multiple returns that allow for more circulation.

Is there a way to adjust for this and make an older pool more effective? How can I tell if the main drain line to the skimmer well/pump is flowing well? I tried a drain king to blow out any debris, but didn't see any great difference. Could you use a shop vac to blow out the main drain line?

Thank you.

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

Not sure about blowing out lines, but....

Below your skimmer basket are there by chance 2 open pipes? Is there a flying saucer looking gizmo in there? A lot of pool have the main drain tied into the skimmer. Without a diverter valve, water won't flow through the main drain. There's no reason to; it's less work to have the water just fall in from above than get sucked up through a bunch of pipes.

 

[power4pools]

Welcome!

Not sure about blowing out lines, but....

Below your skimmer basket are there by chance 2 open pipes? Is there a flying saucer looking gizmo in there? A lot of pool have the main drain tied into the skimmer. Without a diverter valve, water won't flow through the main drain. There's no reason to; it's less work to have the water just fall in from above than get sucked up through a bunch of pipes.

Yes, I have 2 open pipes...1 to pump and the other from the main drain
Yes, I have the diverter disk...so its not necessary?

Which leads to a related question...does it matter if water circulates from the surface or the bottom or the pool as long as it gets circulated? How does that work if everything sinks to the bottom but is only sucked from the top 12 inches of water?

Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Richard320]

That diverter splits the flow. It is necessary. A whole lot of people here discover theirs is missing, which is why I brought it up.

If you close the flap all the way, all the water is drawn from the main drain. If you leave it wide open, all of it comes from the skimmer. Since you were complaining about poor circulation, I thought I'd mention it. At least it would give you two paths to the filter. If it's set too much to main drain, you'll get lousy skimming action. If you draw too much from the skimmer, you get temperature stratification, where it feels great when you dip your toe in but turns you into a popsicle when you jump in.

 

[power4pools]

That diverter splits the flow. It is necessary. A whole lot of people here discover theirs is missing, which is why I brought it up.

If you close the flap all the way, all the water is drawn from the main drain. If you leave it wide open, all of it comes from the skimmer. Since you were complaining about poor circulation, I thought I'd mention it. At least it would give you two paths to the filter. If it's set too much to main drain, you'll get lousy skimming action. If you draw too much from the skimmer, you get temperature stratification, where it feels great when you dip your toe in but turns you into a popsicle when you jump in.

So to circle back around to the original question...based on my equip/pool specs, just like an above ground pool with the skimmer/return, circulation and exposure to the falling pollen, etc., shouldn't be a big factor as long it is circulating a proper amount of time?

So with that factor mitigated, for outdoor pools exposed to the elements, whats the best way to mitigate the daily shower of citrus, oak, camphor, wild fig, etc. pollen without draining the bank account having to have super-chlorination daily? I clean my cartridge filter on a regular basis along daily with the pool skimmer. Since this is probably the wrong subject area for that, can you advise me the best forum subject/FAQ to address this? I hope my questions are making sense. Thanks.

 

[Richard320]

So to circle back around to the original question...based on my equip/pool specs, just like an above ground pool with the skimmer/return, circulation and exposure to the falling pollen, etc., shouldn't be a big factor as long it is circulating a proper amount of time?

So with that factor mitigated, for outdoor pools exposed to the elements, whats the best way to mitigate the daily shower of citrus, oak, camphor, wild fig, etc. pollen without draining the bank account having to have super-chlorination daily? I clean my cartridge filter on a regular basis along daily with the pool skimmer. Since this is probably the wrong subject area for that, can you advise me the best forum subject/FAQ to address this? I hope my questions are making sense. Thanks.

Try the search box for "pollen". That topic comes up a lot. I don't get a lot, so I'm not going to be much use to you.

 

[pooldv]

We have lots of trees that drop LOTS of stuff in spring and fall. During tree drop season we run our variable speed pump on 1100 rpm (150 watts) 24x7 with the drain/skimmer valve set about 80/20 and empty the skimmer baskets lots of times per day as needed. This keeps most debris off the bottom of the pool and out of the filter and does not give it enough time in the pool to cause chemistry problems. if it is finer pollen then you can use skimmer socks on the skimmer basket or knee high pantyhose. But, be careful, they can clog quickly. And of course, sometimes you just have to get out the leaf rake and start scooping.