I need Filter cleaning Help!

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sherri fowler

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Aug 16, 2008
8
I could use a little help! Im pretty sure my filter is needn to be cleaned in the worse way. So I bought some Filter Renu and not real sure how much of this I should add. From reading directions it says to add. 1lb per 5 gallons of water that the filter holds. My dilema is Im not sure how much water the filter holds. :rant: I do know that it holds 250lbs of sand. I did the calculations like they explained and Im not sure if I did them quite right.What I came up with was that the filter probably holds 120 gallons of water.Does that sound about right? That would mean app. 20lbs or so of the filter Renu is needed. That just sounds like an awful lot to me.Perhaps just adding new sand would be better solution??? Reason for doing this is cloudy water with proper readings that will not clear up. It was very green and nasty at beginning.Pool sat without using last year. We were able to clear up the green to see to start some vacuuming thats when it turned cloudy and unable to see to vacuum at all now. Please Help!
 
Welcome to the forum ! :wave:

How often are you back washing your filter? You dont mention that in your post. Do you test your own water or take it to a PS to be tested?

Please post a full set of numbers so we can help you with your problem. Also it is very helpful if in your signature you add your pool information such as type (vinyl, fiberglass, gunite etc). Your filter make, pump size, gallons it holds and any other equipment you have on your pool such as a SWG, etc. You can do that in the control panel at the top of the page. What is your source of chlorine?
My suspicion is you had an algae bloom and if so one of the "killing" stages is your water will turn cloudy. But, without seeing a full set of test results we cant be sure.
Often, an improperly balanced pool can result in cloudy water as well.
 
Hi sherri,

Welcome to the forum! :wave:

Tiz has given great info. Also, if you go to Pool School (link at top of each page in sub-heading & link in my signature) and start reading it will help you get a handle on things.

I don't know anything about Renu, but I would not add any to the filter until someone who knows about it chimes in.
 
[Edited for paragraph breaks - easier on the eyes:Butterfly] :wink:

Hello! Thanks for getting back to me.

Ok,to answer some of the questions.I have a Hayward Swim Pro Filter.The pump is a Power-Flo Lx Hayward,1.5 HP. It is a 24",52" round above the ground pool. Water capacity is 14,600 something?

I test the water myself. I have some Aqua-Check strips and a drop test kit.

Here are the readings using the test strips.Chlorine is 3.0,Ph is 6.8,Alkalinity is 120,Cyanuric Acid is 0.

Test results with the drop kit are Chlorine same,Ph same,Alkalinity it takes me 18 drops to make the water change color so I take it that means 180 is the reading.

Ok,I just started this whole process a couple weeks ago. When I initially started I used 6% Bleach.I was reading on the Pool Wizard Forum where Bleach and Shock are the same.With the shock being stronger because of the 12% sodium chloinite. So when I first added the Bleach,(total amt. of Bleach used so far is 14 gallons) the water cleared up nicely.It was a very dark looking swamp.YUK

I was able to see where everything was gathered and started vacuuming.Well low and behold thats where everything went haywire.The green is gone and now is where the new problem lays.The water being the gray,cloudy looking way I described.

I backwash about every 8 hrs.Ive also added Ph lower to bring the Alkalinity down.It had been way High to start with.But now I think it still needs to go lower,but the Ph is way low.Which worries me.

So,I hope all this information can help you understand better what Im trying to figure out.Thanks for any and all help you can give me.Much appreciated.
 
You need to Aerate to get the PH up. It should be at least 7.2, anything lower is corrosive. Just pointing the return eye at the surface will help. If you have a fountain or something else you can put in the pool to make bubbles, that will help too.

HTH,
Adam
 
You need to get some CYA in your pool. You should aim for 30- 50ppm for your CYA. It will help protect your chlorine from being burned off in the sun. If you read in our pool school section there is info about adding CYA to your pool.
Your TA is little high you should aim for 90- 110. There is a section at our pool school on lowering you TA.

For right now I would bring your shock level to 10ppm according to our CYA/shock chart and maintain that level until you get some CYA in the water and adjust accordingly.

Your PH is very low. You need to raise it to between 7.2 to 7.8 (7.4 to 7.6 is better). Keep in mind while shocking your pool, high chlorine levels will give you false PH readings but I would go ahead and raise it because its so low.

You need to keep shocking until you reach the following criteria

a) You have a FC loss of 1 ppm or less during night time hours.
b) You have a CC of 0.5 or less
c) Your water is sparkling !

House keeping note: if you go to the user control panel (top left) and add your pool info to your signature will help us give you answers to your questions and save you typing it in every time you post.

Good Luck ! Post pictures if your able too ... :wink:
 
Things I think are looking up. Last nite I added 2lbs of stabalizer and 2lbs of ph rise.

Today I could see there was a slight difference with that.So,after testing and having a 0 CYA reading still and also still the low ph reading.

I filled two separated socks.with 2lbs each of stabilizer,and added to pool.Also added 2more lbs of ph rise.

I took my last reading at 4:00pm tonight and it was

FC reading 2
PH reading 7.6
TA reading 180 (still)
CYA reading 0 (still)

I am able to detect where there is still gunk that needs to be backwashed out into waste.Still quite a ways from being Crystal clear,but I think Im on the right road to recovery.

I also went to Pool School and was reading where it takes the stabilizer up to a week to actually dissolve all the way.The first dose I added was directly to the skimmer,which now I find out was probably not a good idea seeing as how Im going to be backwashing quite a bit still.

Thats why,I did the sock thing.Read that at Pool School also.

Now with the Alkalinity still being high.Im thinking it still needs to come down some.

