Sta-Rite PD-50 With New Filter Module Question

[Rick5150]

Now that the water is no longer green, I have noticed that the pool is still cloudy and has a lot of fine whitish powder on the floor of the pool. As the water started out green I thought it was bleached algae as my cover fell in and the water was a mess this year. So with the water looking cleaner every day (meaning not green but fairly clear), I hopped in and started vacuuming it at the far end as I was vacuuming I saw that the water was getting cloudier and cloudier. I walked over to the return line and could see the stuff I am vacuuming from the floor of the pool mostly coming right back into the pool. Pulled the filter and saw a few tears in the module. So most of what I am seeing on the floor of the pool is DE not algae.

So I just received a new module to replace my 10 year old System 2 module 27002-0030S. Since the pool opening I have done several recharges which have leaked into the pool in some capacity. With the new filter in place I was planning on not recharging with fresh DE and just vacuuming the DE from the floor of the pool, keeping an eye on the pressure. The return pressure gets very weak long before the pressure reaches anything detrimental to the filter. Once I have the majority of the pool vacuumed (I expect some stuff will pass through the filter before it is coated enough to stop it) I will clean and recharge the filter with the correct amount of DE.

Does this sound logical or is there a better approach?

 

[Patrick_B]

Welcome to TFP Rick,

Perhaps you have your filter issues sorted, but there is still more going on with the pool chemistry. Do you have a test kit you can post a fresh set of numbers with?

 

[Pv2]

get the test kit recommended here and post results. might be easier to vacuum to waste (don't know if DE filters have that option) or I usually just set up a siphon if I have a lot of crud on the bottom to get rid of.

 

[Rick5150]

Thank you for the responses.

As of this morning, the water is very clear with only an 8' x 8' patch of stuff on the bottom that I could not get to because we had some running around to do on Fathers Day. Once I get that out and clean the filter, I will recharge it and re-evaluate where I am at that point. I really do need a high quality test kit to see where the numbers are though - thank you for that.

We have had the pool since July 2002 and I have been using the cheap test strips. All that usually needs to be adjusted according to these strips is the chlorine and we have to increase the pH from time to time. Except for two issues that turned out to be equipment related (leaking union causing air and leaking filter module), the water has been exceptionally clear. For me, simple is best.

Edit: My setup does not allow for backflushing or vacuuming to waste.