If you are draining below the skimmer you can set it to waste and it bypasses your sand filter - you are essentially performing a long back wash which won't hurt just takes longer
Still really confused...
- Thread starter callmedpit
- Start date
Hi, I misunderstood your post. If I drain the pool instead using the backwash functionality of my DE filter, - I took it as instead of...
If you are backwashing to drain, then yes. You will need to replace DE.
Sorry for the confusion
If you are backwashing to drain, then yes. You will need to replace DE.
Sorry for the confusion
Ok that makes sense, and there is a post above yours, but just to be sure...there should be a setting to bypass the filter called something like "waste" that would just pump the water from the pool without going through the filter? If so, I ran the pump on backwash for just maybe 20 seconds total. Would you still recommend replacing the DE?
I just wanted to thank everybody again for their help! After draining and re-filling, my chemistry is almost back to normal with these results:
FC: 0.6
CC: 0.4
PH 8.0
TA: 70
CH: 220
CYA: 35
I am in the process of lowering PH right now using dry acid (will switch to muriatic once I've used up what I've got). I will be raising the FC after that (just have to run and get some bleach), according to PoolMath I only need to add about a gallon of bleach to bring me up to 5ppm. MUCH less than what was needed before with the higher CYA. Once that's done, I should be completely normalized and can officially start the TFPC method!
P.S. Just sent in a donation to this site as this has proven to be a very awesome resource, I recommend any other newbies reading this do the same
FC: 0.6
CC: 0.4
PH 8.0
TA: 70
CH: 220
CYA: 35
I am in the process of lowering PH right now using dry acid (will switch to muriatic once I've used up what I've got). I will be raising the FC after that (just have to run and get some bleach), according to PoolMath I only need to add about a gallon of bleach to bring me up to 5ppm. MUCH less than what was needed before with the higher CYA. Once that's done, I should be completely normalized and can officially start the TFPC method!
P.S. Just sent in a donation to this site as this has proven to be a very awesome resource, I recommend any other newbies reading this do the same
Ok, I'm having a slight problem/confusion with FC. Based on yesterdays results of 0.4ppm, I wanted to raise to 5ppm and PoolMath is having me add 1 jug of 8.25% bleach. I did that last night, tested an hour later, and was still at 0.4ppm.
This morning I tested and got 0.2ppm of FC. Again, according to PoolMath, 1 121oz jug of bleach. I added the jug, waited about an hour. Just re-tested and I was at 2ppm FC.
What should I do at this point? The numbers aren't correlating to what PoolMath is telling me to do...
This morning I tested and got 0.2ppm of FC. Again, according to PoolMath, 1 121oz jug of bleach. I added the jug, waited about an hour. Just re-tested and I was at 2ppm FC.
What should I do at this point? The numbers aren't correlating to what PoolMath is telling me to do...
If you plugged in the numbers correctly, it sounds like the chlorine is being consumed quickly by organics in the water. I suggest you slam the pool (bring to shock level and maintain at shock level) this will kill the organics that are consuming your chlorine so quickly.
Bring CL to shock and maintain, per the CL/CYA chart: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
Details on SLAMing: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl
You have passed the 3 criteria you can let you CL level drift to normal levels:
You are done when:
CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
And the water is clear.
When all three are true, you are done SLAMing and can allow the FC to drift down to normal levels.
Make sure that your pool never gets below the CL maintain level. To keep from getting below the recommended level, I dose my pool so that FC is at least 3+ higher than the recommended level of my CYA.
Bring CL to shock and maintain, per the CL/CYA chart: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
Details on SLAMing: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl
You have passed the 3 criteria you can let you CL level drift to normal levels:
You are done when:
CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
And the water is clear.
When all three are true, you are done SLAMing and can allow the FC to drift down to normal levels.
Make sure that your pool never gets below the CL maintain level. To keep from getting below the recommended level, I dose my pool so that FC is at least 3+ higher than the recommended level of my CYA.
Do I still SLAM if I am passing all 3 criteria now? My CC is 0.4, I lost 0.2ppm FC from last night, and the water is clear...
I called the guy that built it and he said it was 18,000 gallons. A pool guy came earlier this season, estimated it to be 18,500. If I plug the numbers into Pool Math, it says 21,100...so even if this was the case I wouldn't say it's wildly off.
Something just doesn't make sense. I started the SLAM process, according to PoolMath, to go from 0.5 to 14ppm FC I needed to add 3 121oz jugs of bleach. I did this, checked the FC an hour later, it's at 7ppm. I'm at a loss for what to do. I'll check it again in a couple hours without adding more bleach and see if it's actually dropping this fast or what. The pool is crystal clear though.
Don't wait!
You are SLAMming!
The whole point of testing an hour later is to get it back to, and keep it at SLAM level.
A few more hours waiting is a few hours wasted!
SLAM it! SLAM it hard!
Physics is pretty firm: length x width x average depth=2816 cu ft comes to ~21100 gals maybe slightly shy (35 gals), no matter what the builder or pool guy say it is.
Sorry for not responding to this thread over the weekend. I was out of town for my first grandchild's 1st birthday!
It appears that you have the first part of the SLAM going correctly which is "Shock Level", but you need to "And Maintain". The purpose of retesting your FC an hour later is to determine how much more bleach you need to add to raise the FC back up to the shock level. You will be repeating the testing and adding of bleach until you are able to maintain your shock level. This process is repeated hourly at first and as you are able to hold chlorine for longer, you will be able to go longer between testing and adding bleach.
I noticed earlier you said that you have not back washed your DE filter, you should backwash when your pressure rises 25% above your clean pressure. For example, your pressure is 15 after you backwash and add DE, you should backwash when your pressure reaches 18.75 (15 X 1.25 = 18.75). Waiting longer reduces the flow of water and decreases the rate of filtration.
Also, I am getting an estimate of 21K gallons for your pool. I would use 21K when you use pool math.
It appears that you have the first part of the SLAM going correctly which is "Shock Level", but you need to "And Maintain". The purpose of retesting your FC an hour later is to determine how much more bleach you need to add to raise the FC back up to the shock level. You will be repeating the testing and adding of bleach until you are able to maintain your shock level. This process is repeated hourly at first and as you are able to hold chlorine for longer, you will be able to go longer between testing and adding bleach.
I noticed earlier you said that you have not back washed your DE filter, you should backwash when your pressure rises 25% above your clean pressure. For example, your pressure is 15 after you backwash and add DE, you should backwash when your pressure reaches 18.75 (15 X 1.25 = 18.75). Waiting longer reduces the flow of water and decreases the rate of filtration.
Also, I am getting an estimate of 21K gallons for your pool. I would use 21K when you use pool math.
The OCLT is normally done at SLAM levels -- in your case your FC was almost zero in the evening and just a bit closer to zero in the morning, which doesn't count.
I would add bleach after the sun goes down, wait 30 minutes with pump/filter running and test, then test again after another 30 minutes. That should give you a good idea whether your chlorine is being used up between adding & testing or whether (for some reason, eg big pool or weak chlorine) you're just not adding enough in the first place. All indications are that something is living in your pool and eating chlorine though.