Is it OK to stop phosphate treatment early?

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JenInNJ

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Jul 19, 2017
7
Millburn, NJ
Hi. This is my first post here and my first full summer of pool ownership. I didn't find this forum until today, and unfortunately I found it too late since I had my water tested at Leslie's Pool Supply yesterday, was told my phosphate levels were high (600 ppb), purchased the Phos-free, and started the treatment, despite the fact my water is clear and I have no algae (doh!).

My question is: Is it OK to just run this treatment today instead of for the 48 hours straight of constant filtering that they recommend? If it doesn't matter anyway, is it OK to just let it run for the rest of today and then backwash my DE filter later this afternoon, no harm no foul? The reason I ask is because I have to be out of town for two days and my husband will be in charge of the pool while I'm away and he hasn't learned much about it. I'm afraid that the pressure might rise too high while I'm away.

Edited to add: The pressure went up by more than 10, so I did a 30-second backwash and it went all the way back down to starting point. Do I need to add more DE and if so how much? My regular amount is 4.8 of the big blue cups.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

FAC: 3
TAC: 3
CH: 220
CYA: 40
TA: 80
pH: 7.7
Copper: 0
Iron: 0
TDS: 700
Pho: 600
 
Welcome to TFP! :wave:

How long did it take for your filter pressure to rise 10 psi? What is the pressure when the filter is clean? Such as when the filter has been taken apart, cleaned, proper amount of DE added. What's that pressure? Did the filter pressure rise only after adding the Phosfree or has it simply been rising slowly over time before this?

Check out this post to learn more about DE filter maintenance, depending on your type: Use and care for DE filters

As far as Phosfree in general, it's unnecessary if proper sanitation levels are always maintained. CYA/FC ratio is always at or above recommended levels in the CYA/Chlorine chart in my signature. Phosphates are truly food for algae, but if algae cannot survive in the pool, what's the difference? It's like having a full buffet (phosphates) inside a restaurant that's closed (sanitized pool).

Having your own test kit is much more convenient and accurate than most pool store testing and doesn't come bundled with poor advice and costly potion recommendations.
 
We don't advocate the use of phosphate removers at all. What they do is eliminate algae's food. We prefer to kill the algae outright, making the presence of phosphates irrelevant.

Chlorine is what kills algae, and with your CYA level of 40, your FC of 3 is at the bare minimum of what you need to stave off an algae outbreak. I would suggest using Pool Math linked at the top of the page to calculate how much chlorine to add in the form of plain, unscented, non-splashless laundry bleach to bring your FC up to 4-5 and never let it drop below 3. Use only bleach, as solid forms of chlorine (powders, pucks, etc.) all add more CYA, which in turn requires more FC, and on and on...
 
Short answer: yes, you need to recharge the DE after a backwash. 80% of the fresh fill.

Don't be surprised if this load doesn't also clog up quickly. I have no idea how long it takes for all the phosphate stuff to react and filter out.

When you're back, you can be sure it's all gone and then you could do a thorough filter cleaning and start fresh. See DE Filter Cleaning Tutorial
 
The filter pressure rose immediately by 5 psi and then another 5 over the following 2-3 hours. Pressure when clean is 15 psi, then it went to 25, then I backwashed for 30 seconds like it said to do on the bottle, and I put I big cup of DE in because I was afraid not to put some DE in but my normal amount would be 4.8 after a backwash, so I'm not sure if I should put more in now. What I really want to do is just do a long backwash and put my regular amount of DE in, but I'm uncertain if there's any reason NOT to do that since I already started this phos-free process.

Edited to add that I just saw Richard320's post so I think I'll just backwash and re-do my DE and then follow jeffchap's advice to raise the chlorine level.
 
JenInNJ said:
The filter pressure rose immediately by 5 psi and then another 5 over the following 2-3 hours. Pressure when clean is 15 psi, then it went to 25, then I backwashed for 30 seconds like it said to do on the bottle, and I put I big cup of DE in because I was afraid not to put some DE in but my normal amount would be 4.8 after a backwash, so I'm not sure if I should put more in now. What I really want to do is just do a long backwash and put my regular amount of DE in, but I'm uncertain if there's any reason NOT to do that since I already started this phos-free process.
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Since you have no idea how much DE is in the filter, you have no choice but to do a full backwash and recharge now. Whether it loads up fast again or not, you'll just have to wait and see.
 
JenInNJ said:
Ok, done. I have until around 6 pm to keep an eye on it, after that it's up to hubby! Any inclination about whether I should run the filter continuously until I get back?
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If the water looks clear, you can probably go back to normal operation. Frequently the pool gets cloudy after adding phos-free so it takes days to filter it out. The stuff reacts sort of like the CYA test stuff, binding to the phosphates and causing cloudiness. If yours is clear, maybe you already got it all.
 
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