Hi everyone, our pool is about 3 weeks old and this is the 2nd time that after a very hard rain, we have mud/muddy water in one of the skimmers. It is not coming up over the decking as I went out and looked while it was happening. It clears out after a while after turning the pump up high but I am really trying to understands where this could be coming in. Does anyone have ANY ideas where to look? I am not sure if it getting under the decking somehow and then into the skimmer but I just cant see any direct opening. I should mention that we are still very much in construction so it is pretty much all dirt at this point. Could it be a bad hose connection? I am pretty nervous this is gonna be a major issue so any help would be appreciated!
Mud in skimmer
- Thread starter Yarzy
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 62,726
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Do you have an overflow drain in the skimmer? Could you be getting back flow from that?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,485
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Post pics of your skimmer and the area around the skimmer.
Have you needed to add any fill water since the pool was filled?
Have you needed to add any fill water since the pool was filled?
Also, we have not needed to add water at all since we filled it 3 weeks ago. Here are a few more pictures. Please note, the dirt area will be grass/landscaped soon. Even if the water was going under the decking, how would it get into the skimmer? One thing to note, we did notice the plastic barrier that is "under" the skimmer door opening was falling down a bit. Not sure if it could be that. I did look and I would think that would be all muddy if it was coming in from there.
Attachments
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,485
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You have cantilevered coping which means an expansion joint needed to be between the deck and the pool. You also have a concrete control joint bisecting the skimmer.
Note the area I circled below which looks like it is dirt and some foil sticking out. The foil paper likely creates the expansion joint. See Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading
I think you have water running down the control joint and under the deck along the expansion joint into the skimmer. How deep is the control joint cut? Where did they expect water in the control joint to run when it hit the skimmer.
I think you have a poor design with the control joint bisecting the skimmer.
Note the area I circled below which looks like it is dirt and some foil sticking out. The foil paper likely creates the expansion joint. See Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading
I think you have water running down the control joint and under the deck along the expansion joint into the skimmer. How deep is the control joint cut? Where did they expect water in the control joint to run when it hit the skimmer.
I think you have a poor design with the control joint bisecting the skimmer.
I think I am following that you say and that was my first thought as well. The one thing I should mention is that is not dirt but decking cement in that 1/2 gap that you circled. When they poured the decking, they only used clean stone, there was no dirt used as filler. Does that change your thoughts on the cause? Thank you!
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,485
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That “clean stone” is not clean. It does not take much dirt to make mud. And water can be carrying the dirt in from wherever.
The fact is you have the cantilevered expansion joint gap leading water right into the skimmer and the concrete control joint acting as a water funnel to the skimmer.
The fact is you have the cantilevered expansion joint gap leading water right into the skimmer and the concrete control joint acting as a water funnel to the skimmer.
So you think the source of the muddy water is that small concrete “band” above the skimmer? What is strange is I took a watering can and “watered” the lid to simulate a storm and it did not get dirty. I can try and spray the expansion joint and see if water rides along it and does something different.
Sorry, one last thing. Can you explain what the difference between the cantilever expansion joint and a control joint is? Thanks!
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,485
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Did you read Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading to understand the buildup of cantilevered coping?