Filter keeps clogging up??

[LIL_WILL]

I have a hayward perflex de filter system (ec65a) with a hayward 1.5 hp pump i just open the pool added earth to it and it "cloggs" up my pressure goes above 30 like instantly so i cleaned the filter again and it was down around 10 and then about after 10-15 mins its back up to 30?? Pool is about 28k gallons?? Help please

[PoolDoc]

Is your pool green?

Live algae stops up DE filters almost instantly: kill the algae, and you'll be able to filter. On a 28K pool, a dose of 10 gallons of PLAIN 6% bleach, added in the evening, should get you started in the right direction if (a) your stabilizer is not WAY high and (b) you don't have enormous piles of algae on the bottom.

I'm guessing, though, you don't have a good test kit, and don't really know what's in your pool. So, read the test kit info page in my signature. Then check to see if the Walmart's in YOUR area have the HTH 6-way kit (it's the ONLY good kit that MAY be available locally): HTH 6-Way Test Kit (http://www.walmart.com/ip/HTH-6-Way-Test-Kit/17043668). If you can, get one; if not, get a cheapie OTO kit somewhere. And then, order your K-2006. (The HTH 6-way is also made by Taylor, and is compatible with it.)

[LIL_WILL]

not so much green as cloudish green... but i did notice i cant keep my cholrine up i just cleaned my filter and added the bleach...what is a good way to clean the filter ive been just rinse it off with garden hose...should i try a pressure washer??

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Not really green more of like a cloudish green...i cleaned the filter and added bleach and 15 mins later the filter was back up to 30 from like 15...could it be that im not cleaning the filter right...all im doing is spraying it with the garden hose..would a pressure washer be a better bet? Or could i just need to buy a new filter?

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Also there is like a brownish film that is on the top of the pool in the 2 corners and in the skimmer?

[aylad]

Pressure washer is not a good idea, from what I've read--garden hose is much better.

The green in the pool, as Pooldoc said above, is what's clogging up the filter, so you have to kill off the algae before you can get it filtered out. Algae and sunlight will both eat up chlorine, so it'll require multiple additions of bleach to keep your pool at shock level--problem is we won't know what your shock level is until you test for CYA. So...just to reiterate what Pooldoc said, get a good set of test results on your water (drop-based, please--no strips!!) and post those along with a list of what you've been putting in the pool, and we should be able to help you from there.

[PoolDoc]

I can't check on this now -- Hayward's website has crashed.

HOWEVER, in general, DE filters are plugged in minutes by live algae. To solve the problem, you need to kill the algae.

Also, I'm skeptical of your gallons figure: an EC-65 would be seriously undersized on a 28K gallon pool. It's very common for pool owners to have inflated estimates of their pool volumes, often because of misleading sales information. What are the actual DIMENSIONS of your pool?

[LIL_WILL]

16ftx 33ft goes from 3ft to 10ft...the only reason im saying 28k cuz the lady and the pool store had the old owners info stored in the computer so..idk..the filter does like kinda old idk..i will be buy a hth test kit tom.

[PoolDoc]

16 x 33 oval (?)

=> ((8^2)*pi* + 17 * 16) * 2.7 * 7.48 = shallow volume => 9,500 gallons
=> ((8^2)*pi* + 17 * 16)/2 * (9.7-2.7)/2 * 7.48 = deep volume => 6,200 gallons (assumes break at 1/2 length of pool)

Total estimated volume ~ 15,700 gallons. PF:7.5

A Perflex EC65 *is* big enough for a 15.7K gallon pool.

[LIL_WILL]

rectangle pool

[PoolDoc]

Liner pool, or concrete? (I've never heard of a 16x33 rectangle liner).

Anyhow:

=> (33 * 16) * 2.7 * 7.48 = shallow volume => 10,600 gallons
=> (16.5 * 16) * (9.7-2.7)/2 * 7.48 = deep volume => 6,900 gallons (assumes break at 1/2 length of pool)

Total estimated volume ~ 17,500 gallons. PF:7

A Perflex EC65 *is* acceptable for a 17.5K gallon pool.

[LIL_WILL]

Its a liner pool maybe im measuring it wrong

[PoolDoc]

90% of the time, the volume figure pool owners are given is inflated . . .

[LIL_WILL]

ok i just bought a hth 6 test kit at wally world...readings are as followed
total cholrine- 5
br-10
ph- 6.8
total aklanity- 60ppm
there was no hardness (the water didn't turn red)??
cyanigic acid - 70ppm

hopefully this helps also i got stuff floating all over the pool at the top could this be the dead algea if so how can i get rid of that or should i just let the pump take care of it?

[Watermom]

If you have a CYA of 70, your shock level is 20ppm. (See the Best Guess Chlorine Chart in my signature below.( You are going to have to buy a Taylor K-2006 to be able to measure chlorine readings that are that high.

Your pH must be above 7.0 as any readings below that are acidic and can damage your pool. Add some 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle at Walmart.) Aim for 7.4-7.6.

Also, you don't have any bromine -- this is a chlorine pool.

[LIL_WILL]

what about the dead alage floating on the top of the water?? how should i go about removing that

[PoolDoc]

If the algae in the pool is dead, turn the pump back on.