Why do you have to vacuum to waste when using floc? Will it hurt the filter? Why shouldn't I vacuum up the stuff with my robot?
Floc - vacuum to waste, why?
- Thread starter Joshii
- Start date
I have not seen any threads about flock damaging any equipment. While we believe 99.9% of problems can be solved without flock depending on how fine the particles are I don't see any reason you can't just use the robot. I think the reason they say vacuum to waste is flock does not continue to work indefinitely and if you don't get rid of the debris you run the risk of it going back into suspension and you are back where you started and your wallet a few dollar lighter for the trouble.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Floc has the ability to gum-up filter media and/or compromise the sand in those systems. That's why vacuum to waste (for those with a multiport valve) is so important. At the same time, you lose a lot of water and the use of floc does not guarantee the results desired.
Then there's the folks with cartridge filters. It will block the filter up and is very hard, to impossible to remove.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,461
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
As far as floc and vacuuming goes, you would not be able to use a robot for that. The term "floc" actually refers to the coagulated particulates at the bottom of the water. The "floc" at the bottom of the pool is layer of very fine particulates that have become bound together by attractive ionic forces; overtime, the floc will re-disperse back into the water column. As a layer on the bottom of the pool, it is easily disturbed and kicked back up into the pool volume by mechanical action. Most robots would simply just agitate the water around them causing the floc to disperse again. Running a manual vacuum with a very slow suction speed is the best way to remove the floc and, as others have stated, you want the floc to go to waste (pumped out of the pool) not into the filter. Once inside the filter, it would likely clog it up and then the floc would slowly breakdown over time and the particulates would be released back into the water.
I'm just trying to clear my pool up. The water is very cloudy.
I have good chemical levels and very high FC.
Water temp is also 58 (thanks Mother Nature).
Its not algae.
I've been running the pump 24x7 for 3 weeks and it gets a little better each day. I don't have a bottom drain, though, so there's very little mixing of the water. I think that's part of the problem.
Running the pump so much is just getting expensive! Do you guys have any ideas on how to clear up the water faster?
I have good chemical levels and very high FC.
Water temp is also 58 (thanks Mother Nature).
Its not algae.
I've been running the pump 24x7 for 3 weeks and it gets a little better each day. I don't have a bottom drain, though, so there's very little mixing of the water. I think that's part of the problem.
Running the pump so much is just getting expensive! Do you guys have any ideas on how to clear up the water faster?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Honestly .. no. It all boils-down to accurate testing. There simply is no substitute for that. While you mentioned above that your levels are good, I promise you many pool owners say the same until they test the water with a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006 test kit. Then they are floored and see why the water always had green plumes or was always hazy. In the majority of cases, "cloudy" is algae.
If you have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit, please post a full set of test results. If not, I would highly encourage you to get one before spending anymore money at the pool store. Those over-priced products simply won't fix your problem.
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