# Help with cleaning pool



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Asking for help to prepare my pool for summer has become a yearly ritual...and help has always been forthcoming.
So here's this year's problem:

The water in the pool was clear but the bottom had a layer of dust. So I fitted the vacuum and proceeded to clean. I had put a lot of floculant in to make hoovering easier.

Alas, the more I hoovered the more I disturbed the dust and now I have a murky pool where before at least the water was clear even if the pool floor was dirty.

I am doing exactly what I used to do when hoovering and there does seem to be some slight suction at the point where the hose fits under the water...but none at the brush end of the vaccuum.
But after hours of vacuuming yesterday and today I have a pool with murky water and even more muck on the bottom...

Please help!!


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Is the cleaning pipe free of debris such as leaves etc? Have you turned off the sump valve and if you have a separate inlet for the cleaning pipe have you made sure you've switched off the skimmers valve(s)?? Does the filter need backwashing?


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> Is the cleaning pipe free of debris such as leaves etc? Have you turned off the sump valve and if you have a separate inlet for the cleaning pipe have you made sure you've switched off the skimmers valve(s)?? Does the filter need backwashing?


You are too technical...where would I find the sump valve?,i do not know if there is a separate inlet for the cleaning pipe..

I have three valves: limpia fondo, skimmer and fondo and another separate from these which I keep open. Dont know what that one is for, it has no label.

When I vaccum I keep fondo and limpia fondo open and skimmer closed, with pump on..

Would it help if I took a photo tomorrow? I'm about to watch El Clasico...


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

When you attach the cleaning pipe do you attach it to a small pipe usually at the side of the pool or do you plug it into the skimmer? The sump (which isn't really a sump) is the outlet at the bottom of the pool, usually near the skimmer. One of the valves will be for the jets (water out into the pool) and another for the skimmer (water leaving the pool to the filter). If you only have three valves then the remaining valve must be for the bottom outlet.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> When you attach the cleaning pipe do you attach it to a small pipe usually at the side of the pool or do you plug it into the skimmer? The sump (which isn't really a sump) is the outlet at the bottom of the pool, usually near the skimmer.


Ahh...I attach it to a pipe sticking out just under the water. The suction there used to bebso fierce it once nearly broke my fingers when I stuck them in it.
Now there's hardly any suction. .


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Ahh, ok then you have a bit of a problem. It could be a leak but you would probably notice that - somewhere. When the pump is running with the jets on, is the pressure of water from the jets the same now or is it weaker? New pump if the jets are also weak, although it might just need a service - they do wear out!! You might not be able to solve this one yourself so my advice would be to get an expert in - someone recommended in your area. In the meantime switch everything off until the cavalry arrive. You'll save some electricity meanwhile and if the pool gets green etc plenty of choro chocke will sort you out. Have you noticed air bubbles coming out of the jets? May be a seal in the pump is worn and there is air getting into the system.


----------



## olivefarmer (Oct 16, 2012)

Normal function will have the valve for vacuum turned off(shut). with skimmers and sump(bottom hole) open. hence no suction at vacuum hole.

When the pool was set up the correct amount of suction for vacuum might be vacuum fully open, sump half open and skimmers off.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

olivefarmer said:


> Normal function will have the valve for vacuum turned off(shut). with skimmers and sump(bottom hole) open. hence no suction at vacuum hole.
> 
> When the pool was set up the correct amount of suction for vacuum might be vacuum fully open, sump half open and skimmers off.


Am I right in thinking that the vacuum valve is the one marked Limpia Fondo and the sump the one marked Fondo?

If all those things are in the positions you describe and there is still no,suction, what could be the cause? The pump is working as normal as far as I can see.


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Am I right in thinking that the vacuum valve is the one marked Limpia Fondo and the sump the one marked Fondo?
> 
> If all those things are in the positions you describe and there is still no,suction, what could be the cause? The pump is working as normal as far as I can see.


That sounds right Mary. 

Back to basics, what position is the round handle switch on top of the filter? 










And you have cleaned the filter recently?


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jimenato said:


> That sounds right Mary.
> 
> Back to basics, what position is the round handle switch on top of the filter?
> 
> ...


