John from Riverside Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 OK so towards the end of last summer I was ready to go Office Space on the cartidge filter on my pool......it wasn't holding pressure so i was getting no water flow......I was replacing parts....still problems.....cleaning like every other fricken day....still problems....till eventually from over use taking apart the metal clasp to the Hayward cartidge filter finally bent.....200 dollar part and I was broke......so that was the end. I shut off the pump and didn't touch the pool as winter was coming on. - Ok so now we are getting to summer and I had a swamp for a swimming pool and I knew that I had to do something or I was going to get a mosquito infestation and maybe a fine from the city. - I went down to the local pool store to see what I could do......he tried to talk me into a $800 DE filter (which I would still have to install which I didnt know how to do......I told him I was broke and couldn't afford it.....he said this is what I would be paying no mater which type of filter I went with and even if I tried to get my piece of crap cartidge filter going after all the parts it would need I was basically looking at the same price.... - As luck would have it though.....we have a friend of the family who GAVE us a sand filter.......then after I paid for all the parts needed came out and helped me to install it! I gave him some money for gas and a little money for his trouble but still far and away the most affordable scenario........ - OK so I have been running the sand filter non stop for a few days now, brushing the pool about 4 times a day, and adding shock every so often. I put in some first aid to kill the mosquito eggs which were already formed or hatching in my pool.....and backwashing when the pressure goes up on the guage and water flow goes down (by the way.....sand filters are awesome! No breaking apart the filter you just reverse the flow on the top of the sand filter for a while.....reverse it......and clean up the mess......AWESOME OK but HERE is my question.....now I have white milky cloudy water......how do I clear it up? I still cannot see the bottom of the pool even though I know things are sterilizing and the algae is getting eaten up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWVaBeach Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I also have a sand filter and it sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Each year I dump in a bottle of clarifier. It turns all the milky stuff into solids which drops to the bottom of the pool and you just vacuum it up. After a few days it'll clear up. Good luck. I'll be opening my pool the 1st weekend of May. Here's to cold beers in the pool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwchze Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I also have a sand filter and it sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Each year I dump in a bottle of clarifier. It turns all the milky stuff into solids which drops to the bottom of the pool and you just vacuum it up. After a few days it'll clear up. Good luck. I'll be opening my pool the 1st weekend of May. Here's to cold beers in the pool! Go to the pool store and get 5 gallons liquid chlorine..dump in and within 24 hours everything is clear......I do it every year when i open the pool....and yes poolside drinks all summer long.....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I also have a sand filter and it sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Each year I dump in a bottle of clarifier. It turns all the milky stuff into solids which drops to the bottom of the pool and you just vacuum it up. After a few days it'll clear up. Good luck. I'll be opening my pool the 1st weekend of May. Here's to cold beers in the pool! I bought a couple of books on cheese making this weekend. I don't know why this post made me think of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted March 30, 2010 Author Share Posted March 30, 2010 Go to the pool store and get 5 gallons liquid chlorine..dump in and within 24 hours everything is clear......I do it every year when i open the pool....and yes poolside drinks all summer long.....! I got smart this time and had my friend put a in line heyward chlorinator when he set up the sand filter......so its getting constnnt flow of Chlorine while the pump is running......so I am not sure what more the liquid chlorine would do. In order to kill the algae I have been shocking the pool the last two days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Why go through all the trouble. Would it be cheaper (chemicals and labor) to just drain and fill with new water? ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Chief Navy Pride Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I got smart this time and had my friend put a in line heyward chlorinator when he set up the sand filter......so its getting constnnt flow of Chlorine while the pump is running......so I am not sure what more the liquid chlorine would do. In order to kill the algae I have been shocking the pool the last two days. Even with the autochlorinator you will still need to put in liquid weekly. Depending on your pool size you should be looking at 2.5 to 5 gal a week. Also I am a HUGE fan of Drop Out. Put a bottle in and run the filter for 2 hours then shut it down and let sit overnight. The next day vacuum on waste and all that crap goes right out the drainage hose. Pool will be crystal clear the next day! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I bought a couple of books on cheese making this weekend. I don't know why this post made me think of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountDorkula Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I also have a sand filter and it sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Each year I dump in a bottle of clarifier. It turns all the milky stuff into solids which drops to the bottom of the pool and you just vacuum it up. After a few days it'll clear up. Good luck. I'll be opening my pool the 1st weekend of May. Here's to cold beers in the pool! I miss my pool, Damn tree fell on it during the October storm!