tl;dr
Mystery port is not for a vacuum that I can determine.
Lots of DE in the pool
Cracked pressure side valve
Main drain possibly functional
Love my new tools cause the pool is clean!
Long version:
It’s been a beautiful weekend and since I don’t have the normal holiday obligations, I decided to get to work and the pool is now as spotless as I can make it for the time being. The water was always clear but not crisp. It’s not TFP clear now but it’s 90% and very, very little stuff in the pool.
The new leaf net is OMG wonderful! So is the Cadillac pole. I can reach everything! All the leaves and other big things are finally out. My new brush is SO much better for getting all the angles and the little overhang on the steps.
Netted, brushed, bumped the filter, let the pump run, brushed some more then shut the pump off to let things settle. I found the skimmer plate for the vacuum, figured all that out and vacuumed as much of the smaller bits as it would get. Then tossed in the robot and let it get busy for a few hours. Brushed again then cut the robot off, bumped the filter and let the pump run all night. Got up this morning to a much cleaner pool.
Skimmed off the few leaves and as many sand grain sized seeds floating around that I could. I’ve pulled a 2 gallon bucket of those things out so far. Started the robot back up and brushed again.
What I thought was a film of dead algae all over the pool, I now strongly suspect to be a dusting of DE everywhere. Robot is slam full of it. Some had accumulated on the steps overnight. Brushed all that off. The slope angles and liner seams were full of powder. Brushed that off toward the main drain. The cloud of stuff poofing up when I brush is obvious but not as bad as it was and it’s whiteish. The water is too cold to be growing that much algae and I’m not SLAMming so it shouldn’t be all dead algae. I’ve only seen spots of live growth on the steps and at the deep end a week ago. Nowhere else and those spots aren’t growing anything now.
Cleaned the skimmer and pump basket. Pump basket caked with what appears to be DE. Hosed that and the impeller out. Bumped down the filter and drained it to waste. Gross. Oh, ho! Now I have a cloudy mess surrounding the main drain. Hmph.
Let the filter flush til it was clear, started everything back up and added the 5lb slurry to the skimmer. Didn’t see anything coming out of the returns but air bubbles but who knows.
Left the pump and robot running and brushed everything toward the main drain. Decided to see if I could find out what the valves controlled and if this mystery port is for a vacuum. The vacuum doesn’t have great suction at all IMO. I could easily pull the vacuum plate out with the pump running.
Turned the suction side valve 90 degrees from “port 2, 100%” to where it shows “port 1, 50%” which is as far as it seems to suppose to go. Still nothing from the mystery port in or out. No change in which hole the skimmer is drawing. 100% certain there’s a broken or loose gasket at the pipe that’s in taking. I can feel it flapping around. Don’t know how I’ll fix that, or if it even needs fixed, but unless I spring a leak it will have to stay that way for now.
Check on the robot and the cloud mess at the main drain has nearly gone. Hmm. Brushed a few little pieces of stuff that way and had a small leaf look like it stuck to the drain. Kept brushing stuff that way and it seemed to be disappearing. So it looks like I’ve discovered that works. Very nice! Skimmer is still pulling in water also. Cool! Better circulation in the deep end. I’ll flip the valve back to the skimmer only (I suppose it’s that way) later today so it can keep getting these seed things out.
Tried to investigate the pressure side valve after the filter. It was a bit wet when I touched it so I sat down to wait. Sure enough, it’s got a slow drip. Found that at the handle. The stem is cracked. Put a little pressure on it to turn it and water starts spraying. Explains the bubbles out of the returns and why the filter never quite seems like it’s bled off all the air. Jammed a bit of wood between the handle and body to keep it closed off to as small as possible drip.
So new valves being ordered tomorrow so I can at least replace those. Rethinking my plan for replacing equipment and since I’m going to be replumbing for the SWG anyway, I might as well get things sorted best I can.
Next nice daylight day I have, I’m going to pull the top off the filter and check out the internals. If they’re leaking, I guess I’ll add a new cartridge filter to my “gotta get” list.
