Sand all over bottom of pool?

[mariane]

And, I just checked CYA and pH....CYA appeared to be 30 tops? I always have trouble with that little black dot, ugh. And pH was back up to 8, after lowering to 7.6 last week. Is the SLAM messing with that? I have some stabilizer in a sock in front of return right now, but what is best way to deal with pH while SLAMing? I feel like one thing gets better and 3 other things get worse. This is where pool ownership seems overwhelming to me?

High chlorine levels will give a false high pH reading during a SLAM so you are probably good. Adjusting the pH to normal levels before a SLAM is best and you had it at 7.6 last week so it is probably good.
The CYA is probably good at its level now because increasing your CYA too much will cause you to have to use more chlorine to get to SLAM level.

Just for FYI: Today I've been SLAMing the pool all day. Started off at 10.5 this morning. Added to get to SLAM which for me is 16. A couple of hours, I checked the chlorine level and it dropped below the SLAM level. So I add more and get it to a couple numbers above. I'd taken it up to 16 and 2 hours later it was down to 14 after vacuuming and brushing. So you see how the SLAM is important to keep it up high, checking it frequently till the pool is clear. Its still cloudy but improving, much clearer than this morning but I have to stay on top of it.

As TFP says "You need some P.O.P. = pool owner patience.

 

[Jamie A 14]

High chlorine levels will give a false high pH reading during a SLAM so you are probably good. Adjusting the pH to normal levels before a SLAM is best and you had it at 7.6 last week so it is probably good.
The CYA is probably good at its level now because increasing your CYA too much will cause you to have to use more chlorine to get to SLAM level.

Just for FYI: Today I've been SLAMing the pool all day. Started off at 10.5 this morning. Added to get to SLAM which for me is 16. A couple of hours, I checked the chlorine level and it dropped below the SLAM level. So I add more and get it to a couple numbers above. I'd taken it up to 16 and 2 hours later it was down to 14 after vacuuming and brushing. So you see how the SLAM is important to keep it up high, checking it frequently till the pool is clear. Its still cloudy but improving, much clearer than this morning but I have to stay on top of it.

As TFP says "You need some P.O.P. = pool owner patience.

This all makes sense, thank you! I just went by the Detroit Zoo exit Saturday, was visiting my sister in the area, and we went down to Detroit Fleat in Ferndale ?

 

[mariane]

Vacuumed twice today. There is still stuff on the bottom...in addition to the brown sandy colored stuff, also noticed some black flecks that look like larger grain sand size. I went over and over with the vacuum. I am getting soooooo frustrated. I feel like I must be doing something wrong, and my hub is tiring of the pump needing to run constantly. (He has never been the one to maintain the pool, and he doesn’t see a problem with a little stuff on the bottom. I am the anal one). I don’t want to stop after all of this, but I am thinking something else is going on. Also, we haven’t had water back up into our waste/backwash tube like it has lately. It isn’t all the time and isn’t always very much, but tonight I noticed the tube was pretty full. I had vacuumed to waste first, then to filtration, then backwashed, so not sure if just moving the valve so many times will do that? Oh, and our pressure gage doesn’t work, is cloudy, and we’ve no clue how to change it.??‍ Where in Michigan are you Mariane? Can’t you just stop by and take care of this for me???

Earlier in the thread one of the mods asked if you checked the spider gasket. Is it sealing properly? Is it torn or kinked?
When turning the multiport handle, always go in the same direction. It's possible turning the multiport handle in different directions each time could damage the spider gasket.

You also don't need to backwash your filter until the psi goes up 25%. A little bit dirty sand filter works better when not backwashing frequently. If you don't have a lot of stuff on the bottom, you don't need to backwash.

 

[mariane]

Oh, and our pressure gauge doesn’t work, is cloudy, and we’ve no clue how to change it.??‍

The gauge should just unscrew and you screw a new one on. The ones that have a liquid inside - glycerin - are the best ones to use.

