New to Washington from Florida, inherited 2 yr swamp
- Thread starter BattleOfYakima
- Start date
New idea, what about cheese cloth divider wall a few inches off the skimmer entrance? Water would always get to skimmer still and could skimm the buildup off the cloth.
Both could work BUT you can also run your pump using the bypass filter setting. It should be one of the settings on your shiny, new filter top.
Did we tell you to only turn your handle in one direction? That helps to keep the spider gasket from binding and ripping.
Kim:cat:
Did we tell you to only turn your handle in one direction? That helps to keep the spider gasket from binding and ripping.
Kim:cat:
Thanks! I did read that one direction was suggested somewhere, but if I hadn't I would have really been thankful for you adding it!
I do do have a recirculate setting; however it isn't the sand filter that is the issue, it is the wall skimmer basket literally filling and clogging as to allow only a trickle of water into the pump filter basket/pump/sand filter.
There is a return mounted skimmer I read about on this site called PoolSkim I think that seemed interesting. I'm also going to test a skimmer sock I think because clearing the little clogged grid of the skimmer basket is a real pain, even with high pressure brass hose nozzle.
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Side note: I haven't had to backwash in 48 hours and counting!!!
I do do have a recirculate setting; however it isn't the sand filter that is the issue, it is the wall skimmer basket literally filling and clogging as to allow only a trickle of water into the pump filter basket/pump/sand filter.
There is a return mounted skimmer I read about on this site called PoolSkim I think that seemed interesting. I'm also going to test a skimmer sock I think because clearing the little clogged grid of the skimmer basket is a real pain, even with high pressure brass hose nozzle.
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Side note: I haven't had to backwash in 48 hours and counting!!!
Fun! Check this out! My ribbed grey flexible hose is leaking! Looks like sunshine degradation cracking.
Picture | Video
Surfing the forum it looks like replacement options are 1) same ribbed pool hose 2) pvc 2) flex pvc 3) poly 4) a few other less celebrated ones
So we're in Yakima, Washington - the pool has several inches of ice solidify at the top each winter I'm told. They don't run pools in the winter here at all once it starts freezing.
Picture of all plumbing as-is
Close up of how there is a white pvc adapter from black sand filter housing to flex hose
So.... I'm tempted to just go with the cheapest option since I really don't like where the pump and filter are right now anyway, but don't want to move until I pour a slab and have electrical run to it. The whole thing is on an extension cord at the moment, run around a quarter of the pool. and inches from the pool wall.
Looks like Home Depot has 3 feet of the ribbed grey hose for $15. If I got that I don't need anything else. If you suggest poly or flex pvc please mention what else I would need to buy to hook it up. Thank you all!
Picture | Video
Surfing the forum it looks like replacement options are 1) same ribbed pool hose 2) pvc 2) flex pvc 3) poly 4) a few other less celebrated ones
So we're in Yakima, Washington - the pool has several inches of ice solidify at the top each winter I'm told. They don't run pools in the winter here at all once it starts freezing.
Picture of all plumbing as-is
Close up of how there is a white pvc adapter from black sand filter housing to flex hose
So.... I'm tempted to just go with the cheapest option since I really don't like where the pump and filter are right now anyway, but don't want to move until I pour a slab and have electrical run to it. The whole thing is on an extension cord at the moment, run around a quarter of the pool. and inches from the pool wall.
Looks like Home Depot has 3 feet of the ribbed grey hose for $15. If I got that I don't need anything else. If you suggest poly or flex pvc please mention what else I would need to buy to hook it up. Thank you all!
When do you think you will do the move? Do you have pets? kids?
Our dog knocked into that pipe and it pulled loose
we lost a lot of water AND it did a small wash out from under the pool. We hard plumbed it the next day!
Just to help you think out your next move.
Kim:cat:
Our dog knocked into that pipe and it pulled loose
we lost a lot of water AND it did a small wash out from under the pool. We hard plumbed it the next day! Just to help you think out your next move.
Kim:cat:
Water improved again. The pinhole leak tripled when I touched it. That whole are of the hose looks sun rotted, if that's a thing.
There are kids in the back yard a few times a year, 2 small dogs a cat daily. This is my first non-pvc plumbing pool. It is weird! There is so much more shaking and vibrating and the pump slides sometimes when the filter basket lid is on tight. While I knew the filter basket, pump, and filter were all seperate apparatus, in all my other pools they felt like part of the pool. Here, it is like the pool has a parasite with two fangs in deep.
I doubt I'll move it until September, family vacation/wedding this summer takes discretionary spending priority first, then time to save up again. Current setup is working, but I'd rather make it proper before selling the house next year. It just doesn't seem right to run something off an extension cord that has a sticker that warns not to use an extension cord.