The handle is on Filtration.

How do I clean the filter? Is it that glass covered object behind the pump motor?


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> The handle is on Filtration.
> 
> How do I clean the filter? Is it that glass covered object behind the pump motor?


To clean the filter, put it in the 'backwash' position and turn the pump on for a few minutes. Then you need to rinse.


----------



## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

I am hoping to move to Spain soon...I'm hoping to have a pool....I know nothing about pools....this thread is scaring the hell out of me!! Hahaha 

I shall continue to read on and learn .....hope you get it sorted soon :fingerscrossed:


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

The glass covered object behind the pump is the pump filter. You should turn everything to off, including the filter (stop) then undo the filter top and take out the basket and clean it. But I think what was meant is the main sand filter which you do by turning to backwash, leaving the skimmers, jets and sump valves closed, the waste valve open then switch on the pump. A small glass vial will allow you to see the dirty water as it leaves the pool and it will gradually clear once all the dirt is removed from the sand filter. Switch off, put the filter to rinse and rinse for about 20 seconds. My advice is to get a prof pool cleaner in and watch what they do, label all your valves so you know which one is which and you should be fine for ever and ever happily ever after...


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> The glass covered object behind the pump is the pump filter. You should turn everything to off, including the filter (stop) then undo the filter top and take out the basket and clean it. But I think what was meant is the main sand filter which you do by turning to backwash, leaving the skimmers, jets and sump valves closed, the waste valve open then switch on the pump. A small glass vial will allow you to see the dirty water as it leaves the pool and it will gradually clear once all the dirt is removed from the sand filter. Switch off, put the filter to rinse and rinse for about 20 seconds. My advice is to get a prof pool cleaner in and watch what they do, label all your valves so you know which one is which and you should be fine for ever and ever happily ever after...


I'll do all that. The valves are labelled, it's just that I'm not surebwhat the function of each is!


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Steve.R said:


> I am hoping to move to Spain soon...I'm hoping to have a pool....I know nothing about pools....this thread is scaring the hell out of me!! Hahaha
> 
> I shall continue to read on and learn .....hope you get it sorted soon :fingerscrossed:


There is no rocket science in pool maintenance. With help from this Forum I manage to get sorted for summer each year.

Thanks to Jerry, Simon and Snik.


----------



## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> There is no rocket science in pool maintenance. With help from this Forum I manage to get sorted for summer each year.
> 
> Thanks to Jerry, Simon and Snik.


Yes I've read that pool maintenance isn't too complicated, and becomes more of a chore, or a routine, after a while. I would probably get a firm in to start with, and then see what they do  ....and no doubt rely heavily on the knowledge of everyone on here 

Obviously swimming pools are not something the average Brit knows anything about in the UK, so it is a learning curve, but I'm eager to learn. Once I've got my head around actually what a skimmer pump, sump, backwash, etc is, and does, then hopefully it will all become a bit clearer


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> There is no rocket science in pool maintenance. With help from this Forum I manage to get sorted for summer each year.
> 
> Thanks to Jerry, Simon and Snik.


If you haven't backwashed and rinsed the sand filter as snik/thrax have described that is almost certainly the problem with lack of suction.

Be aware that it will drain water out of the pool and possibly quite quickly so keep an eye on it - I would try it for 20 seconds to see if that helps. Also, be careful not to put the switch back on to filter with all the valves closed - I'm not sure what the effect of starting a powerful pump would be with everything closed.

Finally, don't leave the rotary switch on WASTE setting when you have finished. On our pool that has the effect of emptying the pool by syphon action


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

If you leave all the valves turned off and then switch on the pump, no water will flow and the pump will quickly overheat and go bang!!


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Also worth pointing out that you must NOT try and turn the 'matrix' handle whilst the pump is running.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

snikpoh said:


> Also worth pointing out that you must NOT try and turn the 'matrix' handle whilst the pump is running.


VERY important advice, unless you don't like life much...


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> VERY important advice, unless you don't like life much...


Please explain in more detail or I shall be tempted to try it just to see what happens..

