Do I need a sand filter?

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calcium

calcium

0
Jul 5, 2018
30
South Louisiana
This website makes me feel inhuman. Or maybe this whole community is a hoax and clear water is just a pipe dream.

The only way to use my pool is to dump and refill it every time we want to swim. Our water is $0.005/gal, so it's about $30 to refill.

I fill the pool, I add CYA, I add bleach. I test, I adjust. I can't always do this daily, so sometimes I just dump a quart of bleach in for good measure. The water looks good, but there's some sediment along the bottom. So I set up the vacuum and get started, but all I'm doing is aerating the sediment and sending it to the filter where the slurry just gets dumped back into the pool. The return water looks like sewage. I watch my clear water slowly turn cloudy, and now my pool looks like this:

w2QSUdzl.jpg

(Please ignore the broken fence boards.)

This happened last year and we just ended up never swimming. Here we are again, and it's not even June.

Is it the filter? Are cartridge filters not suitable for vacuuming? Do I need a sand filter? DE?

Maybe I just need to pay $120/mo to dump and refill the pool weekly? I should just find a new job where I can afford a pool service.
 
The best thing I ever did with my Intex is dump the cartridge filter, and go to sand!
The cheap Intex filter cartridges are not made to vacuum to, and need CONSTANT cleaning/replacing.
 
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That being said though, I am of the opinion that green is not a filtration problem, but a chemical one.
I have seen pools go for a month without a running filter/pump, and remain clear. They test and add chlorine as needed, then mix it in manually with a pool brush.
Testing, and maintaining the proper chlorine level works.
 
If you are looking to go to a sand filter, start looking on Facebook marketplace, or Craigslist in your area.
There are people that are tired of maintaining their pools, or have damaged them in some way and don't want to replace them.
I got mine from a neighbor that dropped a tree across his, and said he was not going to replace it.
 
Your green water has nothing to do with your filter. You are not using enough chlorine. You need a proper test kit, daily testing/adjusting, and a slam. And a method for adding chlorine daily.
 
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I second what @PoolGate said...
If you can't test, and add daily, you could look into a SWG, or a Stenner pump to do the bleach for you. (Once you determine your demands)
I opted for the Stenner, and it is the SECOND best thing I ever did for my pool.
I run my number twice a week, just to make sure they are sitting where I want them.
 

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RonsPlc said:
Testing, and maintaining the proper chlorine level works.
Click to expand...
Maybe that's the issue. I can't test every day. I struggle to imagine someone who has 30 minutes every day to jack with their pool. Everyone here talks about testing like it's some 60-second routine. Maybe I'm just an idiot, but by the time I drag out the kit, unpack everything, go get a sample, measure, stir, count, put it in PoolMath, measure bleach, splash a little, ruin my shirt, etc, etc, etc. it's at least 30 minutes for me. Maybe if I spent $200k on a pool like some people seem to have, I would make the time. But for a $500 vinyl pool from Target?

And the water was totally clear before I vacuumed. I didn't test yesterday, so idk.
RonsPlc said:
What test kit do you use? What are your numbers?
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TF-100 that I bought from here last year. CYA about 40, FC 5.2. The water's so bad now, I don't think I could even read the CYA test.
RonsPlc said:
If you are looking to go to a sand filter, start looking on Facebook marketplace, or Craigslist in your area.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip!!
 
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I run my CYA at about 60 to account for the burn-off here in the south. BUT that demands that I MAINTAIN a chlorine level that NEVER drops below 5ppm.
My Stenner is set to maintain 7, and injects bleach 2x/day.
I tried running a lower CYA level, and had a higher demand on my bleach than I do now.
With you living in Southern LA, and your 40CYA I would think your bleach demands with 6% bleach from the store would be at the level of 1/2g per day... but that is just a guess.
Daily testing, and adjusting is the key to the methods here. Trust me, once you get used to it, it becomes a 10 minute ritual.
 
RonsPlc said:
I second what @PoolGate said...
If you can't test, and add daily, you could look into a SWG, or a Stenner pump to do the bleach for you. (Once you determine your demands)
I opted for the Stenner, and it is the SECOND best thing I ever did for my pool.
I run my number twice a week, just to make sure they are sitting where I want them.
Click to expand...
Can I get some more info on your setup? Sounds like to get to where you are, I need a $120 sand filter and a $350 Stenner pump. That seems nuts, but I would be willing to do it if I can stop constantly being enraged at the pool.
 
I watched E-Bay for a year for a Stenner... it finally came up, and I bought it for $80 brand new!
Needless to say, I grabbed it before anyone else did!
I'll find one of my posts that details my setup.
It will show the old pool, as I have changed to a new Intex after finding that the legs had rusted out at the bottom of my old one after 5 years.
The new pool has been in operation since Easter weekend. And is Perfect... so far.
 

My set up ... so far

This picture was taken earlier today... Now for the tricky part... trying to get the quote here right... Hi Ron, Not to hijack the thread but nice set-up, How is the Stenner pump doing, did you install yourself, I am planning an upgrade and torn between SWG and Stenner, and just when I...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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All you need to do daily is the quick chlorine and pH test. It is in that smaller blue box. It takes literally 3 minutes. Once you know your pool and it is humming along clear every day you can back that off to every other day or so. Sometimes I go a few days without testing but I have a SWG so it isn't as critical since I always have chlorine being added. Also you talked about adding a quart of bleach. The only reason I can see for that small an amount is if your chlorine levels are correct, your pool is clear, and you are having a few people over and want a boost for the extra swimmers. You need an accurate CYA test first to determine optimal chlorine levels.
 
TFPC is about doing your own testing and understanding what chemicals to add. Until you have some sense of consistency, which at this point you seem far from, you should test FC and pH daily. The others once per week and CYA monthly.

If anything other than clear water is coming from your returns, then you have a filtration issue. We almost always point towards chemistry as the cause of green water, however, with an Intex pool, with it’s standard low quality cartridge filter, anything is up for discussion. Cartridge could have a hole in it allowing return flow directly to the pool.

Deciding how to approach water quality management on an inexpensive/temporary type pool is up to the user. You can do the full TFPC approach or use this Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools - Trouble Free Pool
 
calcium said:
I thought the whole point of buying the TF-100 was because I needed to test FC every day. The K1000 is only testing TC, right?
Click to expand...

Yes exactly and that is all you need if your water is clear. I honestly do not remember the last time I tested for or cared about CCs. I think maybe once or twice my very first season and have not tested for it since. My point it once your pool is humming along (balanced) and you understand your specific pool's characteristics, the daily maintenance needs are far less.
 
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