From installation to SLAM and beyond (previously Future Pool Location)

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Rather than read all pages (time short, sorry) please answer:

Have you deep cleaned the sand filter?

Have you scrubbed every nook and cranny, including skimmer throat? Removed and cleaned ladders, lights, steps?

Are you brushing every day?

Are you backwashing/rinsing the filter when the pressure rises 25% above clean filter psi?
 
On the FC differential each hour, I haven't been doing that lately since I've been going through so much reagent. Looking back over the last few days, I would estimate I lose about 1 point per hour. I will try to get a more accurate read this afternoon.

Butterfly, I have not deep cleaned the filter, it's not even one month old.I have not cleaned the skimmer throat other than to wipe away a scum ring with a magic eraser every few days. It's really greasy so I figured it was sunscreen. The steps are totally white and made out of one piece of molded plastic. I've only scrubbed them one time. There are places in the steps that there is not a way to clean, such as, a lip of plastic that is folded back under itself at the bottom. Upon visual inspection top, sides and underneath as recently as yesterday everything is completely white without any discoloration what so ever.With the exception of a few days (3-4 and not in a row), I have brushed the walls everyday. Yes I backwash when needed, but since my water is s crystal clear there has been no need. I did backwash on Wed, but not because it needed it, just because I wanted to see if it made any difference and because I was adding Zeofiber and the instructions said too.
 
PAGirl, I think my circulation is pretty good. My return is also a light so I don't think I can change how it flows (counter clockwise). I've tried, but it won't rotate or anything.

Look what I just found, I promise it wasn't there yesterday.
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You can see how it is greasy where I smeared it with my finger, but you can also see the individual "dots". I have never seens the dots before. Could that be some sort of colony? Bacteria? As you can see, when smeared, it is not green.

I scrubbed it with a 50:50 solution of bleach and water. I also cleaned the scum line from the skimmer throat with the same bleach solution.
 
Well I tested FC an hour later, but it was sort of inconclusive. I was shooting for FC of 17, but when I just tested the water was 18.5. When I test again at 4:00 that will give a valid result since I have a known FC value. It is overcast here today and I'm going to be getting into the pool to scrub the walls.
 
well, I am now mostly caught up with your thread and I have two suggestions:

1. Leave the solar cover off during the day to help burn off CC , and

try that for a day or two. Then, if no joy,

2. Even tho the filter is only month old, I still think you need to take a look inside and while there do a deep clean. *
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/73192-Deep-Cleaning-a-Sand-Filter


*use that hose end filter you have to help limit adding more junk :wink:

Also, I have my fingers crossed that you pass the OCLT tonight, again, and this time hold.
 
Just tested FC at 4:00, I dropped from 18.5 to 15.5. Again, there isn't any sun. Myself and my daughter were in the pool, I was scrubbing the walls. I even scrubbed and rubbed every part of the steps I could reach with a chlorine tablet ( I only have it because I'm going to be away from the pool for 2 days next week). The filter deep clean will have to wait till tomorrow.

Oh, BTW, my solar cover has been off since July 8th. I put it on and took in off once and that was enough for me until I get some solar cover saddles or something.
 
Last reading of the night, FC 21, CC 1.5. I'm not optimistic that I'll pass OCLT.

I watched the video on deep cleaning the filter. I'm not too concerned about taking things apart, it's putting them back together that I'm worried about. I don't have any lubricant/sealant for the o-ring. Will I need that before I deep clean or should I be OK? What are the chances that I'm going to cause a leak somewhere? Can I over tighten the screws when I put it back together? It doesn't look very hard to do in the video, but how difficult will this be to do?
 
5 am reading FC 17.5, CC 2. Arrgghh. This was not unexpected. I would have like to seen the CC at least stay the same. It has been fluctuating a lot. It was .5 at 8am yesterday, now 2.

At this point I don't know what to do except the deep clean of my filter. I don't have a hose end filter yet and nowhere to buy one around here. The soonest I could probably have one is Wed. Deep cleaning is free, so I will try anyway. Maybe the well I'll be washing the filter with is better than the well I filled the pool with.
 
:confused:Nervous Nelly here...

I turned off the pump, set the multiport valve to the closed position, closed the valve between the pool and pump and started removing the multiport. I removed both screws and removed the bands. I rocked the multiport back and forth carefully to break the seal and LOTS of water started to rush out and didn't seem to stop. Did I forget to shut a valve somewhere? Do I need to set the multiport to another setting? Closed seemed like the best choice.

I got nervous and sealed it all back up. Hoping for some answers on what to expect. The demo video is for a winterized filter, so I don't know what is normal water-wise when removing the multiport from a wet filter.
 

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I did close the valve under my skimmer. It's the hose from the filter to the pool. There's no shut off valve. Is there anyway I can do the deep clean without a shutoff installed there?

I will be near a big city tomorrow and I'll be able to get just about anything I need (probably). What parts do I buy so I can have a shutoff there?

I think the hose is long enough that I can remove the multiport and drop the whole thing in the pool. Getting it back on would be tricky, but maybe I can get a shut off installed while it's in that position.
 
There are several ways to block the hoses without a shutoff valve. A tennis ball, or ping pong ball (depending on the size of the opening) will often seal the return port (from the inside) fairly easily. You can also stuff a rag into the return, which tends to leak a little, but not too badly.
 
I did get at least a partial deep clean done. I stopped because all the water draining out of the filter was starting to erode the soil around the base of the pool. What came out you might wonder? Rusty looking water and tree seeds. All the same stuff that comes out when you backwash. I scraped a layer of stuff off the top of the sand, mostly Zeofiber but some other slimy/lint like stuff. In addition to the rusty water there were a lot of tiny bubbles, especially when the hose was near the bottom of the filter.
 
Anyone out there today? I can't believe this has become such a long drawn out process. I'm still sure that the methods here are better than anything the pool store has to offer. With pool store methods, I would be blissfully unaware that I had a problem until I had one I could see. I've been away from the pool all day today and won't be home until tomorrow evening. I stuck a floater and tabs in the pool just to maintain some level of chlorine till I get back.

I figured out this morning that I have used 69 gallons of bleach. I know there are others that have used more....I'm just sayin':???:
 

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