I was like that as a child, my mother said, and it's a habit I haven't grownn out of....

Seriously, though, thanks, you guys I've just had another go at vacuuming following your instructions...the murk had settled on the pool floor but there was less of it than yesterday.. I'm still stirring up dust particles but then the pool hasn't been hoovered since October and we don't have a cover for it...


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Ive always found these sheets very helpful thanks to Ken and Poolschool
Articles And Downloads - Pool Maintenance Tips & Hints


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> Please explain in more detail or I shall be tempted to try it just to see what happens..
> 
> I was like that as a child, my mother said, and it's a habit I haven't grownn out of....
> 
> Seriously, though, thanks, you guys I've just had another go at vacuuming following your instructions...the murk had settled on the pool floor but there was less of it than yesterday.. I'm still stirring up dust particles but then the pool hasn't been hoovered since October and we don't have a cover for it...


The only case I know of someone who did that, and it has to be said there may have been other causes, but the top of the filter unit tried to reach earth orbit and unfortunately his head was in the way...


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> The only case I know of someone who did that, and it has to be said there may have been other causes, but the top of the filter unit tried to reach earth orbit and unfortunately his head was in the way...


Message understood...I won't be doing that.


It was the backwash and rinse that did the trick...great suction now so when the dust has settled overnight I'll be able to hoover it up tomorrow.

Once again, thankyou all for your help..very much appreciated xxx


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

My bill is in the post. Pity I don't know your address but hopefully the carrier pigeon will be successful...


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> My bill is in the post. Pity I don't know your address but hopefully the carrier pigeon will be successful...


If you lived near us the chilled Cava and smoked salmon would be waiting..for all of you

And I mean that.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

OK...pool now clean and sparkling.
I had a think and came to the conclusion that six months of winter dust, ashes from fires and other detritus might take some time to clear and might clog up our filter...glass not sand, btw.
So I vacuumed to waste and got rid of it all.
The pool has an automatic refill so I wasn't worried about draining it.

So Steve...you need not worry about maintaining your pool. If I can do it, anyone can, unless of course there's some serious problem with the machinery.
All that is needed is a call for help on this Forum.
So..not only do I enjoy the debate on this Board, I also find it the first port of call when I have a problem.


----------



## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> OK...pool now clean and sparkling.
> I had a think and came to the conclusion that six months of winter dust, ashes from fires and other detritus might take some time to clear and might clog up our filter...glass not sand, btw.
> So I vacuumed to waste and got rid of it all.
> The pool has an automatic refill so I wasn't worried about draining it.
> ...


Glad to hear that the pool is looking good again :clap2:

I'm hoping that once this square bit of water is in front of me, with all the motors/pumps/filters connected to it, then I'll have to learn, and learn quickly!  ....but my experiences of swimming pools is limited to jumping in them as a kid, using them at the gym, and relaxing in them in a hotel on holiday.....never have I been responsible for their maintenance.

I agree, this forum is a godsend....I've even learnt something new from this thread, and being able to call on people who are not only experienced and knowledgable, but helpful too, is a great help with every aspect of living in Spain...from the move over, learning about what to do with the bureaucracy, and adjusting to the new culture that we want to immerse ourselves in once we are there 

I will eagerly await your post next year on pool cleaning...and hopefully I will be living in Spain, and have a pool of my own by then 

...is it warm enough for a quick swim now your pool is clean?


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Many Spanish around us either drain their pool every winter or just let it go dark green. In May they shock it with loads of chlorine and it goes back to normal. I just can't seem to be able to do that and besides, OH wouldn't let me...


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> Many Spanish around us either drain their pool every winter or just let it go dark green. In May they shock it with loads of chlorine and it goes back to normal. I just can't seem to be able to do that and besides, OH wouldn't let me...


Ni moi non plus as the French say...

Sandra would commit a criminal act on my person if I were in any way responsible for damaging her expensive hair job....


----------



## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

thrax said:


> Many Spanish around us either drain their pool every winter or just let it go dark green. In May they shock it with loads of chlorine and it goes back to normal. I just can't seem to be able to do that and besides, OH wouldn't let me...