Mystery port is not for a vacuum that I can determine.
Lots of DE in the pool
Cracked pressure side valve
Main drain possibly functional
Love my new tools cause the pool is clean!
Long version:
It’s been a beautiful weekend and since I don’t have the normal holiday obligations, I decided to get to work and the pool is now as spotless as I can make it for the time being. The water was always clear but not crisp. It’s not TFP clear now but it’s 90% and very, very little stuff in the pool.
The new leaf net is OMG wonderful! So is the Cadillac pole. I can reach everything! All the leaves and other big things are finally out. My new brush is SO much better for getting all the angles and the little overhang on the steps.
Netted, brushed, bumped the filter, let the pump run, brushed some more then shut the pump off to let things settle. I found the skimmer plate for the vacuum, figured all that out and vacuumed as much of the smaller bits as it would get. Then tossed in the robot and let it get busy for a few hours. Brushed again then cut the robot off, bumped the filter and let the pump run all night. Got up this morning to a much cleaner pool.
Skimmed off the few leaves and as many sand grain sized seeds floating around that I could. I’ve pulled a 2 gallon bucket of those things out so far. Started the robot back up and brushed again.
What I thought was a film of dead algae all over the pool, I now strongly suspect to be a dusting of DE everywhere. Robot is slam full of it. Some had accumulated on the steps overnight. Brushed all that off. The slope angles and liner seams were full of powder. Brushed that off toward the main drain. The cloud of stuff poofing up when I brush is obvious but not as bad as it was and it’s whiteish. The water is too cold to be growing that much algae and I’m not SLAMming so it shouldn’t be all dead algae. I’ve only seen spots of live growth on the steps and at the deep end a week ago. Nowhere else and those spots aren’t growing anything now.
Cleaned the skimmer and pump basket. Pump basket caked with what appears to be DE. Hosed that and the impeller out. Bumped down the filter and drained it to waste. Gross. Oh, ho! Now I have a cloudy mess surrounding the main drain. Hmph.
Let the filter flush til it was clear, started everything back up and added the 5lb slurry to the skimmer. Didn’t see anything coming out of the returns but air bubbles but who knows.
Left the pump and robot running and brushed everything toward the main drain. Decided to see if I could find out what the valves controlled and if this mystery port is for a vacuum. The vacuum doesn’t have great suction at all IMO. I could easily pull the vacuum plate out with the pump running.
Turned the suction side valve 90 degrees from “port 2, 100%” to where it shows “port 1, 50%” which is as far as it seems to suppose to go. Still nothing from the mystery port in or out. No change in which hole the skimmer is drawing. 100% certain there’s a broken or loose gasket at the pipe that’s in taking. I can feel it flapping around. Don’t know how I’ll fix that, or if it even needs fixed, but unless I spring a leak it will have to stay that way for now.
Check on the robot and the cloud mess at the main drain has nearly gone. Hmm. Brushed a few little pieces of stuff that way and had a small leaf look like it stuck to the drain. Kept brushing stuff that way and it seemed to be disappearing. So it looks like I’ve discovered that works. Very nice! Skimmer is still pulling in water also. Cool! Better circulation in the deep end. I’ll flip the valve back to the skimmer only (I suppose it’s that way) later today so it can keep getting these seed things out.
Tried to investigate the pressure side valve after the filter. It was a bit wet when I touched it so I sat down to wait. Sure enough, it’s got a slow drip. Found that at the handle. The stem is cracked. Put a little pressure on it to turn it and water starts spraying. Explains the bubbles out of the returns and why the filter never quite seems like it’s bled off all the air. Jammed a bit of wood between the handle and body to keep it closed off to as small as possible drip.
So new valves being ordered tomorrow so I can at least replace those. Rethinking my plan for replacing equipment and since I’m going to be replumbing for the SWG anyway, I might as well get things sorted best I can.
Next nice daylight day I have, I’m going to pull the top off the filter and check out the internals. If they’re leaking, I guess I’ll add a new cartridge filter to my “gotta get” list.