Opening day!!!

[anthonypool89]

Let it begin. Starting filter pressure around 11, but increased to 14 over the course of 4 hours or so. To be expected. Usually takes a few loads of DE till the water clears up. Might have to postpone further work on the pool due to rain in the forecast new two days.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Try running on recirc the first 2 days of the SLAM, then turn off pump for a few hours to let the dead algae settle, then vacuum to waste before you start filtering. Saves me a TON of DE, backwashing and hassle. After your water is clear, break down your DE filter, clean the inserts, reassemble, and load up a full charge of DE. Rain will actually help by refilling the water lost from vacuuming to waste and backwashing for free. Don't forget to check and clean your pump basket before replacing DE or you'll have a basket full of mud.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

PS: open 4 weeks earlier next year and you'll have much less work to do. I opened April 31 so that I could split fill water over April and May to avoid the higher > 10k gallons per month usage surcharge.

 

[anthonypool89]

try running on recirc the first 2 days of the SLAM

I don't SLAM with baquacil.

vacuum to waste

My Apollo VA-52 filter setup doesn't provide for a vacuum to waste option. Selector handle is either in backwash mode or regular circulation.
cant do that either due to our travel schedule. Usually not home during parts of either April or May, but usually back home again by end of May - so close to Memorial Day works well. Thanks for suggestions though! All valid, but not applicable.

 

[anthonypool89]

open 4 weeks earlier next year

cant do that either due to our travel schedule. Usually not home during parts of either April or May, but usually back home again by end of May - so close to Memorial Day works well. Thanks for suggestions though! All valid, but not applicable. Pressure went up to 18 by about 8:00 this evening...reallly didn't feel like cleaning out the filter again but did since otherwise, if rain tomorrow, I'm betting the most I would have gotten would have been another hour of filtering before pressure probably would have gone over 20. So I cleaned out the tank, hosed off the grids really well, recharged DE, ran for a few minutes, and shut it off. Tomorrow at least starts with a new filter cycle if I can't get out there to continue.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Roger that. There is a whole Baquil section of the forum.

 

[anthonypool89]

There is a whole Baquil section of the forum.

Bass player? Same here....along with 6-string - also organ/piano. Only real bass playing I do anymore is to add bass tracks to my solo recordings.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Yup.

 

[anthonypool89]

Quite honestly can't recall the last time I had to wear a sweatshirt and winter cap on the 2nd day of opening the pool...felt way more like closing. Actually often warmer while closing the pool in early October! Crazy weather.

 

[anthonypool89]

5 days post-opening. Filter pressure basically constant. Very little dead algae settling out of the water - been vacuuming it out frequently. Line Clean gets added in a few days, then the monthly dose of ahhsome. See how things proceed from there.
So far so good. Huge improvement from the dismal swamp I opened to - couldn't even see past the first step.

 

[tonyjones22]

Try running on recirc the first 2 days of the SLAM, then turn off pump for a few hours to let the dead algae settle, then vacuum to waste before you start filtering.

This would be my advice too!

 

[anthonypool89]

As I mentioned previously to bassplayingdude, I don't do any sort of SLAM procedure since I don't use chlorine, but do recirculate (with no filtering) for several hours while vacuuming up as much debris as possible. I can't vacuum to waste however, and so just do it several times around the entire pool and empty whatever winds up in the pump strainer. After that, the water is still nowhere near clear enough to see what still remains on the bottom. That doesn't show up till I add the grids and DE.

 

[anthonypool89]

Well, got through the day at least without having to change the DE a 3rd time. Pressure holding at 16 following a start up of 12. I suspect tomorrow will see another filter cleaning, but water is clearing again following a gallon of clarifier and 2 ounces of algicide. Tomorrow the "ahhsome" goes in...see what that does. Another Line Clean dose in a few days.