When we've been in Spain over the winter, we've seen plenty of green pools...it looks terrible, but like you say, it seems standard practice for some.

On one viewing, with a particularly grubby pool, I asked if it wasn't better to just drain the pool over winter?.......I was told you should never drain it! Mainly because it's expensive to fill up, but also that it loses it's rigidity....I'm not sure how true that is?


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Steve.R said:


> When we've been in Spain over the winter, we've seen plenty of green pools...it looks terrible, but like you say, it seems standard practice for some.
> 
> On one viewing, with a particularly grubby pool, I asked if it wasn't better to just drain the pool over winter?.......I was told you should never drain it! Mainly because it's expensive to fill up, but also that it loses it's rigidity....I'm not sure how true that is?


This is quite correct. If you think that everything is in equilibrium when it's full, as soon as you empty it, there is a lot of pressure from the surrounding ground etc.

Whenever we empty ours, we try and refill it as quickly as possible. As ours is only painted, we have to repaint it every other year or so.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Steve.R said:


> Glad to hear that the pool is looking good again :clap2:
> 
> I'm hoping that once this square bit of water is in front of me, with all the motors/pumps/filters connected to it, then I'll have to learn, and learn quickly!  ....but my experiences of swimming pools is limited to jumping in them as a kid, using them at the gym, and relaxing in them in a hotel on holiday.....never have I been responsible for their maintenance.
> 
> ...


No way!! Hopefully by the end of May, though, maybe earlier? Then until mid October.
As thrax has said on another thread, the weather has been strange this month. Mid- thirties on our terrace in direct sun but chilly after dark..and not enough rain.

I'm sitting gazing contentedly at my pool which is indeed lovely and clean. Now, I am a very impractical person yet I now feel confident I can deal with all of the usual pool problems. So as I said, I'm sure you have no need to worry.

Good luck with your move to Jimena, it's a lovely place. We visited last year, had a really good meal with lots of good wine, nice unpretentious place, bill for five came to €60 with tip. 
Jimenato knows it well, he was there.


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> No way!! Hopefully by the end of May, though, maybe earlier? Then until mid October.
> As thrax has said on another thread, the weather has been strange this month. Mid- thirties on our terrace in direct sun but chilly after dark..and not enough rain.
> 
> I'm sitting gazing contentedly at my pool which is indeed lovely and clean. Now, I am a very impractical person yet I now feel confident I can deal with all of the usual pool problems. So as I said, I'm sure you have no need to worry.
> ...


Didn't realise Steve.R was going to live in Jimena. I'll look out for him.


----------



## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

jimenato said:


> Didn't realise Steve.R was going to live in Jimena. I'll look out for him.


Yes, our plan is to be in Jimena....we feel at home there now, and it has all the amenities. Plus the location is ideal, not too far from the coast, near to Gibraltar, and with the forest on your doorstep. If we end up somewhere else it won't be too far away from there!


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Thought I would ask in this thread rather than start another one but the house we have just got has a pool, 3 months ago it was nice and clean but left unattended it has lost the top third of it's water and is a bit grubby.
After reading the above comments would my best bet be to fill it up first and then start with the cleaning?
I only ask as yesterday as some local Spanish guy haranged us, my best guess is he was pestering us for work but he said to drain the pool before cleaning it.
Well to be honest I have no idea and I'm not sure he has either but I was filling the thing up before some ****** nicked our hose as that seemed the most appropriate thing to do.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

I would fill it before turning on the skimmers etc. If the water is too low, then they will only suck air into the pump!

If it's really bad, then maybe it does need emptying first. Having said that, I've cleaned many pools that had been left for ages and which seemed beyond hope.

Best of luck.


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

That was my thinking until this guy said otherwise, I don't have enough experience to say either way but I have seen worse.
We are looking for a pool fence to be installed too so will probably get them to give it a once over but I think I'll keep on filling it first and do a bit of cleaning once I'm certain the pumps are working correctly.

Here is a pic below if it helps. Sorry, it's sideways.


----------



## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

thrax said:


> Many Spanish around us either drain their pool every winter or just let it go dark green. In May they shock it with loads of chlorine and it goes back to normal. I just can't seem to be able to do that and besides, OH wouldn't let me...


