The portion of my upright tube that sticks up into the multi valve disintegrated. It looks like there was some sort of chemical reaction between the pipe plastic and the valve plastic. I cut it off a few inches above the sand level and used a 1.5" PVC coupler and a section of 1.5" PVC pipe to replace the lost length. I did not glue the coupler on to the upright tube because I wasn't sure it could handle PVC cement. It just friction fits.
Just found out about TFP, here to give pool gurus a good challenge.
- Thread starter Dash Inc
- Start date
The portion of my upright tube that sticks up into the multi valve disintegrated. It looks like there was some sort of chemical reaction between the pipe plastic and the valve plastic. I cut it off a few inches above the sand level and used a 1.5" PVC coupler and a section of 1.5" PVC pipe to replace the lost length. I did not glue the coupler on to the upright tube because I wasn't sure it could handle PVC cement. It just friction fits.
Filter Update:
I would have put SLAM Update, but I am more focused on making sure my filter is working before I continue. I have been adding bleach, but enough to keep it well above zero and not continuously testing it. Today I took the filter completely apart. I checked all the laterals and the vertical pipe and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them:
The only slight irregularity was the scuff on this one lateral, but it doesn't appear to be broken in the least bit:
So, where I might have ultimately gone wrong:
Remember about six pages ago I said I had many years of unsuccessful pool years, and that I had pool store after pool store tell me what it could be? Well...
At some point I remember replacing all the sand in the sand filter by myself thinking that it needed to be replaced every year, and at that point I would have been a couple years late. So I dumped it all out and replaced it with random Walmart sand (or Lowes sand, I don't remember) regardless of what size it was or how much I put it. So, that could quite possibly be the root of a large % of my problems. Also, when I took the assembly out of the filter I noticed THREE of the fingers were off the assembly and laying randomly in the sand. Could they have come off when I was getting the sand out, or were they off this whole time? I'm not sure, but I have triple checked putting them back in to ensure that they are completely on there all the way.
Since the assembly is in perfect shape, I'm going to hunt for 250 lbs. of silica #20 sand or somewhere that has .45 ppm to .55 ppm sand and come back + fill it up today (based on what my filter says to use and that's the kind of sand the other threads in this forum said to use, correct me if I'm wrong please!).
I would have put SLAM Update, but I am more focused on making sure my filter is working before I continue. I have been adding bleach, but enough to keep it well above zero and not continuously testing it. Today I took the filter completely apart. I checked all the laterals and the vertical pipe and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them:
The only slight irregularity was the scuff on this one lateral, but it doesn't appear to be broken in the least bit:
So, where I might have ultimately gone wrong:
Remember about six pages ago I said I had many years of unsuccessful pool years, and that I had pool store after pool store tell me what it could be? Well...
At some point I remember replacing all the sand in the sand filter by myself thinking that it needed to be replaced every year, and at that point I would have been a couple years late. So I dumped it all out and replaced it with random Walmart sand (or Lowes sand, I don't remember) regardless of what size it was or how much I put it. So, that could quite possibly be the root of a large % of my problems. Also, when I took the assembly out of the filter I noticed THREE of the fingers were off the assembly and laying randomly in the sand. Could they have come off when I was getting the sand out, or were they off this whole time? I'm not sure, but I have triple checked putting them back in to ensure that they are completely on there all the way.
Since the assembly is in perfect shape, I'm going to hunt for 250 lbs. of silica #20 sand or somewhere that has .45 ppm to .55 ppm sand and come back + fill it up today (based on what my filter says to use and that's the kind of sand the other threads in this forum said to use, correct me if I'm wrong please!).
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Just got back from Home Depot with five 50 lbs bags of Quikrete Filter Sand, and it is a much, much thicker grain of sand than the play sand I've had in there (again, my bad...) and now I'm just waiting on the storm to pass to go out and fill the filter up. Anyone have advice on the safest way to restart the filter after I've put it back together? I was thinking of filling the filter up with water after the sand was in there, then putting everything back together and turning it on to 'Filter'. Pointless steps or too few?
Not sure, but I think I've read that you should have some water in the filter when you add the sand.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Thanks.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Thanks.
