I ordered some borate test strips with a TF100 kit - need something to do/verify my current kit, OCD on firewood and pool water now I tried the filter deep cleaning yesterday and realized how much crap was in my sand, so I dropped $60 on sand no telling if it was ever changed out
I may be confusing DE............But I think I recall techs saying sand filters "looked" clean but were coated and need to be changed out. Worth the $60 for peace of mind IMHO.
when you pop the top cover off you can see crud build up on a sand filter. As I performed the "deep cleaning" with a garden hose on low pressing down into the sand and moving around the lateral fingers it became apparent this filter wasn't going to get clean, think like digging on a beach when you hit a level of pine needles and debris except the stink was minimal
No, I can't see where putting a finer particulate on top of a sand bed only to be backwashed out the next time you clean is worthwhile. I could vacuum 7 days a week with all the crap (literal caterpillar crap) and stuff from trees this time of year. My water stays crystal clear even with that old nasty sand that I cleaned out yesterday A DE treatment might make sense at the final polishing stages after an algae bloom. Then again could make a mess if you've dosed with a flocculent I've been reading and joined over at TFP. Some of their methods don't jive with my practices. They are dead set against flocs, algaecides, cal-hypo shock and really love their test kits (so I bought one) There are some threads where folks have dumped $100's of dollars worth of bleach (some $300+)over days of running their pumps 24/7. to just have a marginally cloudy lagoon. The SLAM principle makes sense - and maybe they promote it to beat the followers into keeping on top of their pools in the future I hate to rain on their parade and tell them $20 worth of cal-hypo and floc and 2-3days and most of their pools would be clean-clear with my methods
These were actually clean "looking" sand filters, no crud on top, it was the actual grains that had a coating on them. I was told it was suntan lotion and the like.... I am going back 20 years, but those were some of the foundations to good water back then... I have only seen DE used with extremely fine mesh screens or canister filters, I have not heard of it actually inside a sand filter.
We would pour a couple cups in the skimmer very slow and let it build up in the sand filter to clear up cloudy water. Had to be careful the pressure didn't get to high. Had to do it a couple times a day and backwash it out when the pressure got up too high. then start over again. I think we did it 2-3 times a day for a few days. It did clear the water up
I have the best pool money can't buy....my in-laws live 1/4 mile up the road and have a 20x40 in ground pool. My kids swim every afternoon...and learn to swim when they are about 1 year old.
72º...your a better man than I....I haven't been in yet but may get a dip tomorrow, had the heater on for awhile and it's close to 80º.....I prefer about 84º.
I like 84 too. grew up swimming in lake Champlain and gorges, the lake doesn't see 70 til late august! the gorges are mountain streams.. lucky to see 60.. father day last year I was vacuuming our pool to open and shock it. it was 58.. I think I need to move south of the border
That's too hot be refreshing. After these next few 90+ days I should be up to 76 - that's where I find it most comfortable to stay in for some laps. Mine might hit 80-82 in August Coldest dip was in September 64F and then right back in front of the outdoor fireplace