Not a good idea, I´m told, if you have an in-ground pool as the surrounding earth can exert undue pressure on the sides if there is no water to counter it. My pool is in a sunken terrace (you can crawl around the sides under the pool terrace) so I thought it would be OK to leave it empty over the last winter. Wrong! I had a load of bottom tiles pop up which my Spanish neighbour (a very experience retired construction worker) told me was due to frost (probably not a problem for those living at sea level, but temperatures in the mountains where I live go below zero quite often overnight during the winter). Another lesson learnt!


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Ive seen pool much worse than your picture fill it up then shock it and run pump for 12/24 hrs and see what a difference that will make


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

A pool like that should only take a couple of days to be pristine again - not at all bad.

I've dealt with pools that have had a foot of algae and silt on the bottom!


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks all for the advice, I am going to go ahead and fill it and try and do it myself. Seems like a easy enough job once you get on top of it plus maybe the sooner it's done the sooner the house looks lived in a bit more.


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Righto, the pool is full as I have only been able to put a couple of hours worth of water a day when we have been there so if tomorrow I turn the pumps on on what setting should it be, the filter one or something else?
And I guess I need to tun the timer off too.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Timer should have been off anyway.

Yep, to filter with 'everything open' (skimmers and drain) so you get maximum flow.

I would also do a chemical check to test the pH and chlorine levels. There's no point putting chlorine in until the pH is correct.

Good luck.


----------



## theiere (Mar 24, 2015)

If the pool has just been filled with tap water? The pH will already be good so go ahead and get some chlorine in there before it goes green.
You'll need some cyanuric acid stabilser to prevent the Sun's UV from burning up the chlorine too quickly. In the chlorine tabs this is already in there but you'll need 30-50ppm so it will take time to build up to that level (roughly 3ppm stabiliser per 75mm dia tab) unless you can buy the stabiliser in liquid or granular form and add it.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

theiere said:


> If the pool has just been filled with tap water? The pH will already be good so go ahead and get some chlorine in there before it goes green.
> You'll need some cyanuric acid stabilser to prevent the Sun's UV from burning up the chlorine too quickly. In the chlorine tabs this is already in there but you'll need 30-50ppm so it will take time to build up to that level (roughly 3ppm stabiliser per 75mm dia tab) unless you can buy the stabiliser in liquid or granular form and add it.


With respect, you need to understand the problem here by having read the original post or perhaps the entire thread.

The problem is that an existing pool has gone dirty NOT that it has just been filled with tap water.


----------



## theiere (Mar 24, 2015)

Sorry if I misunderstood, it sounded like the pool was now topped up after only being able to top it up bit by bit, I had read the thread but may not have got fully to grip with where it had got to


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks for the replies.
True the pool has been topped up with tap water but it is already dirty.
My plan now is to give it a good cycle through the pumps first and then give it a clean with the vacuum that attaches to the skimmers. After that I was going to see just how good or bad a job I have done and go from there.
I have a PH kit so I can check that and hopefully when that is fine I can add some chlorine and multiaction stuff or should I maybe add it now when it's still a bit dirty?


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

I would check and then shock with Chlorine and acid and then run pump for 12hrs and see but other may know better


----------



## theiere (Mar 24, 2015)

Without some test numbers it difficult to say, if it's just dirt then filtering will help if the filters in good condition, unfortunately sand lets a lot of fine silt back into the pool adding a cube of Miraclear or Jolly gel clarifiant can help to trap the fine stuff. Other wise off the pumps and let it settle to the bottom and vac to waste but don't forget to start filling the pool first as it will get through a couple of inches of water very quickly.


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Add some flocculate tablets or liquid would help.I like the tablets just pop them in the skimmer basket they soon go. Will just need to keep and eye on the filter as will need to backwash


----------



## theiere (Mar 24, 2015)

A clarifyer such as Miraclear or Jolly gel will probably give better results as it forms a gel on the top of the filter media catching small particles in the gloop and allowing you to backwash it away.

