Will this work?

[HOF-City]

Thanks guys. I will test my water and post results tonight. What exactly would I need to do to run a DE test? Just add some DE through the skimmer? Also, how difficult is it for a rookie to change out the sand from my filter? I have no idea how long it's been since it was replaced. Thanks!

[aylad]

To DE test your filter, you simply put a cupful in through the skimmer, and then watch to see if it blows out the returns. If not, check to see if it raised your psi at all. Changing out the sand in a sand filter is very labor-intensive, but not at all hard....but there's no reason to do so unless you have something broken that needs fixing, or have just been through a baq conversion or used some chem that gunked up the sand. Sand never really gets too old to use. In fact, each of the other 3 mods is over 10 years with the sand in their filters, and I would be, too, if I hadn't replaced my filter a couple of years ago....

[PoolDoc]

What exactly would I need to do to run a DE test? Just add some DE through the skimmer?

Yes! What you are looking for, is whether the DE goes THROUGH the filter or is caught. If it goes through the filter, your filter needs servicing. Please note you MUST use pool DE for this purpose. Other grades of DE may be so fine they will go through a working filter.

Also, how difficult is it for a rookie to change out the sand from my filter? I have no idea how long it's been since it was replaced.

It probably doesn't need to be replaced, but if a lot of sand is missing, it probably DOES need to be supplemented.

Adding sand is not hard, once you get the filter open. Getting the filter open may be easy, or hard, depending. Take pictures -- phone pictures are OK for this -- of your filter and the surrounding pipe, send them to [email protected], and I'll tell you how hard or easy it will be to get inside the filter.

[HOF-City]

Cool. I will test DE through the filter tomorrow. I just got done testing my water. Here are the results.
-Alkalinity= 130
-PH= 7.2
-FC= 7.5
-CC= 1
Calcium= 400-420
CYA= 47
-I'm guessing with the Chlorine up over 7 that I should not add anything tonight? I also took out the chlorine tablets from the skimmer.
-So, pool still cloudy with a green-blue color. Noticeable stain on steps and flat portion of the shallow end floor that looks like burnt orange color.
-Thanks for all the help.

[PoolDoc]

With those numbers, adding the cal hypo through the skimmer will help with several things if the calcium dust stays on the filter. (If your filter passes the DE test, the calcium will stay). Also, with your numbers, you wouldn't want to add cal hypo to the pool: your calcium is already high.

==> Just make SURE that there are ZERO chemicals of ANY kind between the skimmer and the filter!! <==

[HOF-City]

WOW! Pools are crazy. Haha. So I

• took out all chlorine tabs I had in the skimmer,
• added Cal Hypo through it for a couple days and
• pool got to be cloud free.

I can see the entire bottom and am super happy. The water still has a green tint to it, so I decided to put some Natural Chemistry brand "Stain Free" that was laying around in a sock to rub on my stairs. Stairs instantly became bright white!! Tried the same method on a corner of my pool liner and floor and they also cleaned up like brand new! When I look at that corner, the water appears crystal clear. So, the stained liner seems to be making my water appear green. My question is, can I use this product as recommended and follow it up with "Metal Free", or should I do something else to clean my liner? Also, the "Stain Free" that I found seems to be pretty old and I feel like I read somewhere on these boards that it is not the same as it used to be formula wise if I buy it new today. Thanks!!

[PoolDoc]

Orange stained pool surfaces can DEFINITELY make pool water look green.

But, whichever Stain Free you have -- if it's lifting the stains and putting them back into the water, that is an IDEAL situation while you using cal hypo. The calcium on the filter will tend to recollect the stains onto the calcium dust that you will then be backwashing out.

So, use it up; maintain chlorine with cal hypo, and run your filter 24/7, till you are all cleaned up . . . and then for 3 or 4 more days.

[HOF-City]

Cool. I added the Stain Free, and instantly I have a multicolored Liner. I tried to distribute it as evenly as possible, but the areas in which the stain free made it down to the floor before dissolving cleaned up right away. I'm hoping that with time the stains will begin to lift on their own and the liner will look uniform. Am I able to get in the pool while stain free is present? I'm thinking I may need to get in and do some manual cleaning somehow. Also, The directions say not to super chlorinate for 24 hours after adding to the pool. Does this mean I should avoid maintaining chlorine with cal hypo within that time. I'm just wondering because I let the FC get down to around 1 before adding stain free and I have a feeling it will be at 0 if I wait 24 hours. Thanks.
-Update- Well, That didn't take long. My FC is now showing 0. Wondering how I should raise it up without having a bad interaction with the stuff I added recently.