Please help me bring a dead inground pool back to life!

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So far nobody seems to have mentioned that you shouldn't add any of that stuff to your pool. Perhaps your hands are tied because the house owner is paying for it, and will only pay for what is recommended by pool professionals?

if it's up to you:
1) Throw out that list of recommended ranges
2) stop getting any more chemicals from the pool store. return everything you have purchased: floc, shock, anything with a + or - in the title, algaecide, all of that.


You need to:

a) get your own test kit. from this list
b) stock up on liquid chlorine. 12.5% would be great, but compare in cost per ounce of chlorine to regular bleach.
c) scoop and filter and brush and scoop until the test kit arrives.
d) run tests and post results.

you will likely need to
1) adjust the stabilizer level by either adding stabilizer or draining some of the pool, and lower pH with muriatic acid.
2) run the pump 24/7
3) keep the FC level above the minimum for the stabilizer level. this requires testing throughout the day and constantly adding liq. chlorine, probably for at least 2 weeks. This is called a SLAM here, see the pool school links at the top.

If you aren't allowed to do these things, or understandably don't want to make that time commitment on your vacation, then I don't think you are going to be swimming this year.

I have a separate thought on the pump.
 
kimkats said:
Is your pump running/working?

Keep taking the pics.

Kim
Click to expand...
Pump is running and working. But because the return line that is being used as a skimmer line is damaged, a large amount of air is being drawn in with water, never leaving the pump housing without air. I'd say the pump is only moving 40% of the water it could be if the skimmer line were good, and both return lines were actually being used as returns.

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BuckeyeChris said:
So far nobody seems to have mentioned that you shouldn't add any of that stuff to your pool. Perhaps your hands are tied because the house owner is paying for it, and will only pay for what is recommended by pool professionals?

if it's up to you:
1) Throw out that list of recommended ranges
2) stop getting any more chemicals from the pool store. return everything you have purchased: floc, shock, anything with a + or - in the title, algaecide, all of that.


You need to:

a) get your own test kit. from this list
b) stock up on liquid chlorine. 12.5% would be great, but compare in cost per ounce of chlorine to regular bleach.
c) scoop and filter and brush and scoop until the test kit arrives.
d) run tests and post results.

you will likely need to
1) adjust the stabilizer level by either adding stabilizer or draining some of the pool, and lower pH with muriatic acid.
2) run the pump 24/7
3) keep the FC level above the minimum for the stabilizer level. this requires testing throughout the day and constantly adding liq. chlorine, probably for at least 2 weeks. This is called a SLAM here, see the pool school links at the top.

If you aren't allowed to do these things, or understandably don't want to make that time commitment on your vacation, then I don't think you are going to be swimming this year.

I have a separate thought on the pump.
Click to expand...
We are paying ZERO for the chemicals, so we have to follow the procedures and use the chemicals given to us to the T. Because this is being paid for by someone else, it is not for us to question how the process works, or why.
It's been 7 days since we started the process. I think progress is definately being made. I hope to be swimming in a couple weeks as long as lines are replaced. But what do i know?
 
Chrispyny said:
Well the pool company hooked up one black jet as intake, and the other as return. They just left the white pipe from the skimmer laying on the ground!
469e27d75dea01bb7b22cb1bad63d1dc_zps3hpwztrl.jpg
!
Click to expand...


ok, so...looking at that valve on the suction side of the skimmer. Let's say the handle is pointing north. Most valves, this means that water can flow to/from West, North, and East, with south blocked. Another way to think about it, if the handle it pointing north, the south is totally cut off. I'm not sure exactly what's going on here, but a cursory look, it would seem that the black return line hooks to the white pipe and goes to the suction side of the pump, but that the valve is turned so that this is totally cut off. You would have no water getting to the pump at all when it's running. maybe this valve is different...?

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if there is no stabilizer in the pool, it's possible that random dumps of shock will seem to clear things up. You can only do what they tell you, so no point in harping on it too much, but even if it starts to get bluish, I wouldn't consider it sanitary without having a reliable read on the water test results.
 
It's hard to see due to no light in the pool house but if you look close, there are 2 black lines and a dirty white line coming up out of the ground. The two black lines are the returns, and the dirty white line laying on the ground is the skimmer line.
currectly the suction side of the pump housing is hooked up to one black line, then goes into the pump housing, then up to the filter via a clear line, then out of the filter and down the other return. The last bright white line on the filter is a backwash line to dump the dirty water outside the pool house.
Ideally, the suction side of the pump housing should be hooked up to the dirty white skimmer line, then eventually a T splitting the cleaned water between the two black lines. But thats not an option since the skimmer line is totally shot. So the temporary set up is what it is until the lines are replaced.
 
I understand that, what I'm saying is that based on your picture and common valve arrangement, that valve on the front of the pump, where the white line goes, is turned 180 degrees from where it should be. what kind of valve is that? I can't make out the writing.
 