Pool School recommendation in doing this is to lower by adding muratic acid.Not letting PH get lower than 7.0.

Once it gets near 7.0,start aerating until PH goes back up to 7.6. Keep repeating steps until you have desired alkalinity reading.Does this process sound accurate?

Thats something I also did when increasing the PH today.Started aerating,by turning the return flow upwards to create bubbles.

One other thing with the Alkalinty reading.When I tested water very first time before adding any acid.The Alkalinity reading was 220. I read that baking soda does the same thing and doesnt effect the PH as much. Is this true? Whats the best thing to use to lower the Alkality?

Thanks again,for all the advice up to this point.It has been a great help.Looks like I might be swimming before end of summer after all. :-D

Still saying a few prayers also.LOL
 
ALERT, ALERT

*****You can NOT back wash you filter while adding stabilizer to your pool!*****

For now, I would just worry about getting your CYA up and keep your FC levels at 10ppm for now for shocking. Once you get some CYA showing up in your test adjust your shock levels accordingly.

The PH rise your using, did you get it at the pool store? If so, I would not add that to the water either! If your shocking your pool high levels of chlorine will give you false PH readings anyway.
 

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Thanks some more for all your help.Im glad you clued me in on not backwashing until CYA level is up.

Is this true even by using the sock metthod?

What about when Im wanting to vaccum the crud to waste? Should I not do that?

Is about a week or so how long it takes for the stabilizer to dissolve ?

When I put them in,I think it was Sunday,I added 2lbs each sock.Does that sound sufficient?

Also,Yes the PH rise was bought from the pool store. It did bring the PH back up.Im also aerating.Is this somehting I should keep doing on a continuous basis or only when needing to bring the PH up?

So, as for now though,no need in worrying about adding anything even if it reads, that it is way low.Alkalinity is still reading High,sill getting a reading of about 170 now.Thanks for any and all of your help! :)
 
I have always added mine through the skimmer basket so I havent been able to back wash the filter. I am not sure if you can if you put it in a sock and hang it in front of a return?
Someone whos will be able to tell you, I just wanted to warn you before you did backwash and werent supposed to :)
 
First, it's not that you can't backwash the filter, its just that you will lose any CYA you have added to the skimmer that hasn't dissolved yet. If you are trying to clean up a dirty pool, and the pressure rise of the filter indicates it needs to be backwashed, I would tend to think that this would take priority over trying to keep whatever CYA may be left in there. By using the sock method you will continue adding CYA to the pool without being prevented from backwashing the filter. The primary reason to get the CYA in the pool right away is too make it easier to keep a residual chlorine level in the water while you are attempting the clean up whatever is still in the water.

Second, don't be too concerned about the TA. That can easily be dealt with after the pool is clear and the chlorine levels are holding steady overnight.

Third, while you do want to keep your pH above 7.0, keeping it near the bottom end of the range will help your chlorine be more effective in attacking whatever organics are in the pool. It looks like you've already taken it up to 7.6. I would not continue taking it higher, nor would I be concerned if it came back down near 7.2 while you are still trying to clean things up.
 
Great answers from all! I just want to mention that what you got to raise the pH from the pool store was soda ash or sodium carbonate which will also raise your already high alkalinity - this is why we suggest using Borax to raise the pH, it had a minimal effect on the alkalinity. Please don't think I'm chiding you but this info is in Pool School (believe me I realize that it's a lot of info to absorb all at once and it's very understandable that not all of it gets fully absorbed:!: )

I hope things continue to go well with your pool! :-D
 
Thanks to all of you! I have learned a great deal.Your absolutely right when you say theres alot to absorb!

I do remember reading that at PoolSchool,about using the Borax to raise the PH.Also,reading that it wouldnt affect the Alkalinity as much.

Water today,is getting much better.I would say,I can see about half way down.Definitely enough to try and get the rest of the noticeable mess that is at the bottom.

Ill wait and worry about the Alkalinity,once I have the pool cleared up.I did test it this morning and it actually has gone down more.With the drops I was at 120.From what I remember reading,that is an ok reading.Correct?

One other thing that Im still wondering about? Should I continuously keep aerating ,even once everything is where it should be as far as the correct readings?

I really cant Thank everyone enough. I do appreciate all the tips and advice.Totally grateful. :lol:
 
Hello Again! Ive come up with a new problem! Actually,Ive just put it in the back of my mind with all my other questions.

Anyways,I was wondering?Why when Im vacuuming , do I have way too much suction?

Very frustrating!

Thanks again for any help! :sun:
 
Hang in there, I too had a difficut time with Algae this year and almost tore down the pool from frustration. I found this site and things have been better then ever (pool related that is).

Once you get the TA and PH where you want them you don't have to continue aerating, unless your PH slowly drifts down due to rain or other environmental conditions. I usually will aerate a couple days every 2-3 weeks just to keep the PH in the 7.4-7.5 range. Just keep monitoring it and the readings will tell you how often to aerate. If you don't have a really good test kit like the K-2006 or the TF100 get one. It is deffiently worth the investment.

Good luck, Keep reading this site and you will be telling your pool friends how to fix their problems.
 
Good morning to all!

I want to Thank You again for the tips and advice.

I think I am going to try that DE and see if it does help.Just by reading the forum on it, sounds like theres a very good possibility it will.

Im still wondering if anyone might have some idea on why there is so much suction, when Im vacuuming?Makes it next to impossible to do.

As your going along it grabs ahold of the bottom and there is no release, until filter is shut off.

Havent given up Yet! :scratch:

Thanks again for any and all help!
 

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