Flocculents are a different process where the electrical charge in the flocculent attracts particles with the opposite charge, if there is no charge to the dirt it won't work very well.


----------



## ch1ckpea (Jul 22, 2015)

We are new in Spain and renting a place with a pool. I don't understand the filter system because there doesn't seem to be an outlet or perhaps I should say that I have no idea where the outlet is. What I can recall from my youth and my dad back washing is that the water used to drain out into the road and into the sewerage system through a hose of some sort. Here are some pictures of the filter. We had someone come and look at the pool and put a jolly gel into it and then he said it needed to be back washed. I did a backwash and rinse (roughly 3 minutes each). The water isn't green but it is murky. I adjusted the ph last weekend well but haven't done another test. Can anyone give some advice please?

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/members/ch1ckpea-albums-pool-filter.html


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Have posted a reply under the pictures


----------



## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

I can't see any comments under the photos, but in my view the single pipe on the right with a valve just after the right angle is the outlet pipe.


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Not sure where my comment went but thats what I thought. The valve is off at present.


----------



## ch1ckpea (Jul 22, 2015)

Thanks stevelin and CapnBilly - turning the valve on would make a good start  I will turn that on and do another backwash. At the moment we have the filter running for thirty minutes twice a day, do you think that is enough for this time of year? Cheers


----------



## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Need it on for a backwash as this pumps water out of the pool. I have mine on for 2x 1 hr in 24hrs at the moment . Depends on the size of pool and pump but think it need about 1 hr at a time for a complete cycle of water through the filter. That what I was told any how. So thing perhaps it would better to run it for a bit longer. I'm no expert just learnt as I've gone along >>>>>>>>>


----------



## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

stevelin said:


> Need it on for a backwash as this pumps water out of the pool. I have mine on for 2x 1 hr in 24hrs at the moment . Depends on the size of pool and pump but think it need about 1 hr at a time for a complete cycle of water through the filter. That what I was told any how. So thing perhaps it would better to run it for a bit longer. I'm no expert just learnt as I've gone along >>>>>>>>>


A standard 8x4 pool contains about 48,000 litres of water. Unless you have an industrial pump and filter it will not be circulating at that rate. It really depends upon the pump and the capacity of the filter. The last time I worked mine out I thought it could manage about 6-8,000 litres an hour. I would have thought that would be about average.


----------



## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

ch1ckpea said:


> Thanks stevelin and CapnBilly - turning the valve on would make a good start  I will turn that on and do another backwash. At the moment we have the filter running for thirty minutes twice a day, do you think that is enough for this time of year? Cheers


If your water is still murky then I would add the flocculante tablets you can buy from Mercadona and run the filter for at least 24 hours (you can stop it for an hour every 24) This should start to improve the clarity of the water. Either at the same time, or after 24 hours if it's not showing improvement I would shock it and continue to filter. You can buy a small 500 gram tub of chloro granules from Mercadona for about €4. This should be enough to shock an 8x4 pool. Just scatter the whole tub in the pool. This will eliminate any algae and bacteria, and together with the tablets the water should start to clear. Note, you should backwash every day.

If that doesn't work then your sand probably needs changing. I am currently running my filter for about 3 hours now the temperature has dropped following the rain.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

CapnBilly said:


> If your water is still murky then I would add the flocculante tablets you can buy from Mercadona and run the filter for at least 24 hours (you can stop it for an hour every 24) This should start to improve the clarity of the water. Either at the same time, or after 24 hours if it's not showing improvement I would shock it and continue to filter. You can buy a small 500 gram tub of chloro granules from Mercadona for about €4. This should be enough to shock an 8x4 pool. Just scatter the whole tub in the pool. This will eliminate any algae and bacteria, and together with the tablets the water should start to clear. Note, you should backwash every day.
> 
> If that doesn't work then your sand probably needs changing. I am currently running my filter for about 3 hours now the temperature has dropped following the rain.


Normal wisdom is that after putting flocculant in the pool, turn every thing OFF for at least 24 hours.

You then hoover any sediment to waste.

Now leave the pool on filter for about 24 hours.

It should now be crystal clear (in theory).


