I am fairly new to taking care of my own pool. I have got all the chemistry right i think but the pool is cloudy with particles floating in it. I don't think my pump and filter is cleaning it out. I have cleaned the filter twice. The water is blue but cloudy. My valve setting may be wrong but i have never figured that out...its a bit confusing
Filter not cleaning pool
- Thread starter tcoke13
- Start date
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,927
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome to TFP! 
What test kit are you using?
Test Kits Compared
Post a full set of current test results
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (if you have a SWG)
Water temperature
Update your location with your actual city and state.
Post a few pics from a few different angles of your equipment pad.
What test kit are you using?
Test Kits Compared
Post a full set of current test results
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (if you have a SWG)
Water temperature
Update your location with your actual city and state.
Post a few pics from a few different angles of your equipment pad.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 17,031
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Welcome to TFP!!!
How are you testing your water? We really need to understand your pool water chemistry.
How do we do that? We recommend these kits. Link-->Test Kits Compared
Why? pool store or test strips are notoriously wrong. If we give advice on bad testing we can do more harm than good.
If you have one of our recommended kits, post a full set of results. FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA.
If your pool is cloudy, the way we correct that is with the SLAM process. However, you need a kit to SLAM properly. SLAM process link-->SLAM Process
Post up some pictures of your equipment while you are waiting for your kit to arrive and we'll sort out the valves.
Also post up some picture of your pool so we can get a sense of what "cloudy" looks like.
How are you testing your water? We really need to understand your pool water chemistry.
How do we do that? We recommend these kits. Link-->Test Kits Compared
Why? pool store or test strips are notoriously wrong. If we give advice on bad testing we can do more harm than good.
If you have one of our recommended kits, post a full set of results. FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA.
If your pool is cloudy, the way we correct that is with the SLAM process. However, you need a kit to SLAM properly. SLAM process link-->SLAM Process
Post up some pictures of your equipment while you are waiting for your kit to arrive and we'll sort out the valves.
Also post up some picture of your pool so we can get a sense of what "cloudy" looks like.
Last edited:
japoolspa
In The Industry
When pump is running make sure you know where one of the returns are in the pool - preferably the one closest to the pump. Dump a pound or 2 of Diatomaceous earth into the skimmer all at once. Stir it for just a second to get it all to suck down quickly. Go back to the pool return and watch the water come out for a minute or 2 - it should remain clean not milky. If the D.E. blows through you have a problem at the filter. You can also do the same with a handful of dirt - it's easy to spot than D.E. if it blows back into the pool.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 17,031
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Please do NOT add a "pound or 2" of Diatomaceous earth (DE). We have a process, if we get to that point, of adding DE to to a sand filter. We are not at that point yet, and 1-2 pounds is NOT recommended.
Let's understand what is happening with your chemistry, before we focus on the filter.
See posts #2 and #3.
japoolspa
In The Industry
This method works for me. He'll know immediately if the filter has blow-by which is his suspicion. I don't think this is a sand filter.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 17,031
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
We don't know the type of filter the OP has yet.... Adding DE to a cartridge filter can destroy the cartridges, overwhelm a DE filter, and if it is a sand filter that has channeled will just dump DE in the pool. In all three cases, we have made the problem worse.
Even if the filter has "blow by," which would be a bad cartridge, torn DE grid, or channeling in a sand filter, we have just created another problem (how to remove all the DE in the pool), without ruling out some of the more obvious problems, like algae. Not Trouble Free.
Let's get a good set of chemistry, understand the type of filter, and rule out the more obvious chemistry problems, such as algae, before we try more extreme measures.
In any event, adding 1-2lb of DE to an unknown filter type is not recommended.