Vinyl Liner Feels Like Sandpaper

[geno1005]

Yikes...I see that now...somehow I got 10 in my mind. The filter is a Hayward S-200? Everything over there was installed in 2004 with the pool. We changed the sand mid-last-season.

There's no one around the house most of the day, so adding chemicals may be a mostly before work/after work option. I could check it at 6 or so when I get home and again at 10 or so before I retire for the day, if that additional 4 hour check in would make a difference? Otherwise it's likely a 7am and 7pm until the weekend.

Dumb question for some reason I'm sure, but my water utility charges $6 per thousand plus a few pennies in tax per thousand gallons. Would replacing some mass amount of the water expedite this process? Seems like $60 (plus $5 or so in taxes & fees) to replace 10k gallons of the 'troubled waters' would make a difference, with some financial payback in fewer gallons of precious chlorine and a huge payoff in stress relief. That may be a really bad idea...just asking.

I suspect that staring the SLAM also makes this not a good time to do that also even if there were some value to doing it.

Just seeking to understand better...

Thank you.

 

[mknauss]

Your last CYA was 40. You need at least 30 ppm CYA for the SLAM. So a drain may not help unless you were thinking it might reduce something else?

Try to add more often each day than twice. Even the three times (7am, 6 pm, 10 pm) is better, but adding some chlorine mid day will greatly speed up this process. No one home, at all?

 

[geno1005]

I work 35 miles away...and have been home until this week but no longer. I don't know that I have anyone who can take the measurements, figure out the right amount of chlorine and put it in the pool, especially in work clothes that can be ruined by a drop of bleach.

I really appreciate the help....Our season for the pool is so short here, especially once you take the short school break into account....that being on the 18th day of working to clear it up it's starting to represent a material percentage of the whole season. By this Saturday I will have spent 3 of the 12 weeks that we typically have time to use it fighting with it.

Is it possible that at 16 years the pool and all of its various pieces and parts have just gotten so old that it won't work anymore and should consider just filling it in?

 

[mknauss]

Is it possible that at 16 years the pool and all of its various pieces and parts have just gotten so old that it won't work anymore and should consider just filling it in?

I cannot see why. The liner can wear out. All equipment can wear out.

Of course, you only got your test kit yesterday, so in reality, you only started the SLAM process today.

 

[geno1005]

So here we go...day 19 of completely cloudy water...no chlorine loss overnight....right at 16 this morning where I left it last night. Water was at best the same, perhaps worse. So the pool was at a 10 all day yesterday, elevated to a 16 last evening, so it has been there for another 14 hours. Is it ok that there's absolutely no improvement so far? Getting very nervous...even more frustrated. Thank you.

 

[mknauss]

Brush the pool when you can and raise the FC to SLAM level as often as you can.
If you would like, post a picture of your pool. May be seeing the characteristics will help the members provide you advice.

 

[geno1005]

I had someone run by and grab a couple of shots of the pool....I'm not sure if you can tell anything about them or not. The water is just kind of milky. It has been perfectly blue for almost two weeks...the first time I ran the dolphin the bag had hints of green...not so when I did it again last evening. It did come back with a few more leaves than I thought were still in there from my initial sweep of the pool.

I can't see them, but then again, I can't see even see the fluorescent colored dolphin beyond a depth of about 4 feet. The substance on the walls is still pretty much at a standstill...gone from as far as we can reach from the top, so it's not coming back, but still there below that...still seems to be on the vertical surfaces only. Can't find any evidence of it on the bottom or even the sloped surfaces. Of course I haven't been to the bottom of the 8' end, so I can't say for sure.

Filter was less clogged this morning than yesterday, so I have left it alone for now. I think I have a defective pressure gauge so I'm going to replace that today. For some reason I can't get more than a single season out of those things. Must be buying a bad brand.

That's more information that you probably wanted or needed...but hopefully something will help.

Thank you again for helping with this situation. I've had the pool for 16 years...and have never experienced the level of difficulty in getting it clear...even 1/2 as long as this year... thus my frustration and concern that something 'bigger' is wrong.

t

 

[mknauss]

What type of filter do you have? Can you add some more information and specifics to your signature?

 

[geno1005]

Hayward S200...also added this to my signature line. I've been able to check the pool more often than normal today...so I added chlorine at 6:30, around 10:30 and again about 15 minutes ago...both times during the day it had fallen from 16 to about 12. Brushed the pool a bit early this morning, and a lot within the last half hour. Keeping the faith! 8

 

[mknauss]

OK -- How long has it been since you deep cleaned the sand in the filter?

