Rainy icky mess and problems with sand in pool from filter-PROBLEM found! See note in first post.

[Mermaid Mama]

We are 1.5 days in on 5 days of rain and thunderstorms. We put a solar cover on top and thinking maybe I should put the winter cover on? The pool is surrounded by 80-120 foot trees so they are dumping organic materials on top of the solar cover and that coupled with rain is starting to make pockets of green looking water on top of the cover. We are testing chlorine every morning and adding whatever pool math app tells us but by next morning it's between 0-1.5 and running pump for 7 hours. And pH has climbed a little to 7.8. Any advice of how to proceed? Should I just leave it as is? Or should I put winter cover on? Or pull solar cover off completely?




MOD NOTE-The sand problem was the brand of sand. They had a problem a couple of years ago and it seems as if it is back. The sand it too fine and goes right through the laterals.

 

[kimkats]

If it is safe (no lighting) run out there with help when you can and pull the cover off to dump the stuff off then put it back on. Now if you don't think you can get it off without dumping some of the yuck in your pool then leave it alone.

The pH is fine where it is so don't worry about it. Keep adding chlorine to keep the rest of the pool from going green.

 

[Mermaid Mama]

If it is safe (no lighting) run out there with help when you can and pull the cover off to dump the stuff off then put it back on. Now if you don't think you can get it off without dumping some of the yuck in your pool then leave it alone.

The pH is fine where it is so don't worry about it. Keep adding chlorine to keep the rest of the pool from going green.

There has been so much rain on top of the solar
cover now that I couldn't pull it off without it getting dumped into the rest of the pool even with my husband helping me. There are supposed to be super heavy rains tomorrow so should I just leave it and create a separate little pool on top?

 

[kimkats]

That is what I would do. Then when things calm down you can blow the top of the cover off with a leaf blower (might not work since there is so much water but worth a try) the pull the cover off and get ready to vacuum the pool and SLAM if as seen here SLAM Process if needed as been by your testing.

Kim

 

[Mermaid Mama]

That is what I would do. Then when things calm down you can blow the top of the cover off with a leaf blower (might not work since there is so much water but worth a try) the pull the cover off and get ready to vacuum the pool and SLAM if as seen here SLAM Process if needed as been by your testing.

Kim

Thank you Kim will do. Can you help me with one more thing bc a little confused about chemicals and what I was supposed to do after I filled the pool? I thought I read in Pool School not to test for CYA in water that was just added from the tap...and from that assumed you don't do anything with CYA right away. I read how important CYA is so how often should I test for that? And should I wait to do that now until after I take off the cover? Also my TA is high probably bc of well water? Its 180-200 should I adjust that down? I read about the two circumstances that should be down with high pH and calcium scaling but didn't know bc this pool is new should I still wait for that? Thanks again Kim!

 

[kimkats]

I have a set of links I put together for new pool owners. I am guessing you have already seen some of them but don't want to take a chance of you missing one:
Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule
Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Trouble Free Pool
Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Now for the what to do now............do you have any CYA at the house yet? If not use pool math as seen here: PoolMath to see how much you need for your size pool and buy it. You can get it at Lowes or Walmart. It might be called stabilizer. It will comes are a powder. Now don't add it yet as the pump needs to be running. When you do add it do it by putting it in a sock (like you wear) and hanging it in front of the return with the pump on.

You also need to get some muriatic acid from Lowes in the pool area outside. Look for the 31% kind. You will use this to lower the pH and TA once you can really work on the pool. No big hurry on this quite yet. It is a process we will work though once you can uncover the pool.

Does this help? Did I overwhelm you? It IS a lot of info! Let me know if there is anything you need for me to go a little deeper and more in detail with and I will be glad to!

Kim

 

[Mermaid Mama]

I have a set of links I put together for new pool owners. I am guessing you have already seen some of them but don't want to take a chance of you missing one:
Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule
Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Trouble Free Pool
Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Now for the what to do now............do you have any CYA at the house yet? If not use pool math as seen here: PoolMath to see how much you need for your size pool and buy it. You can get it at Lowes or Walmart. It might be called stabilizer. It will comes are a powder. Now don't add it yet as the pump needs to be running. When you do add it do it by putting it in a sock (like you wear) and hanging it in front of the return with the pump on.

You also need to get some muriatic acid from Lowes in the pool area outside. Look for the 31% kind. You will use this to lower the pH and TA once you can really work on the pool. No big hurry on this quite yet. It is a process we will work though once you can uncover the pool.

