I have returned with pics! Please help my SIL out :)

[MrsFusion]

Okay, here goes. I tested her water---

FC 0
ph 7.5
TA 110
CH 150
CYA 0

She's added a ton of bleach...I keep telling her that it is just burning up without the CYA. I had my hubby get her some today(I will take it to her tomorrow). She also put in a bunch of clarifier....I'm not sure on what that does??? She filled the pool with well water, not sure if that matters or not?

Here are the pictures. This pool was installed in the 70's. I looked and looked and could not find any separate valves for main drain. I dove into the deep end and clear out all the leaves and junk in the main drain. There is a hole in the bottom that has a black "plug" with silver cap on it that has a wing nut looking thing on top. And then a second hole that has VERY week suction. I assume that's the one that goes to the skimmer.

Under the skimmer basket there are two holes. One has suction when the filter is on. The other doesn't feel like it's doing anything. I think it's the one from the main drain??? There is a "flap" that moves over the one hole, but, doesn't cover the hole that has the suction. I think she needs a diverter(from what I read on other posts). I had my hubby ask the guy at the pool store....and he had NO IDEA what I was talking about

Okay, I think I covered everything...any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Bama Rambler]

Looks like your SIL has some pretty darned good help already.

Keep adding 2ppm chlorine every evening until you get some CYA in there. You're right about the sun burninig it off as fast as she's adding it.

A diverter in the skimmer is what she needs. If you wanted to you could use a short piece of vacuum hose and "jumper" it between the two holes in the skimmer. It should then draw water from the main drain.

The sixth pic down is of the slide valve. That's what you use to backwash the filter if you haven't figured that out already.

 

[MrsFusion]

Thanks Bama :-D

I will order the diverter tonight then! Any suggestions on where to order one from? Glad to know that it's something easy!!!

Hope to have her pool nice and clear soon! We only have a good month left of hot weather here...sniff, sniff...

 

[MrsFusion]

Went to help my SIL today. Took my AquaCritter to help her out and ended up leaving it there for her to use for the rest of the week. She added a whole bucket of CYA over a week ago and when I tested her water today...there was NO CYA at all. How is this possible? She added more before I left today(through the skimmer).

On a brighter note....we did get her main drain working today. She got a diverter, but, we aren't sure how to use it? It's not large enough to cover both holes...not sure if it's supposed to cover both??? It came with NO instructions(got it off ebay). But, I used a section of my critter hose to make a jumper from the main to filter holes(thanks Bama)!!! The deep end was already looking better before I left!
Only bad thing was we had to backwash about every 30 minutes....but, I guess that is to be expected. The pool is pretty dirty...accidentally sucked a frog up too

 

[crewchief47]

Only bad thing was we had to backwash about every 30 minutes....but, I guess that is to be expected. The pool is pretty dirty...accidentally sucked a frog up too

May explain where the CYA went........if she backwashed through the week.

 

[257WbyMag]

If you are doing lots of backwashing, it is best to add CYA using the sock method. Just put the CYA in a sock and hang it in front of a return line. It will slowly dissolve into the pool this way. If you dump the CYA down the skimmer, it'll be gone as soon as you backwash the filter.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Take a look at this manual for a Waterway skimmer. It shows the float valve diverter and how it operates. It may not be the same as hers but it should operate the same.