Filter not doing the job?

[PoolDoc]

Did someone here suggest a skimmer sock for you? They definitely won't remove algae.

Cellulose fiber may gum up your sand, but you can remove it when you work on the filter. Doing so is a pain on top mount filter -- you have to cut the plumbing, before you can unscrew the valve!

There's a good chance your pump is too big for your filter, and has been blowing sand out every time your backwash. You'd have to give us actual pump and filter model numbers to be sure.

[gogolion]

Yes, earlier in this thread someone suggested skimmer socks. Luckily the guy at the store steared me away from that.

Here are my model numbers:
Pump: Pentair model SF-N1-1-1/2A/340039
Filter: Pentair Tagelus, Part #145241

Please let me know if they are mismatched.

This equipment was all installed this year by a pool company. I'm probably under warranty if it is malfunctioning or was installed incorrectly.

[PoolDoc]

Pump: Pentair model SF-N1-1-1/2A/340039 = 1.5 HP Pentair SuperFlo (curves)
Filter: Pentair Tagelus, Part #145241 = TA60D 24" top mount sand filter, maximum desirable flow, 45 GPM

To give you a comparison, I run a 36" filter (2x the filter capacity) with a 1.5HP Hayward Super pump which has the same curve as your pump . . . and it is PLENTY big enough, even though it has to run a high restriction fountain!

You'd probably be better off replacing the impeller, diffuser, and seal, and dropping back to 3/4 HP performance. You'd cut your electrical bill by 35% or more . . . and you'd be able to filter fine particles. As it is, you have so much flow and pressure, you just force the fines through the filter!

[gogolion]

So what should I do? Call the company that installed the equipment at the beginning of the season and tell them they sold me a pump that was too big? Of course they're going to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm kind of in a bind here.

Oh and BTW, on the side of the pump it says it is 1.65HP.

If I go to a smaller pump will that give me less suction when I vacuum?

[gogolion]

The craziest thing happened yesterday. I called the pool company and they said someone would call me back today. Then last night I went out to add some bleach and I noticed no water was coming out of the returns. The pump was running but didn't seem quite right. I turned it on and off and no difference. Finally, I looked at the pressur guage and it was up about 10 psi!!! So I backwashed and afterwards it seemed to be all working fine. I'm at a loss. The pressure never went up for days and days and then all of a sudden it goes up by 10psi in a matter of hours? Is that normal? I'm so frustrated with this pool I'm ready to fill the darn thing in!

[gogolion]

Finally some progress!!!

With the help of my son I've managed to keep the chlorine level in my pool above 17 since last THursday and we've been brushing whenever we add bleach. Yesterday the pool FINALLY looked blue instead of green! Today I can actually see the bottom of the pool in the deep end. I'm going to keep going with the high chlorine levels until the water is completely clear.

Since the water is getting clear I assume my filter is actually working, but I am still seeing 'residue' on the bottom of teh pool every morning. When I started attacking this it was an even layer, but over the past couple of days it seems to have changed such that it accumulates into various areas around the pool into "piles" if you will, rather than a smooth layer. Once the water is clear if the residue doesn't go away I may try vacuuming these "piles" rather than just brushing them up.

Thanks for all the help. I'll try to report back when things are all clear.

[aylad]

Good job! Keep going with the high chlorine levels until the pool is clear AND until you can go from sundown one night to sunup the next morning without losing more than 1 ppm of chlorine, AND your CC = 0. The residue that you're seeing is probably just dead algae, and can either be brushed up so the filter can get it, or when it's over you can just vac them to waste.

Keep up the good work!