thats what i am hoping to find, sand that just wants to be massaged and percolated to bring it back to life. i have the pool cleared of crud and debris, hit it with 2 lbs of shock, and the green is gone, just cloudy now, and the filter is just not grabbing it. i am resisting the urge to floc it at the moment, kind of want to observe any improvement after I clean the sand. and i need to revisit my other chemistry to make sure it is where it should be. my previous setup worked very well. when necessary i could shock it, it would be 95% clear in several hours, and the backflush would run like milk for 30 seconds. then it was just a matter of weekly attention to keep it happy. thanks, -sid.
Clearing pool of Algae
- Thread starter sidschaefer
- Start date
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,040
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Not to hi jack the op’s thread but the
SLAM Process is what’s needed to clear the pool. Floc is definitely not recommended. Start your own thread here
Algae - Prevention and Treatment
Treat and prevent all types of swimming pool algae - green, yellow, mustard - we're here to help you clear up your green pool water!
www.troublefreepool.com
Ok I have disassembled my plumbing and removed the valve body in preparation for a sand cleaning operation. I was a little surprised at the sand level within the Pentair SD60 bottle. 17 inches below the top of the lip, seems like about 1/3 full. Having viewed some of the sand cleaning videos it seemed the sand level should be closer to around 2/3 to 3/4 full? My documentation for the SD60 says 250 lb of filter sand. So can someone give me an idea of visually what that should look like? Or a measurement would be even better. I really dont want to remove the existing sand just to see how much I have. See photo, sand level is marked by top of blue tape. thanks, -sid. 
I found some additional documentation that suggests an SD60 should have 22.5 inches of sand, or 250 lb. So I will work with that idea.
(Nope, my bad, i believe they are referring to tank diameter.)
(Nope, my bad, i believe they are referring to tank diameter.)
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,833
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Does the present sand appear to be clumpy?
If so, completely replace the sand.
At least you will know you are starting fresh.
Using all new sand is just over 6 bags @ 40#/bag.
Look inside the filter and see if there are any marking designating the sand level.
If there aren't any, the sand should probably come up to where the upper vertical part starts to bend inward.
If so, completely replace the sand.
At least you will know you are starting fresh.
Using all new sand is just over 6 bags @ 40#/bag.
Look inside the filter and see if there are any marking designating the sand level.
If there aren't any, the sand should probably come up to where the upper vertical part starts to bend inward.
X should be about 10".
The lower red line is the maximum sand level.
The sand should never go into the domed portion of the filter.
The lower red line is the maximum sand level.
The sand should never go into the domed portion of the filter.
Using a diameter of 22.5" for reference, I would estimate the sand should be at about the lower red line, which should be about 10" of Freeboard.
Sand wash complete. Sand looked ok, not clumpy just dirty. Spent about an hour working with the hose floating the Crud out of the bottle, i would say about 90%. Added 100 lbs of filter sand to bring the level up to the headspace recommended here. Initial backwash blew out a little sand as things got themselves settled. normal operating pressure seems to be 15 psi. So i plan to let it run at least 24hrs before i get too excited about further chemistry, but I do have the PH dialed in. And I have a weepy fitting (pump out) that I need to resolve. Thanks to all for the help and commentary. -sid.