To drain or not to drain

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Pool looks real nice! Almost there.

P.O.P.....Pool Owner Patience

 

[IceShadow]

Pics without pump running

Those lights look like the larger removable lights with niches to me. The holes around the outside let water behind, so that the fixture stays cool, but it means algae can be lurking behind them. Do they have a screw at the top holding them in place?

Those intake/suction ports look like they might harbor algae too. I'd get in the pool with the pump off, get the screws and covers off, and scrub inside there. Might find algae there too. EDIT: Pump off is for safety. Without the covers, they pose an entrapment hazard if something covered them and the pump tried to suck in whatever it was.

 

[Jon_P]

Pool looks real nice! Almost there.

P.O.P.....Pool Owner Patience

Thank you! You’ve been a valuable contributor

 

[Jon_P]

Those lights look like the larger removable lights with niches to me. The holes around the outside let water behind, so that the fixture stays cool, but it means algae can be lurking behind them. Do they have a screw at the top holding them in place?

Those intake/suction ports look like they might harbor algae too. I'd get in the pool with the pump off, get the screws and covers off, and scrub inside there. Might find algae there too. EDIT: Pump off is for safety. Without the covers, they pose an entrapment hazard if something covered them and the pump tried to suck in whatever it was.

The light does have screws all the way around but it also has silicone between the wall and light. You can see it when close up. So that makes me hesitant to pull it off while the water level is over it.
I will take a closer look at the other covers today and pull off.

 

[IceShadow]

The light does have screws all the way around but it also has silicone between the wall and light. You can see it when close up. So that makes me hesitant to pull it off while the water level is over it.
I will take a closer look at the other covers today and pull off.

OK, if the other screws are all the way around, then it could be that water doesn't get behind them. I couldn't see from the photo - looked like open holes, like the kind of light I have, which is like this one:

White Traditional Pool Light - 300 Watt - 120V - 50 Foot Cord - 78428100

This pool light is a 120 Volt 300 watt white incandescent light with a 50 foot cord and is manufactured by J&J Electronics. It is designed to replace the Pentair AmerLite incandescent pool light part number 78428100.This 300 watt white incandescent pool light features a premium grade 316...

www.poolweb.com

If yours has silicone all the way around it then it must be different. All you can do there is scrub carefully around them to ensure no algae is hiding around that silicone seam.

 

[Jon_P]

OK, if the other screws are all the way around, then it could be that water doesn't get behind them. I couldn't see from the photo - looked like open holes, like the kind of light I have, which is like this one:

White Traditional Pool Light - 300 Watt - 120V - 50 Foot Cord - 78428100

This pool light is a 120 Volt 300 watt white incandescent light with a 50 foot cord and is manufactured by J&J Electronics. It is designed to replace the Pentair AmerLite incandescent pool light part number 78428100.This 300 watt white incandescent pool light features a premium grade 316...

www.poolweb.com

If yours has silicone all the way around it then it must be different. All you can do there is scrub carefully around them to ensure no algae is hiding around that silicone seam.

Attached pic is a close up of the light. I can see the screws in the white housing around the light but I’m wondering if the holes in the silver have screws in them and the silver part is what releases. I can’t see screws in the silver. If they are in there, they are deep set.
Also, I pulled all of the return housings and they all are clean with the exception of the one screw hole in the pic. I have them all soaking in bleach now.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

It looks like my pool light that has a single screw securing it on top. The bottom is held in place with a retaining bracket. Does the top hole look different? From the pic it looks like it's countersunk for a screwhead. Maybe the screw is missing?

@1poolman1, what do you think?

 

[Jon_P]

Here’s a pretty good top down pic.
All of the screws in the white housing are set the same. There are screws in every hole.
Now on the silver trim, it does look like the top hole is different than the others.

 

[IceShadow]

Yes. Pull on the silver ring. Not the outer white ring. See if it lifts out and what is behind it.

 

[Jon_P]

It looks like my pool light that has a single screw securing it on top. The bottom is held in place with a retaining bracket. Does the top hole look different? From the pic it looks like it's countersunk for a screwhead. Maybe the screw is missing?

@1poolman1, what do you think?

Exactly what it was. The screw on the top was missing.
Pulled out as much as I could and brushed behind it. Didn’t see any growth.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Great!

On to the homestretch...hopefully.

 

[Jon_P]

Lost another 2FC overnight

 

[Jon_P]

Try to collect some- If it’s gritty, its sand- if it poofs, its algae.

It poofs.
I don’t think the sand filter is doing it’s job.
Comes back every morning

 

[Mdragger88]

It poofs.
I don’t think the sand filter is doing it’s job.
Comes back every morning

It’s algae- keep slamming.
You can also add a little de to the sand filter to try & catch smaller stuff if u are there to babysit & backwash when pressure rises 25% or so over clean pressure.

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.google.com

Also, is that an auto cover? Have u cleaned the underside of it? If not, you should. Got anymore algae hiding spots (unused vac port or something)?

 

[Jon_P]

It’s algae- keep slamming.
You can also add a little de to the sand filter to try & catch smaller stuff if u are there to babysit & backwash when pressure rises 25% or so over clean pressure.

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.google.com

Also, is that an auto cover? Have u cleaned the underside of it? If not, you should. Got anymore algae hiding spots (unused vac port or something)?

We are keeping on with it! Day 6.

Had to go to the HD to pick up more LC and for grins I took water with me to test at Leslie’s because they are next door.
They tested and told me
My chlorine was too high and then told me to stop using LC and add tabs back to the pool. They said you will never get the results you want with LC. I then showed them the picture of the clear pool. They said well if you use LC you are going to have to add all these other chemicals to keep up and our tabs do it all for you.
I stopped with the discussion there and just said thank you. Wasn’t an argumentative conversation at all but you can seriously tell there is a push for their products!

Oh and they also told me that losing around 2 or 3 FC overnight is normal for this area. They said it’s the heat.

 

[IceShadow]

They’re wrong.

Algae is still hiding somewhere. Have you had a chance to remove and scrub those suction port covers?

 

[Jon_P]

They’re wrong.

Algae is still hiding somewhere. Have you had a chance to remove and scrub those suction port covers?

Yes. We removed and soaked all of the returns in bleach. Only saw one spot on one drain that looked like algae but also looked like rust stain. I posted that picture last night.
We have scrubbed all of those and also inside the returns which were clear. Also scrubbed around every jet and they all looked ok.
Also scrubbed in skimmer and on back of skimmer door and behind light.
The auto cover is outside of the pool and does not work. It has its own compartment behind the pool.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

To account for testing inconsistencies, you might consider bumping up FC to 18-20. You may lose a little more FC during the day, but it will buy you a little insurance.

Keep it up!

 

[Jon_P]

Update day 7:
Feeling pretty good today!
Only lost 1 overnight but could also be .5
It was one of those times that the test water seemed clear and I could have stopped but it also looked like it had just a tiny bit of pink and then I dropped one more drop and it barely changed or could be my eyes this early.
Im going to keep the levels up today and give it another day.

18 gallons so far- 4 of 12.5% & 14 of 10%

 

[Mdragger88]

Better safe than sorry How’s the water looking? Can u tell heads from tails on a quarter in the deep end?