Help - No idea where to start - *TEST RESULTS ADDED*

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Re: Help - No idea where to start

Great! Thanks. I will post number either right after work tomorrow or early Saturday.
Actually I'm tempted to run out and take some water out now...Will post as soon as I get them.

I have the filter working. The water flow in the pool is probably two times what it was before cleaning the DE.
I have had a few more leaks come up but I'm not very concerned about those. I pretty sure that plumbing won't be a big deal if I have made it this far.

Water looks really good. It went through a short cloudy stage, but that was before all of the rain last week. It seems to be clear, but I do have some dark, almost black, stains on the bottom of the pool.

Steph
 
Re: Help - No idea where to start

Those dark stains.... is this a plaster pool, can't recall? Those may be Black Algae or organic stains....

If they are "alive" your FC will drop overnight. If you do test tonight, test your FC again first thing in the morning and compare the two results. A loss greater than 1ppm means something is still alive consuming the chlorine. :wink:

Can you take a minute to put all your pool specs/equipment in your signature. Go to User Control Panel, then Profile, then Edit Signature. That way we don't have to search for the information, and you won't have to repeat yourself. :wink:
 
Re: Help - No idea where to start

LovnChely said:
I have the filter working. The water flow in the pool is probably two times what it was before cleaning the DE... I have had a few more leaks come up but I'm not very concerned about those... I do have some dark, almost black, stains on the bottom of the pool.
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I know you've been brushing and have added the bleach(?) and it's supposed to rain, but is there any way we can get the numbers from the water and pictures of the stain? My bet is that the chlorine levels are still not high enough. Sustaining the shock level to kill the algae/bad stuff is what has to happen!
Terry in NC
-You've done a GREAT JOB :goodjob: on getting the pool where it is already!
 
Re: Help - No idea where to start

Dude when I moved in to my house about 2 years ago I had the same problem and found answers in forums like you are doing. Fortunately enough I have teh exact same filter and multiport valve that you have. I can confirm you do have an American Products DE filter, and a hayward sp710 multiport valve. Now about the filter each grid cannot be broken i think there is a total of 8 grids with one small one compared to the others. (I may be wrong on the amount of grids, it may be 7 with one small). I had the same problem with the sand looking stuff at the bottom of the pool. Its not sand, its that crud that you cleaned off. Inspect each grid and if you notice any breakage in the grids then it needs to be replaced. It could be costly if you replace all at once. I replaced about 4 at 15 dollars a pop. That fixed the sand problem. If you dont replace the grids you will be vaccuming up that sand for a while. After everything was replaced and fixed then you need to seal everything up making sure there are no leaks and add DE through the skimmer (slowly) while the pool is running in filter position at the multiport valve. After this is done then you should be good to go. If you notice significant water loss and cant find the source then try the spider gasket inside the multiport valve. Right now I have a leak on the multiport valve but its a very small one and it is located at the plug that goes from the outport of the filter to the multiport valve. The multiport valve has 2 pipes going to the filter, its the bottom pipe that has a plug underneith. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
 
First priority is to get your PH down a little, I suggest aiming for 7.6

You also need to get your CYA level up to between 30 and 50.

It would also be good to raise CH to at least 250, though you should take care of the other two first.
 
LovnChely said:
Is the stabilizer and calcium chloride something I can buy in the pool section or a pool store.

I know that I can get the acid at HD. You can probably find the stabilizer (conditioner/CYA) there and maybe even the calcium increaser, too.

Check the pool supply section. If it is a long trip, I'd call first :wink:



Thanks!
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If you can afford it, I think it would be in you best interest to entirely replace that system. That is going to give you a lot of head aches. I am in love with clean and clear 520s and 2 speed wisperflow pumps. When I encounter systems like that with new homeowners I try to upgrade them if its within the budget. Its so miserable for new homeowners to learn systems like that.
 
Anything I need to know when adding the chemicals to the water.

I read the post that contained the info about acid.. wear gloves, goggles, long sleeves and don't breath. Got that. Type of container to use? Disposal of container?

Also, Pool calc uses oz measurements and chemicals are in gals so can someone tell me total oz in a cup?

Sorry, just want to make sure I get it right.
 
Use a glass measuring cup, keep it for pool use only and mark it with a sharpie and keep it in the pool shed/garage wherever.

There are 8 oz in a cup...there are markings on the measure. You can find them in the housewares aisle at grocery stores or walmart/target.
 
For calcium increaser, read the package instructions, it will probably tell you to either predissolve in a bucket or sprinkle in the deepend, then brush.

CYA - again, follow the directions on the package, usually you can pour very slowly into the skimmer, and leave your pump running for 12 hours so it can dissolve. Do not backwash or clean your filter for one week or the CYA will be lost. You can also put it in a tube sock and either hang it in front of a return or put in the skimmer basket (but don't block the flow of water). It will dissolve there. Don't test the CYA for 5-6 days, it takes that long to register on tests.
 
LovnChely said:
...info about acid.. wear gloves, goggles, long sleeves and don't breath...Also, Pool calc uses oz measurements and chemicals are in gals so can someone tell me total oz in a cup?...
Click to expand...
Remember, you are NOT building a rocket for the moon 8) , just adding chemicals to a pool... + a little either way won't make a huge difference.
I use a measuring cup that's marked "POOL CHEMICALS". It's a 2 cup glass measurer that has masking tape around it at the 1 cup and 2 cup marks (8 and 16 oz.). The masking tape makes it much easier to see the lines.

Just my preference, but I have a pair of long pants and a pair of shorts (cool and warm weather) that I use just for chemicals. I have very small "splash" dots (white naturally!) on both of these already so they the only pants that I use with either bleach or muratic...
 
Will do! Medicine for cat at lunch! Pool store after work!

Off for the rest of the week to work on pool and install fence!

Will post updated test results after 24 hours run time after adding chemicals.

Thanks to all!!
 
fuzzy_dba said:
I use a measuring cup that's marked "POOL CHEMICALS". It's a 2 cup glass measurer that has masking tape around it at the 1 cup and 2 cup marks (8 and 16 oz.). The masking tape makes it much easier to see the lines.
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I use a plastic measuring cup, no risk of glass chips everywhere if you drop it.
--paulr
 

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