Fixing alkalinity with the BBB method in Texas

[RossM]

During a bright sunny day water looks great but not that deep crystal, sparkling blue. At night with the pool light you can really see how cloudy the water is. Any suggestions??

TA-120
PH-7.4
CH-10 +

Still waiting on the new test kit.

[PoolDoc]

If your water is blue and clear, that's usually as far as you can go with chemistry.

Really sparkling water is a filter function (at least, it is once the chemistry is right). DE is best for that, hands down. However a good sand filter that is (a) not over driven and (b) not under filled with sand can come fairly close.

Unfortunately, many pool owners are sold big pumps and small filters, when what they need is a smaller pump and a bigger filter. When you over-drive a sand filter (too much pressure differential across the sand bed) small particles penetrate the filter.

The best results on sand filter come at 10 - 12 GPM per sft of sand bed surface area. When you get up to AG filter rates of 25 GPM per sft, water quality sucks. Plus, you tend to blow sand out every time you backwash.

Ben

[CarlD]

What kind of filter are you using? Are you running 24/7 (until the algae bloom is cleared) If you are using a sand filter you may need:
1) to back wash
2) to check your sand level
3) to check if your pump is too strong for the filter


Those of us with sand filters will add a little DE powder through the skimmer, anywhere from a 1/4 to 1 cup, as much as it takes to raise pressure 1 lb.

A cheap, but effective tool is called a "Skimmer Sock" (actually that's a brand name, but they are all the same). This goes in your skimmer and greatly enhances the filtering at that point, picking up much that's suspended.

[RossM]

Hayward Super 2 pump with 1 1/2 HP, Pentair D50 Sandfilter 225 lbs sand. Sand filter was installed last year and I never really messed with it other than back flush every once in awhile for about a minute till it cleared up. Just Read the backflush instructions and this time flushed for 5 minutes and gave it a complete flush. Will see how that does. DAAA Follow the instructions!!!! Won't tell my wife about this one!!!

THANKS

[RossM]

What is DE ???

[aylad]

DE is diatomaceous earth--it's actually ground up skeletal pieces of an algae-like organism. It's ground up into almost a powder, and it's the filter media used in DE filters, which filter smaller particles than sand does. However, you can use a handful of DE in a sand filter to help get the filtering quality of a DE filter but with the ease of a sand filter. It's sold by the bag at pool stores, and possibly at your local hardware store.

Janet

[Watermom]

Take a look at this link. It describes what Janet mentioned above about adding DE to a sand filter.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3742

[RossM]

Just spoke with a lady at a nursey, that handles DE and she said that hers was the food grade type and there is a different grade for swimming pool use.

Any Input???

[PoolDoc]

There are different grades, mostly having to do with how fine or coarse the DE is. Whether her product would work in filters or not, I don't know. I can't find any DE manufacturer sites with info -- looks like Johns-Manville is no longer in that business.


PoolDoc

[RossM]

Just purchased a bag from the nursery, and is as fine as flour. I'll get to town with pool store next week and purchase DE from them.

I also read the thread from Dirtboy6 (Cloudy pool) If he has a D-60 1 1/2 hp system and is overdriven then I'm way up there with the D-50 1 1/2hp. Going to check my sand level later this PM.

I read threw the manual for sand filter but it didn't give a sand level just lbs of sand. Per an illustration it looks like and inch or two above the pipes.

Ross

P.S. Thanks for the info the other evening Pool Doc. Two other freinds also contacted me with same info. Wife been busy correcting everything. Thanks again.