My sand filter sucks, new filter options?

[Unabomber007]

I can post full numbers when I get home later, but from memory:

Stabilizer: 60
Chlorine: 5

The only thing that's kinda high is pH which is at 8.2

If I were to vacuum to waste, it would probably take a week to do so as the water level would go down and down and down with vacuuming. I shouldn't have to do this as I could vacuum my pool on my old DE filter with 6 inches of muck and never have any filtration problems, the water always came out clear as a bell from the returns. I only cleaned my DE filters once a year and then only for fun to remember the process.

Last year w/ DE filter = wonderful pool
This year w/ sand fitler = I want to fill it in

The issue is NOT with chemicals, that I'm sure as I have a wonderful test set and am a chemical nazi. I'm not sure if the green stuff is algae or is some weird crud the sand filter is spewing out. I assume it's NOT algae since my leves are and always have been fine since finding this site.

Don't know the sand filter numbers as I have those at home. The pool people set it up and we haven't touched it since the install.

*backstory* Went on deployment to the Persian Gulf in Sept. Removed/cleaned DE filters for the wife before deploying. They are 100% PERFECT. Pool people come to close the pool and ALL 8 FILTERS are suddenly bad and need replaced. They tell her it will be the same price for a new filter, so she says go for it without any training/advice/options given to her. They just push the new filter and I get stuck with it. I'll be calling the pool place today as I've had enough with trying to figure this out. Unless they have an epiphany for me, I'll be buying a DE unit + pump from somewhere else.

DE filter size/brand + pump size/brand would be nice if anyone has any suggestions on what I need.

[KurtV]

[quote=Unabomber007]I can post full numbers when I get home later, but from memory:

Stabilizer: 60
Chlorine: 5
With a CYA of 60 you need to be keepingh the chlorine between 5 and 10 ppm. If it hasn't been kept consistently at or above 5 ppm that is very likely why you have the algae.

The only thing that's kinda high is pH which is at 8.2
A high pH will exacerbate the low chlorine level.

If I were to vacuum to waste, it would probably take a week to do so as the water level would go down and down and down with vacuuming. I shouldn't have to do this as I could vacuum my pool on my old DE filter with 6 inches of muck and never have any filtration problems, the water always came out clear as a bell from the returns. I only cleaned my DE filters once a year and then only for fun to remember the process.

Last year w/ DE filter = wonderful pool
This year w/ sand fitler = I want to fill it in

The issue is NOT with chemicals, that I'm sure as I have a wonderful test set and am a chemical nazi. I'm not sure if the green stuff is algae or is some weird crud the sand filter is spewing out. I assume it's NOT algae since my leves are and always have been fine since finding this site.
I think you're prematurely ruling out the most likely cause of the problem; insufficient chlorination. There are many people here using sand filters who don't have any of the problems you're describing.

...
quote]

If you don't indeed have algae, the problem may be with your filter but the eastiest and cheapest first step woould be to bring your chlorine to shock level (>= 20 ppm for your CYA level) for a few days or until the water clears and you can hold the FC level overnight. If that doesn't work, I'd open up the filter and inspect for the proper amount and type of sand (filter sand is vey fine).

By the way, have you talked with the guys who installed the filter about the problem?

Best of luck.

[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.

[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.