DE on pool surface

[JFS61]

Have a large of amount of what appears to be DE, not only in the bottom of the pool, but floating on the surface as well. In fact, when you stick your hand in the pool you immediately encounter a gritty feel as if you stuck your hand into a box of sand (my first thought was that a part of the seasonal deposits of sand blown in from Africa, but my understanding is that won't start for another week).

As to the various causes of DE in a pool, which would lead to a large amount of it floating on the surface? I'm thinking a suction side air leak, which is allowing water to seep back into the pool via the skimmer. Also considering the possibility of a damaged spider gasket, since the pool has been recently backwashed. The filter grids are less than a year old, and the manifold was replaced shortly before that, so I'm thinking they aren't the culprits.

Anyway, was wondering if anyone has encountered this before, and have any suggestions, as I'd rather not have to buy a whole boatloads of gaskets trying to determine what is going on (although I reckon I'll have to do this anyway).

 

[Richard320]

I'd suspect pollen or dust before a DE leak. Wet DE sinks. It wouldn't come out of the filter and rise.

Rubber band a tight sock over the return. Or a dish towel. Something that will catch it. If it fills up, it's DE. If it doesn't, it ain't coming out of the filter.

 

[JFS61]

That's what I was thinking as well, but as my family's been giving me a lot of grief lately about not being able to swim, I thought I'd run down every angle. Whatever this stuff is, it doesn't seem to want to catch in the grids (either that, or its replenishing itself every day from wherever it's coming).

I'll just keep running the filter then, and see if it eventually clears up on its own.

 

[jtpipkin]

That's what I was thinking as well, but as my family's been giving me a lot of grief lately about not being able to swim, I thought I'd run down every angle. Whatever this stuff is, it doesn't seem to want to catch in the grids (either that, or its replenishing itself every day from wherever it's coming).

I'll just keep running the filter then, and see if it eventually clears up on its own.

try a filter sock (or hairnet) - if you've never used one before, you'll be amazed at what it captures

 

[Richard320]

try a filter sock (or hairnet) - if you've never used one before, you'll be amazed at what it captures

This is true. I use a queen-size knee-high nylon. Skimmer Sock/Nylon Illustrated But it doesn't replace a sock over the returns to verify if it is something coming out of the filter or not.

 

[JFS61]

Beginning to wonder now if I may have a calcium buildup issue. We have absolutely no calcium in our water, so when even doing a partial water change several pounds of calcium are needed. I'm now wondering if I might have added too much calcium too quickly after a recent major water change, and thus what I'm seeing is a calcium issue (which might account for the rough, gritty texture on the water's surface, and in the accumulations seen in the bottom of the water sampling bottle). I guess I'll have to wait until morning to run a full water test and see what turns up.

Of course, it could be biofilm in the pool as well (although no one's been in it this year). Whatever it is, it still doesn't seem to want to come out via the filter.