Deep clean sand filter, pool is full.

[geempool]

Hello! My pool is staying cloudy for weeks, and it is going to be very hot coming up so i want to get it all in order asap.

Backstory: The pool cover got lost in the late fall and we thought: how bad can it be, we always end up dumping the leaves off the cover anyways?.... But it got so full of leaves and gunk. It was a swamp with water striders and paddle bugs and even little red worms at the bottom. We will never do that again.

I first adjusted the ph and got it steady and now, it is all cleaned out of any debris for 2+ weeks, and has been being extra high chlorine slammed and 24/7 filter running (with small bonus DE and frequent backwash) and an "everything-even-the-waterline" scrubbing robot running 4 x a day for 2+ weeks, the water is all nice and blue, and we haven't had more than 1 cc for 2+ weeks, and it has been progressing from opaque blue to clear but verrrry gradually each day, with the overnight chlorine test finally going pretty good last night (but i apparently didn't log it in the app right this early AM : We lost 1 fc and had barely anything .5 cc).

I would now like to deep clean the sand filter (never been done x 3 yrs + swamp) to give us the best chance of getting a crystal clear pool next week. We do have heavy use for the entire season plus the recent swamp fiasco, so I'm sure it could use it.

Concern 1: My pool is obviously already full of water. If i plug the skimmer and pump return the best i can, and then undo the hose screw rings at the pump connections (two red dots), and then bungie the ends of the hoses up high to a poolbrush pole handle higher up than the water level, will that disconnect the pump from the system and make the water stay in the pool?

Concern 2: if i take out gooky sand do i need to replace it with any more? I did not see that in the deep clean video.

Concern 3: Is there any chance the DE is making it cloudy and i should stop that after the deep clean? It's pool grade DE.

Ps. We never take our stairs out bc we attached them to the pool deck rail for extra stability, but we could undo them. There's a gap so i can scrub the wall/bottom behind them, but not really the undersides of the steps. Could there maybe be mustard algae or something adding cloudiness?

Thanks!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Have you read these directions? Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

As to how to handle the water on the pipes, many folks have installed valves which allow the line to be closed. Since your pool is an Above Ground, I'm unfamiliar with what you can do- so lets ask some ABG smart pool folks!
@kimkats @newdude @woodyp @Casey

Your pool is still cloudy and you may very well have algae inside the steps. Check them out further too be sure.

Maddie

 

[Newdude]

Measure the size of the openings in the skimmer and return and buy Expanding rubber / winterizing plugs. They'll let you work nice and dry once you drain the plumbing.

Ace / Lowes / HD should have them.

if i take out gooky sand do i need to replace it with any more?

If it's still sand like, even if it's filthy, it'll clean good as new. If it's gummed up or rubbery, then it's time to replace it.

Seeing how it's been a couple years, the sand is likely low. You want it filled to where the curved lid / dome starts. There is usually a seam between the wall and the lid at that spot.

We never take our stairs out bc we attached them to the pool deck rail for extra stability, but we could undo them.

They need to come out. They hold a gallon or two of old water with no circulation. They need to be drained and filled with a bleach mix, swished real well, rinsed, and left in the sun to dry completely.

 

[Texas Splash]

will that disconnect the pump from the system and make the water stay in the pool?

It should. Plug the skimmer and return port as best as you can, then keeping the hoses above the waterline should keep everything in the pool. At that point you can work on the filter. As for the sand, inspect it first. As long as you've never added pool store junk to the sand like floc or clarifiers, it should be okay. If the sand level is a bit low from years of backwashing, you may need to add just a bit more. I wouldn't use too much DE right now. Your water is still too heavy with organics. The chlorine needs to do its job first, then use DE at teh very end IF needed. Hope that helps.

 

[kimkats]

What they said LOL

Something else I would like you to really think about is hard piping your equipment. You will need to use sh40 pvc pipes. You will want to put unions over both sides of each piece of equipment and valves under the skimmer and return so you can just turn the valve and not worry about losing any water. We can/will help you know how to best do it. Just let us know when you are ready!

 

[geempool]

It should. Plug the skimmer and return port as best as you can, then keeping the hoses above the waterline should keep everything in the pool. At that point you can work on the filter. As for the sand, inspect it first. As long as you've never added pool store junk to the sand like floc or clarifiers, it should be okay. If the sand level is a bit low from years of backwashing, you may need to add just a bit more. I wouldn't use too much DE right now. Your water is still too heavy with organics. The chlorine needs to do its job first, then use DE at teh very end IF needed. Hope that helps.

Thanks! Everything is staying in the pool!

 

[geempool]

Measure the size of the openings in the skimmer and return and buy Expanding rubber / winterizing plugs. They'll let you work nice and dry once you drain the plumbing.

Ace / Lowes / HD should have them.


If it's still sand like, even if it's filthy, it'll clean good as new. If it's gummed up or rubbery, then it's time to replace it.

Seeing how it's been a couple years, the sand is likely low. You want it filled to where the curved lid / dome starts. There is usually a seam between the wall and the lid at that spot.

They need to come out. They hold a gallon or two of old water with no circulation. They need to be drained and filled with a bleach mix, swished real well, rinsed, and left in the sun to dry completely.

Thanks! We will deal with the stairs and the plugs worked great!