----------



## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

snikpoh said:


> Normal wisdom is that after putting flocculant in the pool, turn every thing OFF for at least 24 hours.
> 
> You then hoover any sediment to waste.
> 
> ...


I do know that some people do that, particularly if they add flocculante to the water, but the tablets I recommended go in the skimmer or the filter basket. I think they have been discussed before, and therefore they are slightly different to adding directly to the pool. Mind you, even adding directly to the pool I would still run the filter, as I believe that it is the best way to clean the water, and everything I have read says the same.

So as not to confuse the OP we will agree to disagree.


----------



## theiere (Mar 24, 2015)

Ch1ckpea,
The backwash pipe (with the extra valve on it) on the extreme right in your picture was correctly identified by others. Why the extra valve? Maybe the backwash valve (multiport) doesn't seal that well so remember to turn the extra valve off again when you are done backwashing.

You have had someone add a jollygel clarifyer? So DO NOT backwash yet or you'll just rinse that away and be back to square one.
Great you have adjusted the pH but what is the free chlorine level and the total chlorine level?

You will need to run the pump a lot more whilst you are clearing the water, then you can reduce the pump run time. 

If you use chlorine shock granules don't throw them into the pool! they will lie on the bottom whilst they dissolve and are very acidic so can damage the liner (if it's a liner pool).
Chlorine packaged products contain a chlorine stabiliser to protect the chlorine from being burned up by the sun's UV too quickly. That includes granules, tablets, choc pastilles call em what you want and all these products increase the stabiliser level in the pool and can make it much harder to maintain, requiring a partial emptying and refilling as the stabiliser isn't lost very easily and continues to build up year after year. The stabiliser cyanuric acid (CYA) should b around 30-50ppm but cannot be accurately tested with dip strips, you may get a colour change but it will not be accurate.

Products that don't contain stabiliser are HTH calcium hypchlorite and liquid chlorine (Bleach).

The filtering of pool water is a dilution principle, therefore clean filtered water is returned to the pool to re mix with dirtier water so has to pass through the filter 4 times to clean 98% of the pool so if the pool is 48m3 and you filter at 8m3/hour you have a 6 hour turnover. To achieve around 98% of the pool water to be filtered clean you need to run the pump for 24 hours.

So in short, if the water has lost it's sparkle, add more chlorine and run the pump for much longer at least until it's clear again. giving some accurate water figures will help with looking at any issues you may have.


----------



## ch1ckpea (Jul 22, 2015)

​Theire,

Thanks for your detailed response. The jollygel was added to the pool 2.5 weeks ago and although the pump ran for 24 hours after it was added, when I 'backwashed' the pool, I didn't know the outlet valve was off.


For future when I do this exercise again I will know to turn it on and then back off as you have suggested below.

Fast forward to today..... the pool has cleared up and I suspect this is because we increased the period the filter runs i.e 1 hr x twice a day but there is some sediment that is sitting on the floor that I will need to vacuum. Is it recommended that the pool is backwashed once it has been vacuumed?

I have tested the water using dip sticks (we only have these to use at the moment) although I note what you say about their ineffectiveness to indicate CYA and at some point I will test this using a test kit.


The pool is not lined (fully tiled) although we have been told that it has some calcification on the bottom. 

After using the strips to test this morning, the results are : 

0.75 free chlorine
7.0 ph
240 ppm total chlorine

The product we have for cleaning the pool is 'CTX-392 MultiAction' which seems to indicate a dosage of 2 tablets of 200g for 40m3 of water. 

I presume that vacuuming, backwashing, filling and then treating should happen in this order.

Thanks


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

ch1ckpea said:


> ​
> Fast forward to today..... the pool has cleared up and I suspect this is because we increased the period the filter runs i.e 1 hr x twice a day but there is some sediment that is sitting on the floor that I will need to vacuum. Is it recommended that the pool is backwashed once it has been vacuumed?


You should always vacuum to WASTE if there is a large build up of sediment. In this case there is no need to backwash.

If you vacuum via the filter, then you should backwash regularly.