I ended up filling it partially with water jmbradwell, thanks for the advice. Afterwards I hooked everything up, turned on the pump, watched the return jets pump out a ton of bubbles and then went back into having super strong return jets. Brought the FC up to 16, jumped in and scrubbed the entire pool, walls and floors, then the moment of truth: vacuuming up the sand on the bottom and hoping that this time it didn't return back through the jets. Hooked up the vacuum, found the biggest pile using my feet and vacuumed it up while I felt the return jets: no debris returned at all! So, the filter is now working the way it should have been this whole time. Back to full time SLAM-ing. My three way valve for the outlet of my pool filter head has been slightly cracking and has now began to speak a stream of water, so I just ordered this off Amazon to replace it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00INKSBMS/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
When I measured the width of my pipe, it seemed closer to 1 3/4" than 1 1/2" like this one off Amazon, but I couldn't find a single trace of a three way valve that was 1 3/4" anywhere in the internet, so I said "I'll make it work." and clicked the checkout button.
Also ordered another T-0870 replacement bottle for testing FC and CC.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00INKSBMS/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
When I measured the width of my pipe, it seemed closer to 1 3/4" than 1 1/2" like this one off Amazon, but I couldn't find a single trace of a three way valve that was 1 3/4" anywhere in the internet, so I said "I'll make it work." and clicked the checkout button.
Also ordered another T-0870 replacement bottle for testing FC and CC.
I think that if you measure the inside diameter of the pipe you will find that it is 1 1/2".
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
When they talk about the size of a pipe it's almost always ID. If you ordered 1 1/2" that's the stuff.
Glad the filter is working properly. Now it's time for
Glad the filter is working properly. Now it's time for
When they talk about the size of a pipe it's almost always ID. If you ordered 1 1/2" that's the stuff.
Glad the filter is working properly. Now it's time for
I'm sure you guys are right, thanks! It'll be here today!
Thanks, I'm not out of the woods yet, that was just fixing the filter I messed up myself years ago...
The motto for TFP should be: "Oh...Now I Know."
Seventeenth Day Update:
After having over two weeks of using a filter that nearly had zero sand in it (and work days where I wasn't able to monitor the pool every couple of hours), I'm more on track now than ever. Maybe it's a placebo effect because I know that I fixed the filter yesterday, but I really think this is by far the blue-est my pool has been in the entire SLAM-ing process:
I feel like I'm almost there...
I ran out of the t-0870 powder used to get specific and high numbers for FC, so in lieu of that I've been using the K-1000 FC and pH tester to get somewhat of an idea of where it is. Used it a second ago, it's well above 5 FC which is good considering when the sun comes up my FC usually evaporates immediately and is back down to 0.
Any tips on proceeding other than to keep SLAM-ing that would be useful for the pool?
After having over two weeks of using a filter that nearly had zero sand in it (and work days where I wasn't able to monitor the pool every couple of hours), I'm more on track now than ever. Maybe it's a placebo effect because I know that I fixed the filter yesterday, but I really think this is by far the blue-est my pool has been in the entire SLAM-ing process:
I feel like I'm almost there...
I ran out of the t-0870 powder used to get specific and high numbers for FC, so in lieu of that I've been using the K-1000 FC and pH tester to get somewhat of an idea of where it is. Used it a second ago, it's well above 5 FC which is good considering when the sun comes up my FC usually evaporates immediately and is back down to 0.
Any tips on proceeding other than to keep SLAM-ing that would be useful for the pool?
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I'm pretty sure most of us came here beating the water like mad trying to stay afloat and manage our pools. With the forums help it's a lot easier to keep it clean but I think there is still so much you don't know until you have a problem or something isn't working right and then we all have those "Oh... that's how that works" moments.
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You got dat right !! For me the "duh" moment is usually right after something goes snap and I realize I should have read the directions or looked something up on line.
and I realize I should have read the directions or looked something up on line.You got dat right !! For me the "duh" moment is usually right after something goes snap
Directions???? Your supposed to read them. I thought that little booklet was only good for finding the part numbers for what I broke.
Are you talking about the things on a compass, or that one boy band? I don't know what 'directions' are.
I have some interesting pictures to post when work allows me to take them in the first place...
are theyI have some interesting pictures to post when work allows me to take them in the first place...
* Good interesting
* Bad interesting
* Just interesting
???