 

[geempool]

Have you read these directions? Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

As to how to handle the water on the pipes, many folks have installed valves which allow the line to be closed. Since your pool is an Above Ground, I'm unfamiliar with what you can do- so lets ask some ABG smart pool folks!
@kimkats @newdude @woodyp @Casey

Your pool is still cloudy and you may very well have algae inside the steps. Check them out further too be sure.

Maddie

Thanks!

 

[geempool]

What they said LOL

Something else I would like you to really think about is hard piping your equipment. You will need to use sh40 pvc pipes. You will want to put unions over both sides of each piece of equipment and valves under the skimmer and return so you can just turn the valve and not worry about losing any water. We can/will help you know how to best do it. Just let us know when you are ready!

Thank you, once we get the pool clean and balanced we have a salt water generator just waiting to be hooked up plus a pool heater, so we are planning to go hard plumbing then. I will for sure post our diagram for double checking here when we get to that point, thank you!

 

[reggiehammond]

I first adjusted the ph and got it steady and now, it is all cleaned out of any debris for 2+ weeks, and has been being extra high chlorine slammed and 24/7 filter running (with small bonus DE and frequent backwash) and an "everything-even-the-waterline" scrubbing robot running 4 x a day for 2+ weeks, the water is all nice and blue, and we haven't had more than 1 cc for 2+ weeks, and it has been progressing from opaque blue to clear but verrrry gradually each day, with the overnight chlorine test finally going pretty good last night (but i apparently didn't log it in the app right this early AM : We lost 1 fc and had barely anything .5 cc).

Just from looking at your PoolMath logs and your above comment, it does not appear you're following the SLAM Process.
FC at 2x SLAM level risks damage to your pool equipment and is counter productive.

 

[geempool]

So i just now took of the top of the filter but the whole stand pipe and lateral assembly came up too! I should have twisted it looser i think! Can i proceed with deep clean or should i try to reinstall it back where it belongs first?

 

[geempool]

Just from looking at your PoolMath logs and your above comment, it does not appear you're following the SLAM Process.
FC at 2x SLAM level risks damage to your pool equipment and is counter productive.

Yes the fc was kept extra high bc we thought the cya was very high, and we were also trying to mustard algae slam from that chart column before realizing it was probably actually pollen now. There were two of us messing with the pool bc i was gone, but i am taking back over now and trying to do organized regular slam levels going forward.

 

[Texas Splash]

i just now took of the top of the filter but the whole stand pipe and lateral assembly came up too!

Rats! It happens to many each year. About all you can do now it empty the filter so that you can get the laterals back in there to the very bottom. If it only came out slightly, there may have been a small chance to get it back down, but coming out that much I think it's beyond just pushing it back down. You don't want to risk forcing it down and causing damage either. I'm afraid your weekend DIY project went from a simple deep clean to an "empty & reload" operation. Not the worst thing that could happen, and at the very least you'll get a good look at the sand and everything. Take your time.

 

[geempool]

Rats! It happens to many each year. About all you can do now it empty the filter so that you can get the laterals back in there to the very bottom. If it only came out slightly, there may have been a small chance to get it back down, but coming out that much I think it's beyond just pushing it back down. You don't want to risk forcing it down and causing damage either. I'm afraid your weekend DIY project went from a simple deep clean to an "empty & reload" operation. Not the worst thing that could happen, and at the very least you'll get a good look at the sand and everything. Take your time.

That's fine, I'll be more aware next year!

 

[kimkats]

So my tips on taking the sand out of the filter:
-have a wheelbarrow right by ready for you to put the sand in.
-have a tarp ready to put the sand that does not fit in the wheelbarrow.
-use a shop vac to suck the sand up. Empty the vac into the wheelbarrow and rinse it a bit. Do this over and over until you get all of the sand up and out.

When it is time to put the sand back in put a cup or something over the top of the hole in the pipe. Put water in the filter to help cushion the impact of the sand. Hand place the sand in the filter until the laterals are well covered.

Good luck! Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have. Let us know how it goes!

 

[geempool]

So my tips on taking the sand out of the filter:
-have a wheelbarrow right by ready for you to put the sand in.
-have a tarp ready to put the sand that does not fit in the wheelbarrow.
-use a shop vac to suck the sand up. Empty the vac into the wheelbarrow and rinse it a bit. Do this over and over until you get all of the sand up and out.

When it is time to put the sand back in put a cup or something over the top of the hole in the pipe. Put water in the filter to help cushion the impact of the sand. Hand place the sand in the filter until the laterals are well covered.

Good luck! Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have. Let us know how it goes!

We did it! Everything went fine, laterals looked great, so that is reassuring. It's all hooked back up and filtering overnight. The shop vac was a great suggestion, and we put in all new sand since ours had some parts that seemed very gummy/slimy with filmy sheets, so i think perhaps someone must have "helped" with some flocculant at some point? I don't even buy it but way too many people have had a poke at my pool over the years when i'm gone! I'm the sole operator going forward.

 

[geempool]

Just from looking at your PoolMath logs and your above comment, it does not appear you're following the SLAM Process.
FC at 2x SLAM level risks damage to your pool equipment and is counter productive.

As of tonight the fc is right on target for regular slam again, the ph is low but i know that's not accurate with slam chlorine. With the tuned-up filter i think things will improve! Tomorrow we tackle the stairs.