Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winter

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J

johnw100

0
Jan 9, 2012
36
Argentina
Hi All

I decided to empty our green inground pool today and refill it ,i`m in the southern hemisphere :) and only having opened a pool once before i`m a bit lost about the best practice for starting up the sand filter after winter.

Yesterday I emptied the water through the filter to the drain, cleaned the pool and am left it overnight refilling . Is there anything I need to do to prepare the sand filter once it filled? ie backwashing first?
Before I start adding chemicals.

Thanks in advance

J
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

I think I would backwash and rinse it before I started filtering. This way you'll know your clean pressure. The drain plug was probably removed when the pool was closed. Make sure you put that back on first.
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

johnw100 said:
I decided to empty our green inground pool today and refill it ,i`m in the southern hemisphere :) and only having opened a pool once before i`m a bit lost about the best practice for starting up the sand filter after winter.

Yesterday I emptied the water through the filter to the drain, cleaned the pool and am left it overnight refilling . Is there anything I need to do to prepare the sand filter once it filled? ie backwashing first?
Before I start adding chemicals.
Click to expand...

If the filter has been used for a few years and you haven't cleaned the sand (not replaced - that's not required) you might go through that process while you are filling - it's just a matter of opening it and washing the sand - the process is described on the site but I can't recall the link right now. This might also be a good opportunity to check gaskets and springs and the laterals and verify you won't have a failure down the road.

If you don't want to go to that much trouble - you should backwash - if only to establish the baseline pressure reading. There is no special treatment needed - the highly chlorinated water from the SLAM process that you push through the filter will kill off the organics that are trapped in the filter rather quickly.
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

Thanks for that i`ll do a backwash and rinse.
The next question is chemicals, I have some granular chlorine pellets to add. It says 30grams per 10,000 litres of water , so I need 90 grams for our 30,000 litre pool but thats a per day amount. Any ideas how much should go in initially? I think in the past I put in 270grams after filling the pool.

Thanks
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

The chemicals you need to add depends on the current test results. Post them up and we can suggest a path forward, see link below. That is a MAJOR theme here ... always test and only add what is needed. There is no guessing.

Please add your pool details to your signature and location to your profile as described HERE as it will help us help you.
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

Sorry for the delay been trying a few things with the pool, I initially added some chlorine and the levels were spot on the next day.
CL: 1.0
PH: 7.6

Then 2 days later I checked it and had these results
CL: 0.2
PH: 6.8

So I put in some more chlorine and was about to go and buy so sodium bicarbonate to bring up the PH but they didnt have any, and then I checked this morning and now its.

CL: 0.5
PH: 7.6

So not quite sure whats going on there, is it the chlorine I added bringing the PH back into line? It had rained earlier in the week, but never seen the PH that low before.

Thanks
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

we'll need to see your C YA test result. I can tell you in advance your chlorine is too low but we'll know much better if you will post results for...

FC
CC
CYA
pH
CH
TA

That'll give us the picture we need to advise you correctly.

Your pH swing is very likely testing error. The chlorine will not change your pH.

Please read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School.
 
Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

Sorry , I only have a basic test kit like this.
pool_test_kit_ch_ph_1.jpg


I`ll try and get something better to give the full results, just something they gave me when it was built.

No cya added, just chlorine. I`m using granular chlorine, originally the pool guy said to just put it in the skimmer but I read somewhere that isnt always a good thing to do, so i`m putting it in a bucket of water and it dissolves in a few minutes and then pouring it around the pool. Not sure if thats correct or not.

Thanks

John
 

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Re: Opening a pool today, need advice for filter after winte

Granular chlorine contains either CYA or calcium. You really need a test kit that will test those and the other chems so you can take control of your pool.
 
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