 

[mariane]

This all makes sense, thank you! I just went by the Detroit Zoo exit Saturday, was visiting my sister in the area, and we went down to Detroit Fleat in Ferndale ?

I am in Oak Park just a mile or 2 away from Ferndale. You could stop by and take a look at our Poolside Oasis.

 

[Jamie A 14]

Earlier in the thread one of the mods asked if you checked the spider gasket. Is it sealing properly? Is it torn or kinked?
When turning the multiport handle, always go in the same direction. It's possible turning the multiport handle in different directions each time could damage the spider gasket.

You also don't need to backwash your filter until the psi goes up 25%. A little bit dirty sand filter works better when not backwashing frequently. If you don't have a lot of stuff on the bottom, you don't need to backwash.

It seemed to look ok when I checked the gasket. Nothing appeared worn or torn, and lubed with pool lube as well. I don’t always go in the same direction, though. Good to know that. Guess I’ll just keep an eye on it.

 

[mariane]

It seemed to look ok when I checked the gasket. Nothing appeared worn or torn, and lubed with pool lube as well. I don’t always go in the same direction, though. Good to know that. Guess I’ll just keep an eye on it.

Our Doughboy filter requires you put a cap on the discharge/backwash port so it won't leak much. Also, so you checked the spider gasket after it seems like more water in the backwash hose?

 

[Jamie A 14]

Our Doughboy filter requires you put a cap on the discharge/backwash port so it won't leak much. Also, so you checked the spider gasket after it seems like more water in the backwash hose?

We checked SG back when we first started to open pool, due to what we thought was sand in pool last 2 years. We removed all sand from the filter to check for cracked laterals and checked the SG. I screwed the top back on, but not quite tightly enough bc it leaked then some. We took it back off, put pool lube on, and screwed it back on. It seemed relatively ok with just slight leaking after a back wash. Last night it was much worse and the handle was hard to turn. Wondering if something got pinched. I ordered a new gasket that will arrive tomorrow.

 

[Jamie A 14]

OK, I am about over this. Two weeks of SLAM, filter running, and still I have enough debris on the bottom of my pool to say so. Yes, it’s less than we started with but no matter how well/much I vacuum, it’s there again. Ugh, I am just done. Can anyone relate??

 

[mariane]

Yeh, I can relate. Just finishing up our SLAM now, probably one more day. We do have sand (polymeric sand from the deck) in our pool and it doesn't vacuum up. I seem to just push it around. We also have the last traces of algae on the bottom that cloud up with vacuuming and brushing, FC dropping after several hours.
So enough about me . . . . .

Were you able to get the multiport handle to move easier on the filter?
And the spider gasket is good?
Are you backwashing less and finding the backwash hose not leaking?
Did you get a new fluid filled gauge so you can backwash only when the psi increases by 25%?
Are you vacuuming daily before you brush?
Are you keeping the FC level at or above SLAM at all times as best you can to kill the algae ?
Were you able to try using DE to get the last bit filtered?
Does the water look clear?
Can you pass the 3 criteria: clear water, CC <.5, and pass the OCLT (lose of no more than .5 to 1 FC overnight)?

Sounds like a lot of work to get the pool sparkly.
So if you can say yes to all of the above then you would be done. But if can't could you be missing something? Since you've had this algae stuff on the bottom of your pool for the last several years, it will probably continue to plague you.
I hope this helps and encourages you. But I also understand the frustration.

 

[Jamie A 14]

We got a new gauge and gasket yesterday, haven’t installed either yet. I haven’t moved the MPV at all and nothing is leaking. I am trying to stay on top of SLAM level but also trying to prepare for graduation open house ??‍. The water is very clear, and it’s just small random spots all over that never seems to vacuum up. Maybe it is sand and we just need to live with it. I am ok with it at this point. I will sort of test the OCLT and see how it does. It just seems obnoxious to have been doing this for TWO WEEKS?. But I know you know how I feel!!’ Thanks!

 

[mariane]

I feel your pain.
Congrats with the graduate!