There are kids in the back yard a few times a year, 2 small dogs a cat daily. This is my first non-pvc plumbing pool. It is weird! There is so much more shaking and vibrating and the pump slides sometimes when the filter basket lid is on tight. While I knew the filter basket, pump, and filter were all seperate apparatus, in all my other pools they felt like part of the pool. Here, it is like the pool has a parasite with two fangs in deep.
I doubt I'll move it until September, family vacation/wedding this summer takes discretionary spending priority first, then time to save up again. Current setup is working, but I'd rather make it proper before selling the house next year. It just doesn't seem right to run something off an extension cord that has a sticker that warns not to use an extension cord.
For the time being just get the gray piece and a couple of extra. It does not last long at all and comes loose VERY easy. Once you get it going again think about hard plumbing it with valves and unions to make life easier when you do go to move it and work on it.
Extension cords are bad news like you are saying. My hubby ran the power line under ground to the pump from the panel. He ran it to a water proof switch right by the pump. One day I will get him to put a timer on it LOL
You say sell the house next year? Sounds like you have future plans. Moving up? Over? Yeah got to get things right with that in mind.
Kim:cat:
Extension cords are bad news like you are saying. My hubby ran the power line under ground to the pump from the panel. He ran it to a water proof switch right by the pump. One day I will get him to put a timer on it LOL
You say sell the house next year? Sounds like you have future plans. Moving up? Over? Yeah got to get things right with that in mind.
Kim:cat:
I'll get new grey tomorrow. Rained all day today... Added CL but didn't brush or vac. PSI suggests backwash tomorrow! Yay! The pool belongs to family that will be moving to Florida also. I am here temporarily to assist while they go through some medical treatments and require extra assistance.
New grey hose installed. $9 at the best local pool store. Eyeball adjusted to aim down at the bottom and to the side. Maybe that will help clear it faster. Water clarity is improving, you can see the edges of the vac head clearer now, but the water is still quite cloudy. I was able to see the brush head and got it out with a net. It is definitely improving, but so, so slowly. Vacuumed the pool just now and was surprised that there were 4 full skimmer baskets full of the tree pollen/seed pods, in addition to a a few of those bigger longer seed pods that look like tamarind pods. I'll get back on the brushing and vacuuming more diligently. I am really looking forward to getting this SLAM completed and not having to run the pump as much as possible.
I got more info about the sand filter there is here. Turns out their last sand filter cracked and they just bought the only one the pool store had the day it broke so they didn't have any downtime, that's why it is so small.
I got more info about the sand filter there is here. Turns out their last sand filter cracked and they just bought the only one the pool store had the day it broke so they didn't have any downtime, that's why it is so small.
Please share a picture of your pool with us.
Have you told you about adding DE to your sand filter yet? Do NOT do it until we can see your pool please. You might not be ready.
Kim:cat:
Have you told you about adding DE to your sand filter yet? Do NOT do it until we can see your pool please. You might not be ready.
Kim:cat:
First backwash in 3 or 4 days! It was BROWN! YAY! So gross!!! Glorious! Rinse was brown too!! The repeat backwash and rinse were nearly, but not quite clear, so it was REALLY nice to see both the rinse and the repeat all yield greatness well in excess of the water loss. I'm a total believer. Just when I think this sand filter is screwing with me, it gives me a delicious backwash. I'll give it a few more days, but then I might add DE if it doesn't break this cloudy. The DE might be cheaper than the extra bleach/electricity.
Overall though, this partial siphon vac, refill, SLAM has been far cheaper than I ever could have guessed. Thank you TFP!
Also, for those of you who like to find hidden algae, I have another delicious spot for you.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...authkey=!AP3lQyqdha40jus&v=3&ithint=photo,jpg
Warning - this is one of those things you might want two people for and should read the manufacturer instructions - and requires a variation of hose dance. If you unscrew the eye/return assembly that sandwiches the pool wall, there are rubber washers/gasket that the return assembly clamps on to. The inside rubber was green for me, so I poured bleach above it and brushed while the bleach was strong and floating around it until it was white-ish. There is brown and black discoloration to the ivory eye plumbing parts, which I don't know what is going on there. Should I replace it? Soak it in bleach? What's the best way to plug the hole if I want to replace the gasket?
Overall though, this partial siphon vac, refill, SLAM has been far cheaper than I ever could have guessed. Thank you TFP!
Also, for those of you who like to find hidden algae, I have another delicious spot for you.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...authkey=!AP3lQyqdha40jus&v=3&ithint=photo,jpg
Warning - this is one of those things you might want two people for and should read the manufacturer instructions - and requires a variation of hose dance. If you unscrew the eye/return assembly that sandwiches the pool wall, there are rubber washers/gasket that the return assembly clamps on to. The inside rubber was green for me, so I poured bleach above it and brushed while the bleach was strong and floating around it until it was white-ish. There is brown and black discoloration to the ivory eye plumbing parts, which I don't know what is going on there. Should I replace it? Soak it in bleach? What's the best way to plug the hole if I want to replace the gasket?