Does this help? Did I overwhelm you? It IS a lot of info! Let me know if there is anything you need for me to go a little deeper and more in detail with and I will be glad to!

Kim

Thank you for the resources. I will re-read everything. We have still been running the pump with the solar cover on to circulate the chlorine is that incorrect?

 

[kimkats]

It is best to help keep the water mixed up. Just know that your CC may be a little high with the cover being on for so long + the yuck on top may seep through a bit. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

Kim

 

[Mermaid Mama]

It is best to help keep the water mixed up. Just know that your CC may be a little high with the cover being on for so long + the yuck on top may seep through a bit. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

Kim

Hi Kim,
Really appreciate all your help so tomorrow is the day to get this mess cleaned up. Can you please tell me if this is the right order of operations?
1) remove as many leaves as possible with cover on
2) remove cover
3) backwash bc gauge says it's time (it's only been a week since last one is this normal?)
4) test FC and CC to determine if we need to slam? Or should I give everything time to mix together? We have been using the kids squirt guns to remove as much green water pockets as we can and don't see much green on top. But the solar cover is mostly underwater now.
5) add chlorine if needed
6) test pH and adjust if needed. The pH has been maintaining it's levels so shouldn't be problem. This AM it was 7.8 again
7) test CYA and look at the chart to determine how much is going in the sock. Can kids swim in pool with sock of CYA? The stabilizer says 98% cyanuric acid hydrate.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[0REDSOX7]

Im with you. Pool cover proved useless with the weight of all the water.

I am dumping anywhere between 2-3" of water each day out of the pool. Using the leaf skimmer net when I can, and running the pump six hours each day. There is still a bunch of stuff on the side of the pool / water edge (little leaves, it seems). All I am doing is adding enough liquid chlorine to keep FC at 6 and my PH, like you, has risen to 7.8. We've had 7.5" of rain per the rain gauge so far this week, with another 1-2" expected today before it finally lets up and the sun comes out (supposedly) on Saturday to start to dry all this mess up...

My CYA was 50ppm before this mess - so, I'd imagine it's dropped just a little bit. Will test when the sun is out and pool is cleaned and vacuumed.

 

[kimkats]

Can kids swim in pool with sock of CYA?

Notice I put the most important one up top!! LOL YES the kids can swim while it is in the sock in the pool. I even walk around in the pool while I squeeze the sock to help it dissolve.

backwash bc gauge says it's time (it's only been a week since last one is this normal?)

That is a little fast but it maybe fights some stuff for you so do what it wants and go from there.

test FC and CC to determine if we need to slam? Or should I give everything time to mix together?

I would let the kids mix it up for you then test. (can you tell I really want the kids in the pool??? )

We have been using the kids squirt guns to remove as much green water pockets as we can and don't see much green on top.

SO SMART!!! I bet that saves you some chlorine!

HAPPY SWIMMING!!!

Kim

 

[Mermaid Mama]

Notice I put the most important one up top!! LOL YES the kids can swim while it is in the sock in the pool. I even walk around in the pool while I squeeze the sock to help it dissolve.


That is a little fast but it maybe fights some stuff for you so do what it wants and go from there.


I would let the kids mix it up for you then test. (can you tell I really want the kids in the pool??? )


SO SMART!!! I bet that saves you some chlorine!

HAPPY SWIMMING!!!

Kim

Hi Kim so I couldn't help myself and started cleaning off the top by swishing it to a corner and hubbie sucked it up with the shop vac but A LOT of algae...which isn't a surprise after 8-10 inch of rain in 4 days. But the algae looks like coffee grinds and it's a mustard color. It wouldnt easily brush off so wiped off with a sponge and some bleach but the kind I have is a foaming and it's seems to thick of coating so silly question...how much do I need to dilute my 12.5% bleach to make a spray to clean it off?

 

[kimkats]

If you want to save the cover for next time I would go 1 to 4 bleach to water to start with AND use a stiff broom to scrub it to see if it will help it break it's hold. If that does not cut it then move to 1/2 and 1/2 bleach to water.

No worries about not waiting on me LOL I have been very busy learning about what to fill out for my RETIREMENT!!!! My head hurts but I am learning lots so it is all good!

Kim

 

[Mermaid Mama]

If you want to save the cover for next time I would go 1 to 4 bleach to water to start with AND use a stiff broom to scrub it to see if it will help it break it's hold. If that does not cut it then move to 1/2 and 1/2 bleach to water.

No worries about not waiting on me LOL I have been very busy learning about what to fill out for my RETIREMENT!!!! My head hurts but I am learning lots so it is all good!

