I have an issue that is befuddling me and I can't seem to figure out. I closed my pool Friday before last - sparkling clean as always. Water level below skimmer but above returns. The following Wednesday we got the torrential rains from Eta. I was alarmed when on Thursday afternoon and rains ceased, the pool cover was full of muddy water (never muddy before). My pool cover pump (I had to reset) did it's job, though, so all was well. On Friday, with water gone, I thought to check the pool itself and, in uncovering the corners, found my pool water to be murky and looked like muddy creek water. Apparently the muddy runoff had also made its way under the cover into the pool. So I put the pump back in service, plugged the skimmer line and set about filtering through the bottom drain, filtering always on. I backwashed a couple of times a day, but the water did not seem to be that dirty. By yesterday afternoon, three days/72 hours later, the pool is still not even halfway clean. Shallow end is cleaner but deep end is still brown - can't see the bottom. I turned off the pump yesterday afternoon thinking the clay would settle on the bottom and I could brush it towards the drain. This morning I brushed a bit at shallow end and while I could see I was moving some dirt, it appeared less than in a normal cleaning. I don't know what to do about this. Anyone have experience with cleaning up red clay? Thanks in advance.
Red clay in pool due to heavy rain - help!
- Thread starter CharleneB
- Start date
Add a bit of *pool* DE to your sand filter as that should help. Monitor your filter pressure and backwash when it rises 20-25%, and you'll have to replace the DE since backwashing will take that out.
www.troublefreepool.com
Are you brushing to move the water and brown stuff around a bit?
I had a load of brown clay accidentally dumped in my new filled water by the workers installing my pool. It took about 5 days or so to clean it out with the pump running 24/7.
Maddie
Add DE to a Sand Filter
A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
www.troublefreepool.com
Are you brushing to move the water and brown stuff around a bit?
I had a load of brown clay accidentally dumped in my new filled water by the workers installing my pool. It took about 5 days or so to clean it out with the pump running 24/7.
Maddie
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,027
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
Sand filters are the easiest filter but take the most time to clean a dirty pool.. You can get pool DE and it will catch much more and filter better... Remember the pressure will go up fast because it is working better so you will have to backwash more...
Hey, Maddie! So sorry I dropped the ball on responding to your kind assistance. Shortly after I posted this my mom got sick, got A-Fib, then had a stroke and I spent much of December with her in the hospital, and then home. I obviously let this issue drop, and just opened my pool today. I could see the bits of clay in the bottom and deep end is murky green. Put new sand in the filter before opening, slammed it, and have begun the brushing and filtering. I'm sure it's going to work. Thanks again, Charlene.Add a bit of *pool* DE to your sand filter as that should help. Monitor your filter pressure and backwash when it rises 20-25%, and you'll have to replace the DE since backwashing will take that out.
Add DE to a Sand Filter
A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
Are you brushing to move the water and brown stuff around a bit?
I had a load of brown clay accidentally dumped in my new filled water by the workers installing my pool. It took about 5 days or so to clean it out with the pump running 24/7.
Maddie
Hey cowboy casey: Thanks for the info. Sorry I dropped the ball on communicating. Life stuff. I just put new #20 silica sand in the filter today (wish I'd re-read this before and added the DE), but thanks so much for your help!
Hey, guys! UPDATE and NEW QUESTION. So via this thread you can see that I got some red clay mud in my pool last fall via the torrential rains of Eta. Opened this spring and started working on getting it clear. Four weeks ago today I changed the sand in my filter, and set about slamming, brushing, vacuuming to waste, running the filter 24/7, etc. As of two weeks ago I could finally see the bottom clearly, and it's now mostly blue, easy to vacuum up the bits that fall every day. I've been (mostly) diligent about brushing and vacuuming every day, backwashing and keeping it up to slam, though I learned that if I let it drift down a few PPM and put in fresh chlorine, it seems to clear up a little more quickly. Still, four weeks now and it's still not the crystal clear clean to which I am accustomed. I've done this with just liquid chlorine, baking soda and a little pH up, and have resisted adding flocculant which the local pool supply store foisted upon me and which I will return. I did use trichlor tabs when I was out of town last weekend but I needed a little CYA boost anyway. But four weeks? I'm thinking about adding some Clorox pool Super Water Clarifier. Current levels are: FC 10, pH 7.5, TA 90, CYA 30. What do you think? TIA