I hate well water and rust!!!

[hiles1]

Hi,
I'm not a new pool owner. I had a huge pool years ago and filled it with well water and never had the trouble I'm having now with a much smaller pool. I've this pool a month and haven't been able to get in it, yet! Not all of it is due to chemical imbalance or well water, WEATHER! Gosh, it's rained so much here in Indiana I feel like a duck! I didn't know how bad my well water was!! I have the pool clear and the chemicals are all correct, but if you look down at the bottom you can see where all the rust has settled. It's so fine that if you try to vacuum it with the water hose method it goes right through the mesh bag. Then I put white one sock on it. That worked ok, but still dusted the water. Then I tried 3 socks at once. That did a little better, but still was dusting the water. My vacuum that hooks to the skimmer, blah blah blah won't keep the suction. I don't know if the hose is too long or what. I have a 15' x 42" Intex quick set pool. The normal pool hoses you buy are 24'. I've not found any other sizes. I've done the filling it up with water bit and so forth. Nothing seems to work. I guess I'm going to have to resort to buying a sand filter.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Texas Splash]

Try some polyfill in a bucket. Others have had good luck with that method. Welcome to TFP!

 

[hiles1]

Try some polyfill in a bucket. Others have had good luck with that method. Welcome to TFP!

Well, I would have if I had known about this before I put the water in the pool!!! LOL!!

 

[Texas Splash]

 

[Selenap]

Do you have the sand filter where you can vacuum to waste or a cartridge filter?

 

[hiles1]

Do you have the sand filter where you can vacuum to waste or a cartridge filter?

A wonderful cartridge!!! I'm looking at sand filters. I knew I was going to convert to sand, but I thought I might get by with waiting until next year, but I might not be able, too! I have a Intex quick set 15' x 42" round. What size would you recommend, the 14" or 16" Intex sand filter/pump?

 

[hiles1]

I can't get my vacuum to work all the time either. It keeps losing suction. I had the same problem when I had the big pool, too!

 

[Selenap]

I can’t recommend anything because I know nothing about sand filters. I was thinking about ways to suck up the iron deposited on the floor. If the vacuum is losing suction it’s because it’s sucking air from somewhere moist likely. Or the regulating valve is opened to far. Or something is stuck inside.

 

[hiles1]

I can’t recommend anything because I know nothing about sand filters. I was thinking about ways to suck up the iron deposited on the floor. If the vacuum is losing suction it’s because it’s sucking air from somewhere moist likely. Or the regulating valve is opened to far. Or something is stuck inside.

When I first turn the pump on it has wonderful suction until I start to move the vacuum around then with one move it's lost suction and it's done! I've put the hose under water until it stops bubbling and then hooked it up, but still doesn't work. I agree it's getting air somewhere, but I don't know where from. The problem with the pumps they put with the pools are they put the very very minimal pump and filter. The companies don't take into consideration other conditions, but it's all part of the retail market to get more money out of the consumer. You just keep buying more stuff until you find what works! Thanks for the help.

 

[Selenap]

Instead of putting the hose underwater, turn on your pump and hold one end in front of the return, with vacuum attached to the other end. Hold on tight. The water forced through may raise the vacuum off the floor. When all the air is forced out, the vac will fall back down. Then leaving the end your holding underwater, attach it to the pump suction side. It’s important not to let either end come out of the water. The vacuum end may for a few seconds but after it’s primed, it will fall back down. If it doesn’t rise at all, it may just be weighted more than the pump can lift. Instead wait for the bubbles to stop. Can you show me a picture of your suction side, or skimmer and the hose attachment(s)you use to make the deal? I may have a few other ideas for you.

 

[zea3]

Here is how you build an iron filter. It won't do much for fresh fill until you add chlorine and the iron starts to rust and fall out of solution.

 

[hiles1]

I have accomplished the rust in the pool situation!!! A new sand filter and a chemical called Sesquel (sp) plus suction vacuuming! I now have a decent looking pool. A little cloudy, but nothing I can't deal with. Thanks for all the advice and help!

Go another situation tho with the new sand filter. At first, I couldn't get it to prime up or hold pressure after I had to jerry rig it with so many different pvc pipes to get it to fit a 1 1/4" hose to a 2" hose. It was suppose to be a 1 1/2"! Whatever! Thanks to Jeff at my local ACE Hardware!!! I get it all together and it won't hold pressure! Worked with all the leaks. Add a gasket here and there. Tightened here and there and I still wasn't getting pressure! By 10pm I was more than frustrated so I called it a night! Came home from work the next day and said...ok sucker let's have a go at you again! Turned the darn thing in ran around to look at the gauge and darned if I didn't have pressure. WOOHOO!!! Did the suction vacuuming the pool lady suggested (after I found out that our pool place didn't close after all!!) and watched my little automatic vacuum run around the bottom of the pool!! He so cute. I need a name or him! LOL

Now after all that! I was out getting the leaves out of the pool while the pump was running and all of a sudden it stopped! And No, I didn't have the time on!! I'm like what the heck now what! I went to turn it on and it wouldn't turn on. Now I'm in a panic. I started pushing all the buttons!! Looked at the gauge and it's in the yellow on the low side. Found my book and it says I need to backwash! Mind you I just backwashed it not 15 mins. before I turned it on! So I backwashed it again. Still the same thing.

So anyone have any advice?

 

[Texas Splash]

Probably best you post a picture of your new set-up.