Brushing regularly can't be stressed enough. It's an often overlooked step, and it makes a difference.
Cloudy water - NEWBIE - HELP, PLEASE HELP!!!
- Thread starter Hawkeye83
- Start date
Hawkeye, feeling a bit like a Dentist with bad teeth? Great job and yes, it is nice to get this pool off my "Things I have to do that I dread doing list".
Probably just got a little too confident...
My water is looking great, but I haven't run my salt system yet. I decide to clean the cells in the salt system and get it running. While I have the cells soaking in vinegar to remove scale, I have the return valve on my pool closed, and the sand filter multi-port valve set to Closed. WELL, I had the pump set in timer mode, and it kicked on, pumping against a dead-head. It blew out the tube connecting the pump to the sand filter. I've got a new tube on order (anyone else never have enough tubing/connectors on hand?) but I hope I didn't damage the pump. After finally feeling "in control" a set-back like this can be de-moralizing. One more reminder to pay attention to absolutely everything you are doing while working on the pool. From here on out, any time the valves are closed, the pump will be unplugged!
My water is looking great, but I haven't run my salt system yet. I decide to clean the cells in the salt system and get it running. While I have the cells soaking in vinegar to remove scale, I have the return valve on my pool closed, and the sand filter multi-port valve set to Closed. WELL, I had the pump set in timer mode, and it kicked on, pumping against a dead-head. It blew out the tube connecting the pump to the sand filter. I've got a new tube on order (anyone else never have enough tubing/connectors on hand?) but I hope I didn't damage the pump. After finally feeling "in control" a set-back like this can be de-moralizing. One more reminder to pay attention to absolutely everything you are doing while working on the pool. From here on out, any time the valves are closed, the pump will be unplugged!
While waiting to get your pump running again, continue adding bleach and stir it up manually. You don't want to lose the progress you've made.
I agree with Jeff. My pump hasn't been working since the 20th. I've been adding the bleach and stirring it with the brush. So far, so good. Pump arrived today! Just have to get in installed.
Good luck
Sherry
Good luck
Sherry
Hey Guys! Just wanted to update. Y'all have helped me more than I can ever express...you really bailed me out. No more wasting money on unnecessary chemicals. I received my test kit weeks ago. I kept using the cheap strips from Wal-Mart until they ran out though, lol! They seemed to be doing the job and I just didn't have time to sit down and "learn" how to use the test kit...now that I've done it though, not sure what I was waiting for...the tests are quite easy to run!
Anyway, my pool has been pretty good for weeks, but it started slipping, so I'm SLAM-ing again. I tend to have too much faith in my salt-water chlorine generator, I think...I'll get the pool in good shape, then I think "Well, everything's good, I'm just going to let the salt water chlorine generator do it's job..."...well, that never works out for me too well. Seems my unit cannot keep up with the chlorine demand. Maybe because I never fully finished the SLAM to start with...
So doing the SLAM now, just want to be sure I have this right...I'm at shock level 24...so if I'm still at 23 ppm in the morning (and my CC is 0.5 or less and the water is clear) I'm good? Then I just gradually let the chlorine level drift back down...what is the maximum FC level safe for swimming, again?
So I'll have the pool all straightened out but then I leave for vacation on Friday and my wife has already said she's not doing squat to it while I'm gone, so...hopefully I don't have to do this all again when I get back from vacation (I'll be gone 4-5 days). I'm thinking I'll leave the pump on 24/7 and the SWG in boost mode while I'm gone. And ask her to maybe add a cup of bleach or so daily and not worry about any measurements...I'm sure she'd be willing to do that.
Thanks again all!
Anyway, my pool has been pretty good for weeks, but it started slipping, so I'm SLAM-ing again. I tend to have too much faith in my salt-water chlorine generator, I think...I'll get the pool in good shape, then I think "Well, everything's good, I'm just going to let the salt water chlorine generator do it's job..."...well, that never works out for me too well. Seems my unit cannot keep up with the chlorine demand. Maybe because I never fully finished the SLAM to start with...
So doing the SLAM now, just want to be sure I have this right...I'm at shock level 24...so if I'm still at 23 ppm in the morning (and my CC is 0.5 or less and the water is clear) I'm good? Then I just gradually let the chlorine level drift back down...what is the maximum FC level safe for swimming, again?
So I'll have the pool all straightened out but then I leave for vacation on Friday and my wife has already said she's not doing squat to it while I'm gone, so...hopefully I don't have to do this all again when I get back from vacation (I'll be gone 4-5 days). I'm thinking I'll leave the pump on 24/7 and the SWG in boost mode while I'm gone. And ask her to maybe add a cup of bleach or so daily and not worry about any measurements...I'm sure she'd be willing to do that.
Thanks again all!
I'm declaring the SLAM over (lasted 3 days). FC held overnight (dropped less than 1 ppm), CC is less than 0.5, water looks great. Woohoo!
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Oh, one other thing...during one of my vacuum sessions (the first one of this SLAM) I noticed I was getting MUCH better suction if I vacuumed to the filter position, so I did that. I have back-washed the filter several times since then (sand filter). Did this do any harm? Is it ever "okay" to vacuum in the filter position? Normally I vacuum to waste but I didn't seem to be getting enough suction doing that, at least not that time.
- - - Updated - - -
Oh, one other thing...during one of my vacuum sessions (the first one of this SLAM) I noticed I was getting MUCH better suction if I vacuumed to the filter position, so I did that. I have back-washed the filter several times since then (sand filter). Did this do any harm? Is it ever "okay" to vacuum in the filter position? Normally I vacuum to waste but I didn't seem to be getting enough suction doing that, at least not that time.