I am trying to get a 13,000 gallon in ground pool cleared up. It has not been clear in about two years. It has been shocked a couple times during that time but never cleared up. It has a pentair quad de 60 filter and jets in the bottom of the pool for returns. It is mostly blue but really cloudy. I have taken the filter apart and cleaned it multiple times and the pressure starts off good and ends up at 30 with very little water flow. I figure this is just because the water is so bad. Is there any way to run a regular cartridge in this filter so it takes longer to clog up. Or would I be able to use flock if I took the filter cartridges out and run the system without them in order to circulate the water. I am trying to figure out a way to clear the water up without having to clean the filter and put more de in every hour.
Pentair quad de 60 pressure rises within an hour of cleaning
- Thread starter Zerkman
- Start date
Z,
Sounds to me your filter is doing just what it gets paid to do...
I suggest that you read our SLAM process... SLAM Process
You cannot clear a pool by running the filter.. You have a chemical issue, not a filter issue..
Look through our Pool School to see what we are all about... Pool School - Trouble Free Pool
Also ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Thanks,
Jim R.
Sounds to me your filter is doing just what it gets paid to do...
I suggest that you read our SLAM process... SLAM Process
You cannot clear a pool by running the filter.. You have a chemical issue, not a filter issue..
Look through our Pool School to see what we are all about... Pool School - Trouble Free Pool
Also ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Thanks,
Jim R.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP ZMan.
What type of valve do you have on your filter? If you have a RECIRCULATE setting you can use that to kill the algae using the SLAM Process process. Once the algae is killed then you vacuum to WASTE.
Floc does not solve an algae problem.
What type of valve do you have on your filter? If you have a RECIRCULATE setting you can use that to kill the algae using the SLAM Process process. Once the algae is killed then you vacuum to WASTE.
Floc does not solve an algae problem.
It only has a push/pull backwash valve. So I'm thinking that the best option might be to take the filter cartridges out and run the pump to circulate the water better. Would this hurt anything? Or would it be better to keep filtering?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Do you put DE in the filter?
Sounds like it should work without the cartridges but I don't know enough about the Quad DE to say for sure.
If you run the filter normally you will need to clean it often.
Yes I have been putting de in. I know we need to circulate with the chlorine but because the filter fills up so fast we have to keep shutting it off and buying more de. So I'm trying to find a way to stop using so much de
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You don't have lots of options with a slider valve versus a MPV. You just have to push through it to kill the algae. Filtering will not clear the algae. Only maintaining the necessary CL level will. That is the SLAM Process process.
You need the TF-100 Test Kits or the Taylor K-2006C to manage the necessary FC levels.
You need the TF-100 Test Kits or the Taylor K-2006C to manage the necessary FC levels.
So would it be better to run it without the cartridges during the slam process in order to get maximum circulation and then once the algae is dead put the cartridges back in?
Another thing is when I go to a pool store they tell me it might not clear up and they recommend draining the pool because the water is old. Is this a real thing? I want to make sure I'm not wasting money on a bunch of chlorine if the water wont clear up
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You can clear up the water. It will take time and work and lots of liquid chlorine.
Given your filter situation if you can drain and refill the pool safely it may be the easiest path. If you are in an area with a high water table a drained pool can pop out of the ground. Arizona is a big state. If you put a more specific location in we have plenty of members in AZ who may be able to help. You don't want to let exposed plaster dry out and bake in the AZ sun.
Also, if you are going to hang around here for help please put details of your pool in your signature. See What we need to know to answer your questions
Total Bull.... Water does not get old.. Depending on the cost of water in your area it just might make sense to drain and refill, but you do it for a reason, not because the water is "old"...
If it will cost more in chemicals and effort to clear a pool than just replacing the water then it makes more sense to drain a refill..
Thanks,
Jim R.
That's what I was thinking. Thank you for confirming. I have to look up the what the cost of refilling it would be but I think that is the route to take since it will take so much chlorine, de and time to get it cleared up
I’m wondering how this worked out. It seemed to me like you could run the Quad DE without adding DE (or after backwashing it significantly) but with the cartridges in and then after the algae is SLAM dead, clean the filters by hand, re-charge say half DE to start filtering dead algae, backwash or clean by hand until the flow isn’t affected by clogging. In our case we have a smaller pool with a larger Quad 100 DE and a single DE charge lasts the entire season, although I have done the no DE trick at the beginning of a season to help remove large bio-load (winter worm migration 
) before re-cleaning and charging the filters for the season. (Putting this out there for anyone in a similar situation). I can’t see why you couldn’t run the filter without cartridges as a temporary bypass, but just leave out the internal fittings if you wanted.
) before re-cleaning and charging the filters for the season. (Putting this out there for anyone in a similar situation). I can’t see why you couldn’t run the filter without cartridges as a temporary bypass, but just leave out the internal fittings if you wanted.