BuckeyeChris said:
I understand that, what I'm saying is that based on your picture and common valve arrangement, that valve on the front of the pump, where the white line goes, is turned 180 degrees from where it should be. what kind of valve is that? I can't make out the writing.
Click to expand...
Got what you mean now. Looking at the valve you refer to, the valve has the option to have 2 lines run to it. Two intakes. One is just plugged. The kid who rigged it did so on the far side of the valve for ease of install as far as i can tell. The valve is set for #2, which is wide open. Other options are #1, #1/2, or closed.
 
It looks to me like it's open to the plug and the pump, and closed off to the white pipe. We have to be careful here, as running the pump with no water and a vacuum could really cause damage. see this,

jandy_valves2.gif


I wouldn't trust that the "kid" arranged the valve in the junction correctly, or that perhaps the words printed around the ring of that valve don't necessary line up with the valve position. Does that pump have a clear window or someway to check water flow through the pump?
 
I have to drive home, but if you can monitor the flow into the pump to make sure it doesn't run dry, I would start the pump and rotate that valve slowly clockwise and see how the water flow/air concentration changes. in my theory, your pump is full of air because it's pulling air through the plug. Though if it's been running this way for a week the pump would have died by now.
 

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That handle is confusing. It can't mean "the direction the water is flowing". or is it saying "point this flow arrow toward the flow you want (flow 1, flow 2, mix, or none)."

I don't understand why there is a valve on the pump to begin with. If there is only one source line, the skimmer, I don't know why it's there. makes me think it was added later, for some reason, and maybe the person installing it didn't orient the faceplate with the labels correctly. You said it was struggling, and that BOTH lines the kid hooked up to it had air in them. I'm just saying, if it were me, I'd forget about the labels and use the handle position. And for every other valve out there, the side opposite of the extended handle is the closed side of the valve.

maybe somebody that's used these specifically can chime in, as there isn't really a flow description anywhere I could find for the dial-a-flo sp-733.
 
gilbee said:
Just a thought...did they remove the jet eyeball from the return they are using as a suction? If it's really sucking through the eyeball, that could definitely result in reduced flow...
Click to expand...

Yes they have. Thank you.

UPDATE. A more official, well seasoned man came from the pool company today. His goal was to write up a quote to give to the owners. He also reviewed the install. It's fine.

the man said if the owners approve the job, the work can start next week. Yay. Stay tuned.
 
UPDATE!!!!

Just got word from my girlfriend via a text from the building management company.

The word has been officially given to the pool company to replace the lines today. In addition, building mamangement claims a 'new' DE filter will be installed as well. Before and after pics have to be taken by the building management company. Barring rescheduling issues to move stuff around on the pool companies behalf, repairs will be done this week and the installers/repair men will take water samples before they leave.

Firstly, since it's been 80%+ humidity, and mid to high 80's for several days, and more to come, i can't wait to hopefully be swimming by the weekend!

Initially, i was concerned with the choice of replacement filter installed. For those reading along, the old filter was shot, and replaced with a Hayward s210t, which claims it's good for above ground pools and 'small' inground pools. Doing some investigating on its specs, it's maximum limit is a 20,000 gal inground, which ours is. So between the fact that the lines are in need of replacement, and the filter chosen is engineered at it's maximum capacity of 20,000, the idea to install a DE filter must have been impressed upon by the pool company. Who's idea it was to install the s210t is beyond me but in my opinion, a mistake.

For those in the know, would you assume the DE filter will be in place of, or in addition to the Hayward s210t? We aren't sure as the info relayed to us was an abbreviated test from bldg Mangmnt.

Anyways, thanks for hanging in, and stay tuned!
 
Just know that a DE filter requires buying DE to replace as needed. I do not know how often but...........that needs to be factored in.

My guess is that it is a replacement. Would be interesting to have both but not sure how that would work.

Did you end up getting a test kit? If not you will need to get one asap to keep the water clear.

I am VERY happy they are willing to get it fixed RIGHT!

Kim
 
Too bad i first saw this on my phone which doesn't show your location.

I am in Delmar ..... once you get to a point where you are out from under the management and pool companies let me know if you need some help. I can do a complete set of tests for you so at least you know where you stand chemistry wise.
 
kimkats said:
Did you end up getting a test kit? If not you will need to get one asap to keep the water clear.


Kim
Click to expand...

No kit yet kim. Gonna see if management will pay for it. I'll try to convince them it's part of 'start up costs'. ;)

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ship of fools said:
Too bad i first saw this on my phone which doesn't show your location.

I am in Delmar ..... once you get to a point where you are out from under the management and pool companies let me know if you need some help. I can do a complete set of tests for you so at least you know where you stand chemistry wise.
Click to expand...
Thanks man, i appreciate it.
 

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