Pool a disaster after vacation

[cbuchin]

Yes, vacuumed to waste. I thought I was going very slowly.....just stirred it up with the slightest movement. My vac has bristles all around the edge, could that be the problem? If I try again do I need to add more floc? It's been filtering for several days now since I tried the vacuuming. Pool filter pressure doesn't go up at all. Water still blue/white and opaque.


How do you make a skimmer sock? I have lots of old stockings

[PoolDoc]

Eclipse sand filter? Is that the little round one? There's a fair chance you've lost quite a bit of your sand. If it's a side mount filter, it shouldn't be too hard to open the filter at the top, and check. If you are missing a lot of sand, the algae particles will go right on through the filter (and a skimmer sock won't help either!).

If you want to test your filter BEFORE opening, it, you can add some DE powder -- a couple of quarts -- via the skimmer. If the DE shoots back into the pool, your filter needs work!

[cbuchin]

hmmmm...never thought of that. How would it lose sand? But, we've had it 10 years and never added. Foxx pool manual said it would never need more sand. It is the little round one. I'll try the DE test you suggest - I get that at the pool store? I put on a stocking skimmer sock earlier today....figured it wouldn't hurt.

[cbuchin]

Ok, just looking at your Pool Solutions FAQ about Alkalinity and read:

"My calcium hardness (CH) level is also too low. Can I raise my ALK or TA level and raise my CH level at the same time? Not unless you want to have a pool that looks like it's filled with milk! When you try to add baking soda and calcium chloride (AKA calcium hardness increaser), you almost always end up with a zone where both the ALK and the CH are too HIGH, at least temporarily. And during that brief period the ALK and CH combine to firm fine particles of calcium carbonate (limestone) that cloud your pool."

As I said before, my pool dealer said to wait 6-8 hrs between the 20 lb of each additions (and each of those increments) but I was overzealous and didn't wait more than an hour or two between additions. Based on what I just read, I'm wondering if I have a "limestone cloud". If so, does that change any of your advice?

[cbuchin]

Still waiting on the test kit from Amazon. I haven't been able to get to the store for DE, but had a question on that....if the DE does blow through showing I need to replace sand, what kind of additional problems will the blown through DE cause?

Thanks a bunch.

Chantel

[Watermom]

DE blowing through may mean your filter is damaged, not just that you need to change your sand. If it does blow through, let it settle on the pool floor and then vacuum to waste to get it out of the pool.

[cbuchin]

Finally got my test kit - the Taylor K-2006 purchased at Amazon through your link.

Results:
TA: 200
PH: 7.3
CH: 260
FC: 7.4
CC: .6

Water is still cloudy. I'm going to check the sand this weekend when I have help to remove the filter cover.
Any suggestions?

[Watermom]

Your TA is too high. Directions for lowering it: Lowering Alkalinity Step-by-Step

Also, please read: Using Muriatic Acid Safely

I wouldn't use any cal-hypo in your pool as your source of chlorine. Stick with bleach.

You didn't post a CYA reading above. Did you run that test?