# Bad advice!!



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Last summer I waxed eloquent on this Forum about replacing the old sand in your pool filter with crystal, finely ground glass. I enthused about the clear blue water, the silky feel of it blah blah blah..

All was well until late this summer. Because we had such high temperatures we had a lot of algae and tbh I didn't run the pump long enough which didn't help. So by the end of October the pool water was like cold pea soup.

I tried to fix it but in the end gave in and called in a professional. He said the crystal, although fine, simply couldn't absorb the very very tiny algae particles or stop them being pumped back into the pool through the jets when I vacuumed.
So out went the crystal and back again came the sand.
We now have a clear blue pool again.
A waste of 400 euros and a steep learning curve. I hope no-one got persuaded by my enthusiasm and replaced their sand with glass. If so, I apologise.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Thanks. I need to replace my media and had thought about glass. In view of your experience, I'll stick with the sand.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

We bought our house in '94 and the sand in the filter is the same as when we moved in, having just done 21 summers. The pump is run four times a day in the summer and twice a day in the winter and purged when needed. The water has always been crystal clear. I've always been curious when reading about people needing to change the sand. Am I just lucky?


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

I thought we were lucky to have had 12 years and no sand change.
We run the pump 2 hours twice a day in Summer, 1 hour twice a day in winter on a 9x 5 pool- it's fine.
I think a lot of people just get their sand changed unnecessarily, because they read that it has to be changed every 2-3 years or so. If it ain't broke don't fix it.


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## Guest (Nov 16, 2014)

Useful posts. We hopefully take possession of our villa in a couple of weeks but as it's been unoccupied, cleaning the pool is going to be a necessary task and I am collecting info about pool cleaning.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

meetloaf said:


> Useful posts. We hopefully take possession of our villa in a couple of weeks but as it's been unoccupied, cleaning the pool is going to be a necessary task and I am collecting info about pool cleaning.


every week i the Costa Blanca News there is an advice column, ( Jolly John) which I cut out and keep in a folder.I have referred to it many times
I have also emailed the expert several times, and he has been very helpful.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

meetloaf said:


> Useful posts. We hopefully take possession of our villa in a couple of weeks but as it's been unoccupied, cleaning the pool is going to be a necessary task and I am collecting info about pool cleaning.


It's not rocket science, it can't be as I've done it well up to this recent problem. The main things seem to be running the pump for a sufficient period of time which I didn't this summer and having a regular cleaning and testing schedule and programme. I have to be honest and say that I didn't always stick to my schedule but this has taught me a lesson ad I will in future.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Relyat said:


> Thanks. I need to replace my media and had thought about glass. In view of your experience, I'll stick with the sand.


It might be best to see what others think as I'm only going by what happened to my pool.


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