looks like sand in pool...

[heatherc]

We got the winter cover off our IG pool today, and the water is nice and clear with some dirt in the deep end, no problem there. However, around the edges and on the edge of the slope to the deep end, it looks like sand has settled there. It is light in colour so is not the usual dirt from the gardens around the pool. I am thinking it is sand from the filter. Thinking back to the last summer, I always noticed a "shadow look" to the pool and always thought it might be algae, but now I am thinking it was sand coming from the filter. I assume there is a problem with the filter, but I am not sure what to check or do about it. We have never changed the sand in the filter, so I am sure it is due for that. How do you go about getting the sand out of the filter? and what should I look for when we get it out?
Thanks!

[CarlD]

If it looks like mustard-colored wet plaster then it's probably pollen. It's that time of year. Here in NJ, cars turn yellow, it runs in disgusting yellow streaks, and sets off more allergies per 1000 than you can imagine!

[Poconos]

Hi HeatherC,
I hope the images in these threads display OK. You can see how small pollen particles are compared to sand. If you disturbe the water around the stuff with the vacuum or something like that and you see a cloud form, chances are it it pollen or it could be fine silt from the water supply. If you can get a sample and look at it closely the grittiness of sand will make it obvious. If the stuff is at the shallow end you can use a basting syringe to suck up a sample. Squirt into a cup and let it settle. Sand will settle fast, pollen or silt will take a long time. If it is fine stuff then there are tricks adding DE powder to your sand filter to trap the small stuff.
Hope this helps.
Al

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=6799

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=6744

[heatherc]

..its not yellow or brownish even, it looks like fine sand particles, maybe smaller than that in kids sandboxes.

[Poconos]

What make and model filter do you have? Is it possible somewhere along the way the wrong type of sand got in the filter? Play sand is too fine and will find its way to the pool. In any case, back to the original question. Depends on the style of the filter but usually the top, which is usually a multiport valve assembly, is removed and that exposes the inside. Once the filter is drained a shop vac is the best way to get the sand out safely. Going to be a slow process as you have to dump the vac many times. You don't want to tip the filter, assuming you could, as that may damage the laterals at the bottom. On my Hayward the laterals are on pivoting joints and fold up like an upside down umbrella and the whole assembly is then lifted through the top hole.
Al

[CarlD]

You could also use a kid's beach sand shovel, but work carefully and slowly so you don't damage the laterals. When they are all clear, you can fold them up and pull them out and then just dump the sand.

It's really important to use only filter sand, which is cheap enough--I've seen it as high as $12/50lb and as low as $5/50lb. But set up right and you never need to replace it--I'm on year 7, Poconos is on year 12, 13 or 14 (I forgot which, Al).

Or you can use the sand alternatives like Zeolite--they are expensive and you have to figure out how much is the equiv of 50lbs because it's much lighter for the volume.

Personally, I don't see the point--a little DE in the filter gives the same super-clear water and $10 of DE will last you several seasons, but some people swear by it.

[heatherc]

thanks...we have never changed the sand, and have been here 15 yrs...assume it is the proper sand for the filter. Does anyone know approx how much new lateral thingy costs?

[maryberrye]

16600 IG vinyl pool
FC 5.0
CC 0
PH 7.6
CYA 38
TA high at 200 but because it's vinyl we aren't worried about that
Sand filter

We also keep getting something in the pool. Even though the water was crystal clear we kept getting little blobs of something in the bottom, never anything on the sides, just the bottom. We were worried it was mustard algae so took the steps out of the pool, shocked the heck out of it, vacuumed to waste.

What we discovered after more than a week of experimenting was, whatever it is, it is coming out of the filter. If we don't run the filter the pool stays crystal clear with no little blobs. AFter reading this above posts and the description of pollen, I think that's probably what we have. We've always had to vacuum these blobs very slowly or they cloud up and disappear into the water.

Since our filter and sand are only four summers old, we really don't want to have to change the sand, and from reading, it sounds like it wouldn't matter anyway, because pollen will just keep going through the filter. I am intrigued by Carl's mention of adding DE to the filter thru the skimmer. I read the post that he's used only 5# of DE over the last 2 seasons and was wondering, for our size of pool, how much to start with?

I should also add, we live at the end of a cul-de-sac that acts like a wind tunnel blowing everything our way, and are in the heart of the San Joaquin valley in CA, so there's more than enough pollen blowing around to explain our funky phenomenom :)

Thank you in advance.

Mary

[aylad]

Carl and Poconos, when they use DE in their filters, only add enough to increase the pressure by 1.....I'm thinking they add about a cup, but I'll have to check on that. I would backwash the filter, notice your pressure reading, then add about 1/2 cup of DE and see what that does to your pressure. If you put too much in, you can always backwash it out.

Edit: Here's a link to CarlD's procedure. Hope it helps!
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3742&highlight=Adding+sand+filters

Janet

[CarlD]

Carl and Poconos, when they use DE in their filters, only add enough to increase the pressure by 1.....I'm thinking they add about a cup, but I'll have to check on that. I would backwash the filter, notice your pressure reading, then add about 1/2 cup of DE and see what that does to your pressure. If you put too much in, you can always backwash it out.

Edit: Here's a link to CarlD's procedure. Hope it helps!
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3742&highlight=Adding+sand+filters

Janet

Start with 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Wait 20-30 minutes after adding it and check the pressure. Enough to raise it 1 to 2 lbs, max. If you don't get a full lb increase, add a little more. I use about 1/2 cup myself.

If you use to much you'll see drain and return pressure will drop and the dial will go up. Simply backwash to clear it out.

You'll need to add more DE after you backwash--every time. But don't worry--I'm still on my first 10 lb box after 3-4 years!

[maryberrye]

Thanks a bunch aylad and Carl :)

[heatherc]

we have trouble with pollen on occasion as well...I find using a skimmer sock works wonders to trap the finer particles.
in regards to sand in my pool, everything is back in order now, new sand and all. Looking forward to nice clean water!

[CarlD]

we have trouble with pollen on occasion as well...I find using a skimmer sock works wonders to trap the finer particles.
in regards to sand in my pool, everything is back in order now, new sand and all. Looking forward to nice clean water!

Yeah, I do the same thing. Skimmer socks and DE in the sand filter are two things that give INCREDIBLE bang for the buck in terms of their effectiveness. If I spend $15/season on both combined that's a lot! Particularly in the spring when the pollen is downright vicious, the skimmer socks make a HUGE difference and you don't have to backwash nearly as often.