- Jun 3, 2013
- 6
Hi guys, first time posting here so ill do my best to explain.
Pardon if I don't use proper pool jargon, but the responsibility of taking care of a pool has been thrust upon me last year when my dad passed away and it's too much for my mom to take care of. I've been learning as i go here.
I closed the pool last year for the first time every by myself. I opened it 2 weekends ago and the water was crystal clear and the floor spotless, so i think to myself "awesome i didn't screw it up". So then I bring the pump back outside after storing it inside for winter, try to start it up but every time I do it flips the breaker. After hours of trying to troubleshoot i say screw it, and call a pool company. The tell me the pumps fried and just needs to be replaced, so i agree.
Next weekend pumps working great but over the first week of running it, i notice that a very small area under the jet has sand accumulating (I later confirmed that it was sand from the filter, i had thought it was dirt but its very uniform in size). It was weird to me because the floor had been spotless and there's no reason for sand to be there. But then after i vacuumed for the first time, i proceeded to backwash and rinse. This went normal, but when I set it back to filter large burst of sand started to shoot out of the return jet for 2 seconds then small amounts would be coming out. The filter was also pushing water through the backwash pipe when running in filter mode. This is beyond my knowledge as far as pools go so i called the pool company back to the house. They go to the house while im at work and i assume i'm coming home to a fixed filter, nope. I get a call and they told me that the multiport valve on the top was busted but they "don't service that brand" and only would install a new filter that they provided. I basically told them to screw off and I grabbed the multiport that they took from my filter. I then decided to learn all about my filter to see if i could solve the issue myself.
When i looked at the multiport, i notice that the spider gasket is very corroded, has sand embedded in it, and has a chunk of it hanging off. So replaced the gasket and i'm awaiting permitting weather to go install it back in (it's been pouring for 2 days).
Now I have some questions:
Here's some pictures of what's going on in the pool:
Here's the filter
Heres the filter with the multiport valve off #1
Heres the filter with the multiport valve off #2 (To me it looks like the pool company snapped that piece in the middle, can anyone confirm?)
This is the sand that's come out from the return jet
Sorry for the long post but i'm in dire straits with this pool and I figured all information would be helpful. You guys would be hero's to me if you can help me out here.
I can take more pictures of the pool/filter/pump setup if necessary, just let me know.
Thanks,
Pardon if I don't use proper pool jargon, but the responsibility of taking care of a pool has been thrust upon me last year when my dad passed away and it's too much for my mom to take care of. I've been learning as i go here.
I closed the pool last year for the first time every by myself. I opened it 2 weekends ago and the water was crystal clear and the floor spotless, so i think to myself "awesome i didn't screw it up". So then I bring the pump back outside after storing it inside for winter, try to start it up but every time I do it flips the breaker. After hours of trying to troubleshoot i say screw it, and call a pool company. The tell me the pumps fried and just needs to be replaced, so i agree.
Next weekend pumps working great but over the first week of running it, i notice that a very small area under the jet has sand accumulating (I later confirmed that it was sand from the filter, i had thought it was dirt but its very uniform in size). It was weird to me because the floor had been spotless and there's no reason for sand to be there. But then after i vacuumed for the first time, i proceeded to backwash and rinse. This went normal, but when I set it back to filter large burst of sand started to shoot out of the return jet for 2 seconds then small amounts would be coming out. The filter was also pushing water through the backwash pipe when running in filter mode. This is beyond my knowledge as far as pools go so i called the pool company back to the house. They go to the house while im at work and i assume i'm coming home to a fixed filter, nope. I get a call and they told me that the multiport valve on the top was busted but they "don't service that brand" and only would install a new filter that they provided. I basically told them to screw off and I grabbed the multiport that they took from my filter. I then decided to learn all about my filter to see if i could solve the issue myself.
When i looked at the multiport, i notice that the spider gasket is very corroded, has sand embedded in it, and has a chunk of it hanging off. So replaced the gasket and i'm awaiting permitting weather to go install it back in (it's been pouring for 2 days).
Now I have some questions:
- 1) Could the pump they installed be too powerful for my filter? (there is ALOT more suction when vacuuming which is why i thought this)
2)Could the spider gasket be the culprit for the sand in the return jet?
3)Is there anything i should know when attaching the multiport valve back on the filter? (I also took apart and reassembled the valve and everything was working perfectly with it, so i'm not sure what the pool company was talking about)
4)I read that it could also be a broken lateral, is there any tips you guys have for changing them?
Here's some pictures of what's going on in the pool:
Here's the filter
Heres the filter with the multiport valve off #1
Heres the filter with the multiport valve off #2 (To me it looks like the pool company snapped that piece in the middle, can anyone confirm?)
This is the sand that's come out from the return jet
Sorry for the long post but i'm in dire straits with this pool and I figured all information would be helpful. You guys would be hero's to me if you can help me out here.
I can take more pictures of the pool/filter/pump setup if necessary, just let me know.
Thanks,