Need help...still cloudy after more than a week...very hard water

[2inthecountry]

Your picture looks like my filter/pump but is is Premium Blue instead of Carefree. Don't know the difference offhand.

I got DE and added it. It "poofed" some out of the return, then cleared up. Pressure is 25 lbs. which is normal as far as I know. (Don't remember where it was last year.)

Waiting to see if there is an improvement...

[PoolDoc]

Your picture looks like my filter/pump but is is Premium Blue instead of Carefree. Don't know the difference offhand..

Probably a sort of private label for your retailer. This likely means you can use Waterway parts.

I got DE and added it. It "poofed" some out of the return, then cleared up. Pressure is 25 lbs. which is normal as far as I know.

The pressure is too high -- that suggests your pump is too big for your filter. That's very, very common on AG pools. The DE test results would suggest that your filter does have some problems, but is still working well enough to capture the DE, after the first batch 'sticks'.

You might try another cup -- if it does not 'leak', that's confirmation of my interpretation.

Regardless, you'll get better filtration if you slow the water down, by putting a valve in the line between the pump and the filter, and throttling it somewhat. Your filter has also probably been losing some sand during backwashes and is a bit low.

[2inthecountry]

Hmm...the pump and filter came together in the same package.

I wonder if the sand is "channeling"?

[Watermom]

Hmm...the pump and filter came together in the same package.

Also very common. We see this all the time on the forum ---- people who bought a pump and filter combo as part of an AG pool package that were badly mismatched.

[PoolDoc]

Channeling can ALSO result from an oversized pump.

You have to understand, pool dealers want to sell pools, more than they want to sell pools that work. American customers tend to be much more impressed by "MORE HORSEPOWER" than they are by "BIGGER FILTER"! Plus it's cheaper to 'upgrade' to a 1.5HP pump from a 3/4 HP pump, than it is to upgrade from an 18" filter to a 24" filter.

[2inthecountry]

So, not sure what to do but wait at this point. Pool water is still cloudy. Could I go ahead and change the sand and see what happens? Surely the biguanide is gone by now? Sock with more chlorine?

[PoolDoc]

Yes, probably.

And that will also answer the question, "Have you lost sand, because of the oversized pump?"

Be *sure* to use labeled filter sand . . . do NOT get Quikrete sand from Lowes, etc.