Kim

So clean up today not going as smoothly as we hoped and not exactly sure what the problem is. The pump is gauge is yellow and indicating it wants to backwash again but we just did it last night and the their is all kinds of sand from pump in the pool. I should also note that there has been a bunch of bubbles that don't go away in the... oh forgot what it's called with the basket where the water spins around at the pump. The wood platform that everything is on is not level. I wanted to fix it but our handyman insisted it didn't matter.

 

[Mermaid Mama]

So clean up today not going as smoothly as we hoped and not exactly sure what the problem is. The pump is gauge is yellow and indicating it wants to backwash again but we just did it last night and the their is all kinds of sand from pump in the pool. I should also note that there has been a bunch of bubbles that don't go away in the... oh forgot what it's called with the basket where the water spins around at the pump. The wood platform that everything is on is not level. I wanted to fix it but our handyman insisted it didn't matter.

Ugggh tried turning it on and off. And now it's not quite needing a backwash and there is sand in that clear bubble beside the backwash gauge. See pics. Had to turn pump off bc of how much sand was being thrown into the pool. Anyone aware if this is a routine problem with new Intex sand pumps. It's like 2 weeks old and no way I am getting any parts right now from Intex bc last time I checked they are sold out of almost everything. This pool is yuck bc of 4 days of rain (over 10 inches) but water looks pretty good nothing green yet but it was all over the solar cover.

 

[Mermaid Mama]

Ugggh tried turning it on and off. And now it's not quite needing a backwash and there is sand in that clear bubble beside the backwash gauge. See pics. Had to turn pump off bc of how much sand was being thrown into the pool. Anyone aware if this is a routine problem with new Intex sand pumps. It's like 2 weeks old and no way I am getting any parts right now from Intex bc last time I checked they are sold out of almost everything. This pool is yuck bc of 4 days of rain (over 10 inches) but water looks pretty good nothing green yet but it was all over the solar cover.

FC 0.5
CC 0.5
TC 1.0
pH 7.8
TA 140
CH 125

 

[Mermaid Mama]

MOD NOTE: It turns out the Quikrete pool sand is the bad stuff again. This happened a little while ago...........it is too fine and goes straight through the laterals.

After 4 days of rain and yucky weather easily over 10 inches of rain we got started cleaning leaves and ick off of the solar cover only to realize my pump is pumping sand into the pool. We back washed a week ago and gauge said to do it again yesterday so we did. This morning gauge indicated we needed to backwash again this morning but restarted everything and now says it's better. We have had alot of bubbles swirling around but today that part is better but lots of sand. So much it put a cup of sand in the intex auto cleaner in about 5 minutes. Worried we are about to slip into needing to slam.

Temp 63 degrees
FC 0.5
CC 0.5
PH 7.8
TA 140
CH 124

After researching we were thinking we may need to take sand out of pump and look for cracked tubes? Is that what we should do next? I added a bit of chlorine after taking tests to keep it from slipping into needing to Slam. Must have started shooting sand yesterday.

 

[Richard320]

Just to be sure.... is there any possible way the hoses could have gotten hooked up backwards?

And is the same sand you used last year? No chance you put the wrong sand (too small) in?

If those aren't possibilities, then you get to open up, empty the sand, and inspect the standpipe and laterals. Some people have found that a cleaned wet-n-dry shop vac makes short work of emptying. And if it's loaded into a wheelbarrow, its easy to move and dump onto a plastic sheet for reuse.

 

[kimkats]

Lets take a close look at your filter/pump. First some questions to help me dial it all in.........Did you put the filter on rinse BEFORE you the pump/filter?

Sand-while adding the sand did you use care to make sure none of it got in the center pipe? Did you hand add the first of the sand to make sure it did not plop on the laterals and damage them?

That is called the Pump Basket or at least that is what I call it as it is the basket right in front of the pump so......pump basket. Did you add any o-ring lube to the o-ring in the lid?

This should get us started!

 

[Mermaid Mama]

Just to be sure.... is there any possible way the hoses could have gotten hooked up backwards?

And is the same sand you used last year? No chance you put the wrong sand (too small) in?

If those aren't possibilities, then you get to open up, empty the sand, and inspect the standpipe and laterals. Some people have found that a cleaned wet-n-dry shop vac makes short work of emptying. And if it's loaded into a wheelbarrow, its easy to move and dump onto a plastic sheet for reuse.

Sand is brand new and so is pump. It's only 2 weeks old. We are emptying out sand now and it's 3 inches below the minimum mark now. Hoses were on correctly just checked.