Dissolved Dirt in Pool, floc or not with cartridge filter - Driving me crazy !

[lukeyluke]

G'day all

Over the weekend we had an extensive amount of rain which has allowed a bunch of dirt / soil to enter the pool. The pool now has a very cloudy brown look to it. The bottom of the pool is clean, just microscopic dissolved dirt particles.

I've tested the water with my Clear choice Labs kit and everything is fine, no algae. Chlorine is around 8 with no CC's in the water.

Trouble is I've been running the filter for close to 48 hours now with no improvement. I have a cartridge filter so not sure if the size of the suspended particles is so small it is just going straight through the filter.

A few questions,

- Should I use Floc or a clarifier? I can vacuum to waster if need be. Ive never had to use it before.
- I've been cleaning out the filter every 24 hours, not so much because I think it needs it but just because I figure it's dirty.
- Should I hold off on cleaning the cartridge as I heard sometimes a slightly 'dirtier' cartridge actually helps filter our more very fine dissolved solids?
- I've been using the pump on a medium speed setting, should I use it on a slower setting to allow more chance of dirt becoming trapped in the cartridge?

Thanks for your help

- Luke

 

[lukeyluke]

Update, forgot to mention I added some clarifier to the pool about 16 hours ago, doesn't seem to be doing much as yet

 

[mknauss]

See if it works.

Do you have access to a quality clarifier? Seaklear or Orenda are the brand names here.

 

[lukeyluke]

Hi, it seems to be a quality one. Big brand name here Hy-Chlor

 

[mknauss]

Look for Seaklear Chitosan clarifier on amazon Australia.

 

[Brett S]

- I've been cleaning out the filter every 24 hours, not so much because I think it needs it but just because I figure it's dirty.

This is actually exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. It seems kind of counter intuitive, but a dirty filter will actually filter better than a clean filter (at least to a point). As the filter traps dirt and such the openings through the filter get smaller and smaller and it will then be able to trap even smaller particles, which make the openings even smaller. Of course, at some point the filter will be so clogged that it will strain the pump and the water can’t circulate effectively. But especially in a case like this you want to let the filter get as dirty as possible before you clean it because that will help it to filter out those fine particles even better.

 

[lukeyluke]

Thankyou Brett, that makes a lot of sense.

Would I be best to have the robot running round the pool (to stir any sediment up), although mind you doesn't appear to be much. Or just leave and potentially vacuum to waste at the end?

Also would you recommend running the pump on a lower speed? Ive heard that lower speeds help trap more fine particles