Autofill Issue!!!

[Toxophilite]

This is one of many times I've checked to find this mess growing here! As it heats up, it's getting worse. I used to pour a bit of liquid chlorine, let sit, dip any residue, and bucket flush, but a simple autofill should not be the high maintenance item on a pool, it is a maintainer by its job description. I've even dropped in bits of broken tabs. The equalizer port into pool is even brown stained in the I.D. of port.

Since I don't want this to be source of contamination at some point, if it already is not, other than a small floater and tab system, any ideas? Leave it all be, not enough to worry about?

Just seems that for all the sanitation a pool requires, these things are cesspits hooked right into the system with no way to sanitize.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

What size pipe is run from the auto fill to the pool?

 

[W.J.Christy]

I just dump a few solo cup fulls of pool water in mine every so often. Course get it clean first the dump water in

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If the water sits stagnant in the auto fill well then it can get murky. My auto fill runs a lot because I’m in the desert and evaporation is crazy. So the water is constantly refreshed. You might want to take it all apart and investigate. I hate those toilet bowl float valves , my auto filler is just a standard ball float. The toilet bowl fillers have too many hidden recesses for algae and bacteria to hide in.

You may need to tear or all down to the fill pipe and clean it out.

 

[Poolbreh]

if you manually vac your pool you can hold the vac head on the pool side port and suck it out every so often.

 

[Toxophilite]

What size pipe is run from the auto fill to the pool?

That one I did not mentally log at the time of build.

 

[Toxophilite]

If the water sits stagnant in the auto fill well then it can get murky. My auto fill runs a lot because I’m in the desert and evaporation is crazy. So the water is constantly refreshed. You might want to take it all apart and investigate. I hate those toilet bowl float valves , my auto filler is just a standard ball float. The toilet bowl fillers have too many hidden recesses for algae and bacteria to hide in.

You may need to tear or all down to the fill pipe and clean it out.

It runs a lot. I had assumed that it would stay flushed, and perhaps get some amount of residual sanitation through the equalization line, but that has not been the case. I took that cap off the korky, leaving off, highly chlorinated the bowl and everything with the discharge at pool plugged.

The more I look at this scum, which is a lot, it's not unlike some coliform colony stuff we see in wells here, almost always of the harmless variety, we hope. My well is not contaminated, as it was fully tested a few years back after build, and I have super-chlorinated my well twice since, each time when I did valve changes, but I might test it again now. Or, the coliform is just going to grow if it's in the ground and runoff around decking? Assuming it is a variety of. If not really an issue for you other folks, then it's individual to mine. I've got it all sparkling now, but going to keep small tabs in it from now on, then. If they ruin the valve or bucket, I can deal with that much better than cleaning this mess every month or so.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

The type of auto fill I’m experienced with has a 3/4” line to the pool so the water does exchange back and forth between pool and auto fill can that help with keeping it chlorinated.

 

[Toxophilite]

The type of auto fill I’m experienced with has a 3/4” line to the pool so the water does exchange back and forth between pool and auto fill can that help with keeping it chlorinated.

That's basically mine, too. It sits next to skimmer, with the line running straight over and out pool wall at same level as returns. It uses same as return fittings at the pool wall. There's only one way flow when bucket drains out, but the two are continuously connected by very short distance. It's just not enough to keep pond scum growth from inside this bucket I guess.

 

[Toxophilite]

if you manually vac your pool you can hold the vac head on the pool side port and suck it out every so often.

That's one thing, I guess, missed about the old ways.... my robot won't fit in there

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It runs a lot. I had assumed that it would stay flushed, and perhaps get some amount of residual sanitation through the equalization line, but that has not been the case. I took that cap off the korky, leaving off, highly chlorinated the bowl and everything with the discharge at pool plugged.

The more I look at this scum, which is a lot, it's not unlike some coliform colony stuff we see in wells here, almost always of the harmless variety, we hope. My well is not contaminated, as it was fully tested a few years back after build, and I have super-chlorinated my well twice since, each time when I did valve changes, but I might test it again now. Or, the coliform is just going to grow if it's in the ground and runoff around decking? Assuming it is a variety of. If not really an issue for you other folks, then it's individual to mine. I've got it all sparkling now, but going to keep small tabs in it from now on, then. If they ruin the valve or bucket, I can deal with that much better than cleaning this mess every month or so.

As my dad used to say when he was alive - "Oh stick a cork in it!!" ... but I think was his way of telling me to shut up

I would block off the fill line to the pool, ie, the cork, turn off the autofill source, remove the Korky and shop vac out the scum. Then I would deeply clean the fill pot with lots of bleach, soap and water. Then I would slightly crack open up the source line to the fill pot and let it overflow on to the deck if at all possible (not into the pool) ... basically flush out the source line. Get a long bottle brush on a flexible fiberglass line (lots of different options) and sub out the inside of the fill line while the water is flowing out. I'd be looking for gunk or biofilm debris. If you see that, then your source line is contaminated and will need some professional level flushing to clear it. If the line pushes out clear and clean water, then I'd stop it. Shopvac out the pot and go buy a new Korky ... what could they cost, $15?? Rebuild it all back to new and then start over.

Yes, I would be concerned about coliform in your well water. If it is an issue in your area then, in all honesty, the well should be tested annually. There are "ok" coliform bacteria (Citrobacter) that will not hurt you and then there are EVIL coliform bacteria (Enterobacter and Escherichia) that can cause severe illness. Good to know which ones you are growing ...

 

[Toxophilite]

As my dad used to say when he was alive - "Oh stick a cork in it!!" ... but I think was his way of telling me to shut up

I would block off the fill line to the pool, ie, the cork, turn off the autofill source, remove the Korky and shop vac out the scum. Then I would deeply clean the fill pot with lots of bleach, soap and water. Then I would slightly crack open up the source line to the fill pot and let it overflow on to the deck if at all possible (not into the pool) ... basically flush out the source line. Get a long bottle brush on a flexible fiberglass line (lots of different options) and sub out the inside of the fill line while the water is flowing out. I'd be looking for gunk or biofilm debris. If you see that, then your source line is contaminated and will need some professional level flushing to clear it. If the line pushes out clear and clean water, then I'd stop it. Shopvac out the pot and go buy a new Korky ... what could they cost, $15?? Rebuild it all back to new and then start over.

Yes, I would be concerned about coliform in your well water. If it is an issue in your area then, in all honesty, the well should be tested annually. There are "ok" coliform bacteria (Citrobacter) that will not hurt you and then there are EVIL coliform bacteria (Enterobacter and Escherichia) that can cause severe illness. Good to know which ones you are growing ...

Yes, coliform and iron bacteria are a big issues here, and mainly older, shallower, wells are real problematic, but that ain't all the distinction. We are flat-landed, flooding, ag, and septic systems. So, you can imagine the recipe for problems. Newer wells, like mine, are now at least 450' deep or deeper instead of older 100' wells, with much better concrete casings down. But, the system is only as tight as the integrity of the envelope.

Open it to a repair, and viola, you have potential contamination. That's why we super chlorinate the well, tank, and flush house after repairs. Also, we focus on the lift and storage of the pump and tank, but as you mention, water stays in many places, like lines that don't get flushed regularly. What you say makes a lot of sense, then, as I could just be fighting colonization of some coliform clan that got in during build, had the right conditions of low flow, and is overwhelming any little chlorination I'm getting. BTW, I did pick up a korky at walmart today, looked it over good out of the box, and put it back to clean mine. Yes, it's all of $15, so will do that with other suggested. Thanks!