Silt on Steps and Outs

[mphare]

The pool is:
13,500 gal gunite
Aquarite Salt/Chlorine generator
DE filter, Polaris 280
Waterfall (2~3 ft) and a bubbler on a tanning ledge. (constant aeration)
There is moss rock copping around half the pool and standard flag stone around the other half.
The pool is 3 years old (about to start the 3rd season)

My chemistry has always been pretty good (some issues this year, but I'm getting those under control)

pH 7.5 ~ 8 (constant raise in pH over the week, add muriatic to lower)
TA 100 ~ 150 (add muriatic in columns to lower)
CH 200 ~ 400 (It's been on the raise lately, still trying to figure that out)
TC/FC 1~3, CC 0
Salt 3000 (from the Goldline controller)
Just got my Taylor TK, so I never tested CYA before this season.

From the first day, I've had a constant depositing of brown silt or very fine dirt on the steps, the tanning ledge and the outs.
I've attributed this to new-pool dirt on all the moss rock, or maybe it's being blown in, but it's pretty constant. I need to sweep it off every couple of days.

Now the pool is several years going and I don't think I can blame dirt from fresh moss rock anymore. The only other source is it being blown in

-OR-

is there another reason?

[mwsmith2]

That needs to be vaccumed to waste. I've had similar problems, and basically, it's too heavy to stay in suspension to get filtered out. Once you vac to waste, you'll be good to go for another 6 months or so. :D

Michael

[mphare]

Thanks for the rely.

I guess I need to learn how to vacuum to waste.

All I have is a connector in my skimmer for the hose (I've never used it). That's going back into the system, not to waste. (unless I don't understand what 'vacuum to waste' means)

Do I do this while backwashing?

[mphare]

A quick search tells me some backwash valves have a 'waste' setting.

I have a simple Jandy push-pull backwash valve, it's either up or down. Is there a way to do a 'waste' setting with this type of valve?

[waterbear]

The pool is:
13,500 gal gunite
Aquarite Salt/Chlorine generator
DE filter, Polaris 280
Waterfall (2~3 ft) and a bubbler on a tanning ledge. (constant aeration)
There is moss rock copping around half the pool and standard flag stone around the other half.
The pool is 3 years old (about to start the 3rd season)

My chemistry has always been pretty good (some issues this year, but I'm getting those under control)

pH 7.5 ~ 8 (constant raise in pH over the week, add muriatic to lower)

Pretty much standard prodedure with a SWG

TA 100 ~ 150 (add muriatic in columns to lower)

Your TA numbers look fine but if you want to lower them check out this thread. Adding a colum of acid doesn't really work effecienly!
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=191

CH 200 ~ 400 (It's been on the raise lately, still trying to figure that out)

Are you by any chance shocking with Cal Hypo? Have you tested your fill water's hardness? Some flagstone has a high calcium or iron oxide content. Your numbers look fine in that range also.

TC/FC 1~3, CC 0
Salt 3000 (from the Goldline controller)
Just got my Taylor TK, so I never tested CYA before this season.

From the first day, I've had a constant depositing of brown silt or very fine dirt on the steps, the tanning ledge and the outs.

Possibly dead moss? Step and ledges are notorious for not having the greatest circualtion to move stuff off of them.

I've attributed this to new-pool dirt on all the moss rock, or maybe it's being blown in, but it's pretty constant. I need to sweep it off every couple of days.

Now the pool is several years going and I don't think I can blame dirt from fresh moss rock anymore. The only other source is it being blown in

-OR-

is there another reason?
Just some ideas for you to consider. You might want to post some more exact numbers from your next test with the Taylor kit. It will help know just where your pool is right now.

[larry2338]

That needs to be vaccumed to waste. I've had similar problems, and basically, it's too heavy to stay in suspension to get filtered out. Once you vac to waste, you'll be good to go for another 6 months or so. :D

Michael

Wish it were always that easy. I have the same problem with silt and even after vacuuming to waste, it's showing up again in 2-3 days.:confused:

[dep78737]

Not sure of the source, some rock (like mine) continues to erode a little even a couple of years after construction.

Maybe the bag on the Polaris is not fine enough to hold the silt. I think they make different ones. Fine silt is probably the only thing my suction-side Navigator excels at. You can manually vac to the filter but may have to backwash sooner. That's basically what a suction side cleaner does anyway.

[mwsmith2]

You could try using some nylons (make sure your wife is out of them first!) as a fine filter material, then put the silt bag over that to give it some strength.
I've known that to work pretty well.

Michael

[Theusla]

I have silt in my pool all the time. It just keeps coming back. I think it is coming off the sandstone coping. I thought about sealing it to see if it would help.