After flocculant when should I turn on filter?

[Laurasp80]

I know I know I used flocculant before reading thru the posts. I am a new pool owner (old pool new to us). When opening it this season I tried everything to just get it clear and someone recommended a flocculant. I did everything by the directions. It worked perfectly. I have been vaccuming up the stuff that fell to the bottom. My question is when vaccuming I redistribute some of the stuff in the water and I wait then vacuumed it up again. So when is it "safe" to turn my pump back on to filter? It seems to be just foggy at the bottom of the deep end now.

 

[Texas Splash]

Oooohhhhh Nooooooo! Okay, we can help you get past that little bit of poor judgment and pool store advice. Welcome to TFP! The bottle probably states on it, but I seem to recall the floc has to settle at least overnight, if not 12-24 hours. I just don't recall. But here's the most important question .... what type of filter do you have? That's a big part of removing the floc. So please update your signature with all of your pool info and equipment. That will help others who wish to give you help. Hopefully you have the ability to vacuum to waste. That's a must.

Once you get past this floc issue, we'll need to discuss why you used it in the first place? In most pools, floc is never needed when the water is properly tested and chlorinated to prevent algae. So please review and save those vital links below in my sig. Let us know if you have more questions. Remember - proper testing is priority #1. (TF-100 link below).

Nice to have you with us.

 

[Laurasp80]

I have a sand filter, i have let it settle and vacuumed im letting it settle again tonight and vacuuming again tomorrow, I can vacuum to waste. I am waiting to add any more chemicals after i vacuum tomorrow since i use up so much water. I just dont want to clog my filter so after i vacuum tomorrow and refill the pool should it be ok to start the pump to filter again tomorrow? But on a positive note the pool is clear except for the little clouds to vacuum up at the bottom

 

[domct203]

What were you trying to 'solve' by using floc? Was the pool green?

 

[Laurasp80]

This is the progress i made prior to flocculant. The last picture we could not see bottom clearly and not at all in deep end. I ran the filter for two days and no change in cloudiness. So someone suggested a flocc. Here is progress 24 hr post flocc

I can now see thru the water, I have vacuumed up as much as i can and i am going to let it sit again over night tonight.

I have a k2006 test kit on order should be here Friday, I am not adding anymore chemicals to the pool until it gets here. I am just going to vacuum when the stuff settles and wait for the kit. According to the small kit i do have the Chlorine is 10 today so i should hopefully be good until Friday. My question is Friday when i start trying to get all the chemicals in balance. Im worried about starting the filter since i have read on here about flocc clogging up the sand filter. Should i get a sock to capture as much of the flocc stuff that i wasnt able to vacuum before it reaches the filter?

 

[skimmerswimmer]

If your pool is properly chlorinated and your filter is working properly, you should never need to use floc. Back before I had a DE cartridge filter, I might have used floc once or twice with my sand filter to clear the water faster after a bad opening, but those days are long gone and that was before I really started living the TFP life. Once you follow TFP methods, you really shouldn't need anything more than chlorine, MA and maybe a little DE added to your sand filter to get great water quality.

 

[Laurasp80]

I understand that now but ive already used it so we are past the point. My question is when is it safe to turn the pump back on so as not to clog it up? Should i get a sock thingy to collect the stuff that i didnt get out by vacuum to catch it before it gets to the filter?