DE filter keeps on increasing pressure

[EmilePool]

Sorry, but not very impressed with replies Believe I got my algae problem under control. Asked about further advise, but only got "filter is a pressure vessel" and "any leak is a problem" answers. SLAM procedures on this forum are VERY HARD to follow - and FYI, I am a professional engineer with a phd.

Filter continues to work perfectly without cleaning. As I stated before, think it was LIVE algae in the filter that caused my problem. As they were KILLED, they disintegrated and FREED up the filter. Will clean it next week and run analysis again then.

Cheers, Emile

 

[MITBeta]

It was the live and dead algae in your pool that was clogging your filter. When you killed the live algae in the pool, no more algae was introduced into the pool. Then you filtered out all the dead algae and now your filter's load is considerably lower and therefore doesn't require constant cleaning.

Your filter has some kind of fitting on it that leaks when the pressure is high. We can't guess what that is, so pictures were requested. We understand that since the pool is now clean, the filter pressure has not returned to the previous high level. But the forum's inability to guess what the problem fitting is is somehow our fault.

Your post above is a strange way to thank this forum for helping you resolve your issue. It seems like you were able to follow the SLAM process just fine.

 

[EmilePool]

@MITBeta . Thanks, and was not trying to blame the forum for their GREAT help. Was just a bit frustrated since I did not really SLAM it - just used the "pray" method, dumping 10 gallons of chlorine into the pool over 2 days. Yes; it worked Just had no clue why my filter was working again.

So; after 3 weeks of no problems, filter needs cleaning. Will do later today. Tested my water this morning (after the pool was "off" for 12 hours) and got the following results ...
FC 1.0
CC 0
CYA 70 (yes; added some)
TA 90
CH 450
CL 1
pH 7.6
Pool walls had some very light algae on them. Added 2.5 gallons of chlorine and scrubbed the walls.
Many thanks for the help

 

[RLP]

You should test after the pump has been running for 30 minutes.

You are letting your FC get way too low. With a cya of 70, you should be between 8 and 10, and never let it go below 5 ppm.

 

[MITBeta]

Pool walls had some very light algae on them.

Visible algae is criteria for the SLAM Process. Your filter is going to have the same issue until you eradicate all of the algae in the pool, even the stuff you can't see (but your chlorine testing can), and then maintaining FC high enough to avoid having it return.

 

[EmilePool]

@RLP & @MITBeta . Thanks for the advise. OK; dumb question ... how do I get my FC up to 5ppm? Have a CircuPool 55K chlorinator; thought that would do the trick at 6-8 hrs per day; but it doesn't even come close Guess I have to add 1/2 gallon of chlorine daily. Just a bit dumbfounded as we have had this pool for 25 years and ONLY added 5 gallons of chlorine every 6-8 weeks

 

[RLP]

Add liquid chlorine [regular bleach, sodium hypochlorite, theyre all the same thing] to get to the desired ppm, via Poolmath. The swcg maintains the free chlorine, its not good at boosting it up to where it needs to be. Once you get it to the desired PPM, you need to adjust the run time and % of output on the swcg.

The reason higher cya is recomended for a swcg is because it will buffer the FC better, and allow the swcg to maintain proper levels without as much run time or output. That is if you have a correctly sized swcg.

I just installed a swcg this year, and I keep 5 gallons of 12.5% on hand to boost FC if there is a heavy bather load, or someone forgets to turn up the swcg after the cover is opened.

So the thing is, with the TFP method, you know exactly what is going on in your pool, and more importantly, it is properly sanitized. you may have had clear water in the past, but it probably wasn't as sanitized as it should have been. When you maintain proper levels of FC, adjustd for your CYA, the pool water chemistry can't be any better.