----------



## Desiato (Jun 1, 2015)

snikpoh said:


> Normal wisdom is that after putting flocculant in the pool, turn every thing OFF for at least 24 hours.
> 
> You then hoover any sediment to waste.
> 
> ...


Yep, if you use flocculent then you shouldn't run the pump for 24 hours. Let it do its thing and then vacuum to waste as the fine particles it's capturing maybe too fine for the sand filter and can return to the pool. 

Whether the pool will be crystal clear will depend on many other factors including what was causing the murkiness. If it's just dust/pollen then he should be fine but if it is a low level algae bloom then he will have bigger problems. Shocking is often thought to be the easy fix but it doesn't always work because of the other chemicals that need to be taken into account. The easy one is getting the PH somewhere between 7.2 and 7.8. If you are renting then the shop bought PH+ and PH- will do the trick. I use acid to lower the Total Alkalinity and PH and sodium bicarbonate to raise it (TA that is, not PH) and I have 90’ pipes connected to the return jets to aerate the water to raise PH but for ease, the shop bought stuff (although more expensive) does the job. 

Only backwash when your pressure has risen by 25%. So if you have just done a backwash and the pressure gauge reads 16psi, you should backwash when it gets to 20psi. At first I was sceptical of this as my pressure gauge had been going from 15 to 30 sometimes twice a day when I had been vacuuming but I discovered my clear pool wasn’t as clear as I thought and I was having a constant battle with low level algae (that had been going on for years). Cutting a long story short, I now backwash once every two months and the gauge never gets to 19 psi and the pool is always crystal clear.

A backwash should be for 2/3 minutes (or until you can see the water running clear) but a rinse only needs to be for 20/30 seconds. 

Chlorine, this is trickier than it should be because the level it needs to be at depends on your CYA level and for most people, that's not part of their test strips. If you are renting I wouldn't worry too much about it but you do need to get a decent amount of chlorine in your pool to kill the algae which may be causing the murkiness. 

Never put chlorine tabs in the skimmer basket (it will rot the pump), always use a floater. Chlorine demands for November are way lower than August (mine is 6 times lower at the moment and will continue to fall as the temperatures do) so now is a good time to get your balances right as you aren't fighting the sun burning off your free chlorine. You also need to check the other chemical levels but I don’t want to confuse the hell out of you so will stop there but I'm happy to go into more detail if and when you need it.


----------



## Desiato (Jun 1, 2015)

That was odd, when I loaded page 7 earlier only snikpoh's post at the top was showing (maybe the page hadn't fully loaded?) and I missed theiere's excellent reply and ch1ckpeas's subsequent response.

I've got my CYA at 65 which works for me and others have found that they get a better retention of chlorine during the summer months as it protects it a little more from evaporation. It means I have to have my Free Chlorine (FC) level a little higher (between 5 and 8) but I'm fine with that. 

Your number are a bit off at the moment ch1ckpea, you need to get you PH up a bit, aim for around 7.4 to 7.6 to be safe.

Your free chlorine is too low (despite what the sticks say) but I can't say what it should be without knowing what your CYA level is because they are directly linked to each other. If I was to pull figures out of the air I'd say you want to get your FC to 3/4 as a minimum. 

Your 240ppm total chlorine is wrong I'm afraid. Total Chlorine (TC) is a combination of Free Chlorine (FC) and combined chlorine (CC). For me my FC is currently 6 and my CC is 0 so my Total Chlorine is 6ppm (parts per million). Free chlorine is chlorine that is active in the pool and roaming around freely looking for algae to gobble up. Combined chlorine is now useless chlorine because it has gobbled up the algae and is hanging around waiting to evaporate away. Combined Chlorine up to 0.5ppm is fine but anything over that means you have algae living in the pool. There's a simple overnight test you can do to see if your FC is being used up by algae but the only way to do this is to spend big bucks on a proper test kit and these can be over €100 so not the sort of money you want to be shedding out on a rented pool. Having said that, it's the most important tool for the job so without it, you may as well just stick your finger in the pool and guess what the levels are because the dip sticks are quite useless I'm afraid. That's not just an opinion but something I found out for myself when I compared their results to those of a proper test kit.


----------