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I miss my pool, Damn tree fell on it during the October storm!!!!! I'd probably miss the tree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Take a sample of the water to the pool store and find out what is in it. Most times chlorine, PH+, PH-, stabilizer, and "blue shower" clarifier will fix anything. Once you have it balanced, keep it maintained (tweak it regularly), and it will not cost much to keep it that way. As far as emptying the pool... mine holds 25,000 gallons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 Why go through all the trouble. Would it be cheaper (chemicals and labor) to just drain and fill with new water? ?? I have a vinal linered pool......can only take half the water out or the liner might rip when it dries........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 And I just cannot tell everyone how much I love the damn sand filter..... Last year my weekly routine was - Brush the pool in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening - a trip to the pool store at least once every two weeks trying to figure out what the problem is - every other/every third day taking the clamp off the cartidge filter......relubing the rubber rings.....cleaning off the filters......putting all back together (and getting that bolt to fig on the washer thingy and then tightening it down was a PAIN IN THE ARSEEEE.....pressure on guage is down......water flow is up.....for about a day.....repeat and repeat and repeat With the sand filter - Brush in the morning (for now once a day...when the pool is clean I cant see myself doing this more then once a week) - Keep an eye on pressure guage.....when PSI goes up. Turn pump off, turn to backflow, run for 3 minutes, turn back to filter THATS IT..... - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philly McButterpants Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 Take a sample of the water to the pool store and find out what is in it. Most times chlorine, PH+, PH-, stabilizer, and "blue shower" clarifier will fix anything. Once you have it balanced, keep it maintained (tweak it regularly), and it will not cost much to keep it that way. As far as emptying the pool... mine holds 25,000 gallons! +1 . . . You might have a pH or Alkalinity imbalance and no amount of chlorine will clear the water. On the other hand, if everything check out OK, you can use a clarifier or Flok. Sometimes that cloudiness is dead algae thats too fine to be filtered out by the sand in the filter. Flok and clarifier help it to coagulate. I've always been partial to Flok. everything sinks to the bottom of the pool, vacuum to waste, done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 As far as emptying the pool... mine holds 25,000 gallons! I am gonna simplify it a bit... Please don't fault my numbers... I am ballparking a bit. I have a water softener... So I know my average daily water consumption for a family of four. That number is about 200-250 gallons a day... Sometime higher, sometimes lower. For argument I will say 225. My water bill and sewage is around 90 bucks every 3 months. So: That is 90 days x 225 gallons = 20,250 gallons. That 20 1/4k is not too far off of that 25k gallons you use. Even if I double my water bill... Do you spend more than 200 dollars in chemicals? Even that, some villages even give you a cut rate for filling a pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWVaBeach Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I am gonna simplify it a bit... Please don't fault my numbers... I am ballparking a bit. I have a water softener... So I know my average daily water consumption for a family of four. That number is about 200-250 gallons a day... Sometime higher, sometimes lower. For argument I will say 225. My water bill and sewage is around 90 bucks every 3 months. So: That is 90 days x 225 gallons = 20,250 gallons. That 20 1/4k is not too far off of that 25k gallons you use. Even if I double my water bill... Do you spend more than 200 dollars in chemicals? Even that, some villages even give you a cut rate for filling a pool. Va Beach does. I only had to call them the 1st year I had the pool after that it was an automatic credit. It's nice when things work out correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Va Beach does. I only had to call them the 1st year I had the pool after that it was an automatic credit. It's nice when things work out correctly. My father has a in-ground fiberglass pool for almost 30 years now... Smaller one... Yet, he drains it from time to time... He does release the pressure and does it carefully while making sure to not leave it empty for too long outside of the cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWVaBeach Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 My father has a in-ground fiberglass pool for almost 30 years now... Smaller one... Yet, he drains it from time to time... He does release the pressure and does it carefully while making sure to not leave it empty for too long outside of the cleaning. Don't get me wrong. I don't completely drain my pool. Even with the help from the utility company I only drain it to just below the skimmer. I'm too cheap to go any lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 Don't get me wrong. I don't completely drain my pool. Even with the help from the utility company I only drain it to just below the skimmer. I'm too cheap to go any lower. I suppose a pool has residence time if one has have to keep filling it when water is lost. Still, I might as well jump in the river than a chemically altered soup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 We had a pool growing up that was cement. It was built in the 50's. My dad would completely drain it every so often to paint it. I remember skateboarding in it one year. There is a creek that runs right behind the pool and it flooded it one year. My brother (who now owns the property) drained it even though our dad told him not to. I creek flooded again and the pool popped out of the ground. It is now a swampy frog pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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