Be sure to wait until your filter pressure rises by 25% over clean pressure before you back wash.

If you are not seeing the pressure rise after a day or so, then go look at how to add DE to a sand filter.

Stay at it!

 

[geno1005]

I need a better functioning pressure gauge (is it normal for those to die every year?), but a couple of mornings there was NO water running through the skimmer that I could see at all. This morning wasn't nearly as bad. The whole Corona thing makes going anywhere a 'life and death' decision it seems so at my age I'm trying to minimize my trips into public places, which has led to putting off a few things that I would have normally gotten fixed more quickly. Pressure gauge has been one of them.

The sand was replaced mid-last summer and nothing has been done to it. Historically I haven't had to touch it if I change it each year, so I've never read the section here that deals with that. The last time I cleaned existing sand was years ago with a product recommended by the pool store...not sure if that's the recommended course of action here or not. I'll go read that section. It's just never been a thing, the water was clear all summer if I changed the sand. That 'change the sand every year' was a recommendation of the pool store, so that may not even be necessary...I just kept doing it because I had clear water.

I will go read the DE section...I have no experience with that whatsoever. Didn't even realize you could put that in a sand filter.

Do I recall that filter cleaning products require you to shut off the pump for 24 hours, maybe? Is that going to work alongside the SLAM? Or do I need to try afterwards if the SLAM doesn't work?

Thank you.

 

[mknauss]

If you are changing the sand, which is totally unnecessary, you do not need to deep clean or clean it with any potions.

A working pressure gauge is very necessary. If you do not wish to go out, order one from TFTestkits.net.

 

[geno1005]

Every online option is going to take a week to get here...is that ok...or is it important enough to just 'be brave' and go get one somewhere locally?

I had no idea that deep cleaning the sand was that simple.

So to make sure that I understand, are you suggesting that I should--or shouldn't give that a try right now--given the amount of stuff that has been/is still in the pool? I didn't get the pool closed until November last year, so it probably ran for 5 months on the new sand, if that matters? The S200 has all those bolts to remove to split it in half, but I'll gladly do that to move this process along if it will help...

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

I would not see a reason to deep clean the sand. No floc or clarifiers used, correct? Those tend to clump up or solidify the sand.

You need a pressure gauge. How you get it is up to you.

 

[geno1005]

OK...will stay the course for now with just the SLAM for now. Lots of sweeping today. No improvement in the first 24 hours...pool is back at a 16, presumably for the night...crossing my fingers to awake to progress tomorrow!? I appreciate your patience with me during this process.

 

[geno1005]

Day 20 of cloudy water--...third day of SLAM...no water clarity change. No better, no worse. Substance on walls--still gone from where we scrubbed it off (not reforming that we can tell), not leaving in places we didn't. Vertical surfaces only.

Pool was at 15 ppm this morning, loss of only 1 overnight...replenished at 7:30...added more at 10:30. Big storms predicted today, first since the SLAM, if that matters? Pool has had 15 hours of sun every other day so far. Long June days! Still sunny here so far today and probably till mid afternoon.

I've found a way to stay here with it today and tomorrow to maintain the chlorine levels. Extensive brushing yesterday (most so far), none yet today, will attempt that at lunch time. Water in skimmer moving well (unlike the two mornings that it stopped flowing overnight) and my mission is to try to find a pressure gauge in my small(er) town that doesn't take 8 days to get here if I can sneak away form work stuff for an hour or so.

Thanks for your patience with my daily saga...keeping the faith that today's the day!

 

[mknauss]

If you had a pressure gauge you could add DE and start to filter more fine material. What is your plan on a pressure gauge?

 

[geno1005]

If I can sneak away from my work commitments for an hour...and if I can find one in my fairly small town...the goal is to go on a mission for one today. Otherwise I guess I order one and wait a week for it. Couldn't find any that guaranteed delivery any sooner...and my current experience is that things are showing up on the last day, not the first day, of the window. Hopefully there's one here in town and that problem will be solved.

That said, presuming success, what sort of stores tend to sell DE? Just pool stores?

 

[splashpad]

It looks like you have Walmart and possibly a couple of pool stores?
The filter pressure gauge might be at the pool store...
Pool Filter DE can be purchased at Walmart or hardware stores

 

[mknauss]

You can also use cellulose filter fiber/aid product if DE is not available or in very large bags.