Bought house with a swamp pool

[lightmaster]

Just bought a house that the owners didn't take care of the pool very well. It's 35k gallons with sand filter and SWG (not using yet due to swamp). CYA was below min reading of test, so been working on adding enough CYA to get to 40ppm and using a FC target of 20ppm. SLAMed for 2 days, using 24 gallons of liquid chlorine over those 2 days. Now it's white cloudy, and the pump can only run for 30 mins before filter is completely clogged and practically nothing coming out of jets. Can't run the pump while sleeping cuz of this, and have backwashed enough to see a visible decrease in the water level.

Anyway, first time with a sand filter and first time with water so cloudy that you can't see the 3rd step, so not sure what to do from here.

 

[cowboycasey]

Only take CYA to 3o for now... Keep skimming as much as you can with a net.. Other than that keep doing what you are doing and it will get there.. Testing and adding every 2 hours will go faster.. Also backwash when the filter hits 20% higher pressure from the backwash, this will make it faster..

 

[V___25]

This is a shot in the dark but do you know if the prior owner used floc or anything that could gum up the sand if they didn't vac to waste? Were there any old pool products lying around? It sounds like your sand isn't filtering right. Can you take the top off the sand filter and look inside? Maybe it needs a deep cleaning? But if it's gummed up with floc and junk, you may have to replace it. You can also try adding some pool grade DE to the filtering process. Sand filters are generally the slowest type of filter at clearing pools even when they are working properly so sand filters require extra patience.
Deep Clean link
DE to Sand

 

[kimkats]

What @V___25 said AND turn it to recyclize to bypass the filter overnight to keep the water moving and killing the algae.

Share a pic of the pool as it is now so we can see what you are working with.

Kim

 

[lightmaster]

This is a shot in the dark but do you know if the prior owner used floc or anything that could gum up the sand if they didn't vac to waste? Were there any old pool products lying around? It sounds like your sand isn't filtering right. Can you take the top off the sand filter and look inside? Maybe it needs a deep cleaning? But if it's gummed up with floc and junk, you may have to replace it. You can also try adding some pool grade DE to the filtering process. Sand filters are generally the slowest type of filter at clearing pools even when they are working properly so sand filters require extra patience.
Deep Clean link
DE to Sand

There are bottles of Floc, but they appear to be unopened. Hoping they hadn't already added any. Filter pressure after backwash is 13 PSI. If Floc had gummed it up, wouldn't it be higher than that?

If I need to take the lid off the filter, gonna have to cut PVC and add some union joints to it. Can do that, just gotta get those fittings first.

Doubt DE would help any, considering the filter is already "filling up" rapidly, would just make that happen faster.

 

[lightmaster]

What @V___25 said AND turn it to recyclize to bypass the filter overnight to keep the water moving and killing the algae.

Share a pic of the pool as it is now so we can see what you are working with.

Kim

Day 1, after adding first bit of Chlorine


Day 2, now white & cloudy

 

[newdude]

There are bottles of Floc, but they appear to be unopened.

Bottles of flocc are like wasps. If you see 3, you don't even wanna KNOW how many friends they have.

Welcome lightmaster !!!! You got some heavy hitters on your case already with another grand SLAM in the works.

 

[lightmaster]

Bottles of flocc are like wasps. If you see 3, you don't even wanna KNOW how many friends they have.

Welcome lightmaster !!!! You got some heavy hitters on your case already with another grand SLAM in the works.

Judging from the fact the SWG controller is fried (got my own SWG in gonna swap out) and the state of the pool before I touched it, don't think anyone touched it this year. Add it to the list of things to fix, including killing a bunch of actual wasps...

 

[mknauss]

What is the cost of fresh water? Would a very large water exchange assist in the process?

 

[lightmaster]

What is the cost of fresh water? Would a very large water exchange assist in the process?

Deep well. Just gotta bring the hose from the old house when I go move more stuff.

 

[kimkats]

I say keep adding chlorine and killing the mess. Move in THEN deal with the filter. My guess goes along with @Newdude. I think they used floc in the past and put it through the filter. I am guess I see some new sand in your future. For now just do what you can do AND keep sane moving!

NOW........................that is one pretty house and LOVE the yard!!!! WOWZER!!!!!

Kim

 

[squirreltech]

Keep up the work like the others have said. I also inherited a swamp in 2012, and it took my sand filter a long time to clean up the mess. Like the others have said, checking the sand to ensure it's ok will likely help, and replacement may be necessary. Here is some inspiration from my 2012 cleanup: Thank you all! My pool rocks because of you!

I just moved to Ottawa Canada and thankfully the pool here was clear when we bought the place.

Good Luck!

 

[newdude]

You'll known when you see/feel the sand. It's either sand, or gummed up clumpy stuffs. Unfortunately you have a side project to get the lid off, but installing unions will help you in the future, so there is that.

Also, once the algae is dead you can sit on it for a week and monitor the progress. If it clears alot, then maybe the sand is still ok. If not, then ypur odds of needing to cut pipes increase. You keep the FC up just because at that stage, but it holds well and really doesn't take much effort to keep it at SLAM if you want to wait and see.

 

[lightmaster]

You'll known when you see/feel the sand. It's either sand, or gummed up clumpy stuffs. Unfortunately you have a side project to get the lid off, but installing unions will help you in the future, so there is that.

Also, once the algae is dead you can sit on it for a week and monitor the progress. If it clears alot, then maybe the sand is still ok. If not, then ypur odds of needing to cut pipes increase. You keep the FC up just because at that stage, but it holds well and really doesn't take much effort to keep it at SLAM if you want to wait and see.

Gotta take it apart somewhat to install my own SWG since the board in this one is fried, figure might as well inspect and deep clean the sand too. Bought the unions and other fittings I'll need today, so now just need some time to sit down and work on it. Really miss having a cartridge filter and will probably install one within a few years. This sand filter is brand new though, really hope they didn't FUBAR the sand with floc within the first year of its use.

 

[lightmaster]

I say keep adding chlorine and killing the mess. Move in THEN deal with the filter. My guess goes along with @Newdude. I think they used floc in the past and put it through the filter. I am guess I see some new sand in your future. For now just do what you can do AND keep sane moving!

NOW........................that is one pretty house and LOVE the yard!!!! WOWZER!!!!!

Kim

Love the house, and that's only a small part of the yard that's fenced in, got about an acre of trees and a 2 acre field too.

 

[newdude]

This sand filter is brand new though,

With the supply issues ongoing, it will likely fetch MSRP and quick on FB marketplace (etc). Many slightly used vehicles are now worth more than new ones. Because you can't get a new one.

 

[lightmaster]

This white slime on all the filters and inside the sand filter, is this bacteria?

Also, after removing the top of the sand filter and opening the drain plug, is it supposed to drain super slow? Like a couple hours to empty?

 

[proavia]

Don't forget to update your signature with the NEW pool info.

 

[lightmaster]

Don't forget to update your signature with the NEW pool info.

I'll have to do that on the comp later, can't see the sig on mobile and can't find the sig setting to change it.

 

[kimkats]

My guess is the gunk is floc gunk. I never had much luck draining my sand filter using the drain hole. I used a shop vac to get the sand and water out.