Just curious - I know the most common procedure is to add D.E. to a sand filter to speed it up, but can I do the same with cellulose fiber and is it the same procedure? I only have the option to backwash to my yard and believe I would feel more confident with the cellulose fiber in this situation. We appear to still be making clarity gains daily, albeit extremely minimal now. I'll get you all photos today. The pool owners here literally threatening to add clarifiers from the pool store daily. I can hold them off, but I certainly better be ready for the filter aid stage when we get there.
Nice to hear about the "yummy" back wash LOL
Return part-try soaking it in bleach. Can't hurt anything and might work. If it does not work you can always replace it.
Hummmmmm they make plugs to put in the holes BUT (now don't laugh okay???) You can put a carrot or potato in it! Just use care and it should not be for long. You might have to cut it down some to make it fit and NOT go all the way in.
DE or fiber? I don't know that answer........I wonder if you could put a sock on the end of where ever you back wash comes out to "catch" the DE or fiber?
Kim:cat:
Return part-try soaking it in bleach. Can't hurt anything and might work. If it does not work you can always replace it.
Hummmmmm they make plugs to put in the holes BUT (now don't laugh okay???) You can put a carrot or potato in it! Just use care and it should not be for long. You might have to cut it down some to make it fit and NOT go all the way in.
DE or fiber? I don't know that answer........I wonder if you could put a sock on the end of where ever you back wash comes out to "catch" the DE or fiber?
Kim:cat:
Down to two tests & adds a day, water still brilliant blue but most assuredly cloudy and not crystal clear. Unfortunately progress has been difficult to be sure about each day, but every couple days objects at the bottom are undeniably clearer. Three days after backwash pressure was only up 0.5% but then after the fourth day or was up 1.5% so I'm hoping that the curve of PSI gain is more exponential than linear as it gets dirtier and catches more/smaller contaminants.
Potato to plug the hole is quite resourceful! Thanks. If I do that, I'm taking a photo. Thanks for soak in bleach idea as well.
Also, I was curious exactly how much of this tree pollen/seed stuff was falling in this pool per day, so for 24 hours I collected the vast majority of slimmer basket and slimmer net harvests into a bucket. Here is the picture.
Potato to plug the hole is quite resourceful! Thanks. If I do that, I'm taking a photo. Thanks for soak in bleach idea as well.
Also, I was curious exactly how much of this tree pollen/seed stuff was falling in this pool per day, so for 24 hours I collected the vast majority of slimmer basket and slimmer net harvests into a bucket. Here is the picture.
That is a LOT of stuff! WOW! I am glad your pool is clearing. I am sorry it is so slow
LOL on taking the pic of the carrot or potato.........hey we DO say you can buy most of the stuff you need for a pool at your local groceries store!
Kim:cat:
That is how it is at our place spring and fall on lighter days. A lot worse for a couple of weeks. Your theory of a dirty filter catching more stuff is sound.
Water continues to clear. It is no longer cloudy, but not yet crystal. PSI suggests backwash tomorrow evening, will shoot video if not raining and lighting decent. Hopefully it will give anyone who gets impatient towards the end of a long SLAM with an undersized sand filter hope at the end of the tunnel that it is working. This time it took 4 days before psi was up 5%, 10% after 5 days, then with another vacuum up to 20%+ after 6 days. Tomorrow I expect 25%+ 7 full days since last backwash, up from 3 or 4 days between precious backwashes.
After this backwash I'll add water, let FC drop below 10, drop ph back to 7.2, raise CYA back to 30, then resume the SLAM.
I'm tempted to go higher on the CYA, but maybe I'll wait until it is crystal, passes an OCLT, and CC still less than .5... Then see what I'm losing per day, post it, and gather feedback. No swimmers until it gets warmer, so just tree debris and sun. I'm actually not familiar with a pool that doesn't host swimmers, so this is a new one for me.
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P.S. - thank you to all of you for your patience, attention, and comments. I know I write a lot but I'm hoping it will help future people with similar search terms as far as brown sludge, siphon vac, cloudy, slow sand filter, tree debris, etc.
After this backwash I'll add water, let FC drop below 10, drop ph back to 7.2, raise CYA back to 30, then resume the SLAM.
I'm tempted to go higher on the CYA, but maybe I'll wait until it is crystal, passes an OCLT, and CC still less than .5... Then see what I'm losing per day, post it, and gather feedback. No swimmers until it gets warmer, so just tree debris and sun. I'm actually not familiar with a pool that doesn't host swimmers, so this is a new one for me.
- - - Updated - - -
P.S. - thank you to all of you for your patience, attention, and comments. I know I write a lot but I'm hoping it will help future people with similar search terms as far as brown sludge, siphon vac, cloudy, slow sand filter, tree debris, etc.