My pool was very cloudy due to sand mixing in with the water and not filtering out. So I thought about just using some flocculant. The good, the flocculant is working. The bad, I have a cartridge filter & Polaris 280 vacuum. I've had a cartridge filter since then pool was built 18 years ago, and I remember some guys putting in flocculant to clear it up a while back so i thought i would be fine, however, after I added the flocculant, I am reading that it messes up cartridge filters and not to use it with them.. I was planning on the flocculant doing its thing, then running the Polaris to pick it up cause the Polaris has a fine mesh bag and picks up silt well. I must run the filter pump to run the booster pump for my Polaris 280 though. How badly did I mess up..? I really don't want to empty the pool and start all over again...
I think I messed up when adding flocculant...
- Thread starter raspbrypi
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
Can you drain to waste?
Post pics of your equipment pad and show us what you have.
Flocculants are meant to be removed by vacuuming to waste. You add them to the pool and then only recirculate long enough to distribute the chemical (usually an hour or two). Then you shut off the circulation and let the floc fall to the bottom of the pool (typically 24 hours later). You then vacuum the floc to waste to remove it.
Flocculants should only be used if you can vacuum to waste. Vacuuming flocculant into a filter can gum up the filter, require major cleaning of a sand filter or DE filter, and destroy a cartridge.
www.troublefreepool.com
Can you drain to waste?
Post pics of your equipment pad and show us what you have.
Flocculants are meant to be removed by vacuuming to waste. You add them to the pool and then only recirculate long enough to distribute the chemical (usually an hour or two). Then you shut off the circulation and let the floc fall to the bottom of the pool (typically 24 hours later). You then vacuum the floc to waste to remove it.
Flocculants should only be used if you can vacuum to waste. Vacuuming flocculant into a filter can gum up the filter, require major cleaning of a sand filter or DE filter, and destroy a cartridge.
Flocculant - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
since I have a cartridge filter I do not have a "drain to waste" option. Though I can get a pressure vacuum that hooks up to a garden hose and then try to use a sock to get the flocculant out. picture of my equip. pad attachedWelcome to TFP.
Can you drain to waste?
Post pics of your equipment pad and show us what you have.
Flocculants are meant to be removed by vacuuming to waste. You add them to the pool and then only recirculate long enough to distribute the chemical (usually an hour or two). Then you shut off the circulation and let the floc fall to the bottom of the pool (typically 24 hours later). You then vacuum the floc to waste to remove it.
Flocculants should only be used if you can vacuum to waste. Vacuuming flocculant into a filter can gum up the filter, require major cleaning of a sand filter or DE filter, and destroy a cartridge.
Flocculant - Further Reading
Attachments
Charlie Bezzina
Well-known member
- Jul 10, 2021
- 176
- Pool Size
- 38000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
Hello. don't stress too much, you can keep your cartridges clean. just remove the cartridges while you run the Polaris.
I didn't know I could do that. I'm going to try to use the vacuum that i connect to my garden hose and see if that works, if not, I will use my Polaris. Thank you for your encouragement friend.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Remove the cartridge from your filter and reassemble it. Then you can run your pump and try and capture all the floc.
Your challenge is to capture all the floc before you reinstall the cartridge.
Your challenge is to capture all the floc before you reinstall the cartridge.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If you use your Polaris to capture the floc it may cost you a filter bag or two as they gum up. You may want to have a spare bag on hand.
Also keep your eye on the screen filter by the UWF connection that it doesn’t clog.
Also keep your eye on the screen filter by the UWF connection that it doesn’t clog.
Hello. I tried running the Polaris with the cartridges out. But the bag on the Polaris is too open to capture the particles, it picks it up and blows it around everywhere. I only ran it for about 15 seconds cause I noticed it fast enough. Can't use the Polaris, don't have drain to waste option, and don't want to completely drain the pool. I ordered new cartridges so I dont mind ruining my current ones but the cartridges I have now are terrible at filtering. Any ideas how I can get the flocculant out?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Is there any way I can do this myself with an aftermarket vacuum? If so, what do you recommend? Sorry, I know I'm being difficult but I'm trying to do this without spending a fortune.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Unfortunately you painted yourself into a corner. Pool companies have standalone vacuum rigs that have a pump and will discharge to waste. They usually build it from parts and pvc.
You can spend a few bucks on pvc and valves to create the ability to vacuum to waste.
You can spend a few bucks on pvc and valves to create the ability to vacuum to waste.
How would I go about creating the ability to vacuum to waste? I am willing to do this as it might come in handy later down the line if it is ever needed.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Put a T in the pipe between the pump output and filter input. put a good valve on the T to close the waste line in normal operation. Plumb from the valve to wherever you can discharge a lot of water.
Do you have a functioning main drain? Vacuuming to waste will rapidly lower the water level below the skimmer. So you need a functioning main drain.
I have 2 main drains on the wall of the deep end and 2 on the floor of the deep end (total of 4) how do I tell if they are functioning? also, how can I tell which pipes come from the main drains and from the skimmer? if you refer to the picture of my equipment I posted previously, one pipe is going to my filter pump, while another is going to my feature pump, I don't know what pipes lead to what.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Typically the suction intakes on a wall are for the feature pump.
What water features does that pump feed?
The suction intakes in the deep end feed your filter pump and supplement your skimmers.
I dont see in the pic that your skimmers and main drain run to a valve you can control by the pump. Sometimes the main drain runs into a skimmer.
How many skimmers do you have?
Pull the baskets from the skimmers and look down. Do you see one opening or two? Post pics looking down into your skimmers.
What water features does that pump feed?
The suction intakes in the deep end feed your filter pump and supplement your skimmers.
I dont see in the pic that your skimmers and main drain run to a valve you can control by the pump. Sometimes the main drain runs into a skimmer.
How many skimmers do you have?
Pull the baskets from the skimmers and look down. Do you see one opening or two? Post pics looking down into your skimmers.
I have 1 skimmer in the shallow end of the pool near the main steps. The feature pump feeds 2 waterfalls on the back wall of the pool. It is dark right now so I will supply pictures of my skimmer tomorrow.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
nope, not that I remember, maybe the people that owned the house before. I've always used the polaris.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
This is a difficult situation for you to be figuring out how your skimmer works and if vacuuming through your skimmer will work.