My sand filter sucks, new filter options?

[Unabomber007]

I haven't talked to the filter guys yet, but I plan on it tonight. I will try to bring the pH down and shock the heck out of the pool today.

It's just darn frustrating as I NEVER had any issues with my old DE filter. With it, it would filter everything and ask for more. Backwashing every 5 minutes is not my idea of good filtration.

I have no idea about the new unit as when it was installed my wife got ZERO training and not even a manual, which I had to download. The manual really, really sucks as it doesn't go over anything. I don't even know how to open the unit and look/check the sand or any of that.

[mbar]

Did you check to see if anything in the filter is broken? Here is a thread that you may want to read:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...en+sand+filter

[duraleigh]

Unabomber,

I'll bet if you post where you live, someone will happily purchase that filter from you. You'll cut your losses and get what you want......it should sell easily for a fair price.

[Unabomber007]

Went to the pool store yesterday.

Bought some pH down (yes, I overpaid, but I digress) and some floc. Added the floc, but apparently I got the weak, watery stuff as the WalMart brand works MUCH better. Looks like I'll have to go to WalMart today and get the good stuff. Anyways....

The pool store guy kind of agreed with you folks that it's probably a sanitation issue more than a pump issue. So I shocked the ever living hell out of the pool. I'm sure it's over 20ppm now. I'll check it later today and add some REAL floc, recirc, and vacuum all to waste either late tonight or tomorrow.

I REALLY hope this is the cure and I just need to keep my chlorine levels higher than I have been in the past.

The pool store guy was talking and talking and talking about phosphate levels though. Having been here for awhile and absorbing everything....what the heck are phosphate levels? Sounds like the newest pool store money making scheme to me. He also looked at me funny when I told him I use WalMart bleach for chlorination.

[Spensar]

If I understand it correctly, the deal with phosphates is that they are food for the algae and the idea is to reduce the food and starve em. Pffft, quicker, cheaper and easier to just kill the algae with chlorine instead of adding another chemical to the soup. If algae is growing your sanitation level is too low for everything else anyway.

LOL. If the pool store asks about chlorine, I tell them I use sodium hypoclorite. Most stores know prefectly well bleach is a lower concentrate of the same stuff they sell.

[Unabomber007]

Update!

Thanks to you folks, I think my issue was with sanitation vs. cleaning ability. I shocked to 20 ppm (highest I've EVER gone in my pool) and now hold the chlorine between 5-10 and all is well. Chlorine level seems to drop about 5 ppm/day though, which seems kinda high???

My pool has been crystal clear for a week now and I think I just need to keep it at/above 5ppm now. Previously though.... 3 ppm used to be good for a non-green pool, but I guess maybe my stabilizer levels were lower in previous years.

[KurtV]

That does seem high; you may still have some lingering algae that's consuming your chlorine.

[li34436]

I have the same problem. I have owned an above ground 33' round pool for a year. Everytime I got it blue, it would turn green in 2 days.Spent hundreds in pool chemicals. I finally, finally...changed the pool sand and added a sand cleaner. Pool was blue and stayed that way. I was very diligent on testing,chlorine levels ect. I live in south GA.

Over the winter my electric line was cut. No pump for a week.Pool was greener that green. Took me a week with chemicals no my pool is blue. BUT, My filter is still blowing out green. I changed the sand twice! The green is not as dark as it was, but it is noticable. It will blow out green for a second then blue. I use both the backwash and rince cycles. I have been putting a hose when I 1st start the filter back up, in front of the blow out to get rid of the green. I put CYA last season, I think I need to put some more.

Pool hold aprox 25,000 gallons water and pump takes 4- 50lb bags.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks,

Lisa

[CanuckPool]

HI Lisa, sounds like you have to post some numbers

FC, TC, CC, CYA, pH?

[CarlD]

Yes, you must post numbers. You cannot fix a sick pool without testing the water.

You're going to need to keep your free chlorine at shock levels, maybe for as long as two weeks. If it drops you will back to square one. You cannot do that without a proper test kit.

We have lots of stickied threads on how to do this. Please read them.