No water circulation and high pressure in the filter

@Corona

seems that your help is needed… :wink: :wink:

Hi Freya,
Ideally I need the water test results, if you are using dip strips these wont be accurate. As you use chlorine via the rainbow feeder, I really need to know the CYA stabiliser level as this could be low causing rapid loss of the chlorine. For a green (ish) pool you want chlorine and a fair amount of it, don’t waste money on flocculent or algaecide. the pH will alter with the addition of chlorine so don’t add pH correction until the chlorine is at the right level, the right level is determined by the CYA stabiliser and not a pool shop or test equipment.
Add about 4.5 litres of chlorine and keep the filtration on, time is what you need and that isn’t available in a bottle.
How are you testing your water?

Hi John,

We can’t seem to get the chlorine level up from virtually zero. We have a ph level a little above where it should be if we use the tablets, but it says the ph level is normal (about 7.2) if we use the test strips.

We added a whole 20 litre drum of liquid chlorine on Saturday and today we have put in 1kg of chlorine choc galettes. We have the chlorine feeder running on about 3.

The pool is a pale blue but refuses to clear at all. We are not putting the summer bubble cover in because it is disintegrating when we cover the water with it.

I have ordered a replacement rubber ring for the chlorine feeder as the rubber is disintegrating. I am just hoping it will come in the next week!

That is the current situation.

Freya

When we do a backwash the water comes out slightly cloudy, so I don’t do it for long. Should I be leaving the backwash to run longer?

How do I test the cya level?

You need something like this

Hmm, if you cannot get a decent chlorine reading after adding 20litres of chlorine then something is wrong, it could be a bacteria that eats CYA and leaves you with ammonia which is really hard for chlorine to burn out as it uses huge amounts of chlorine. I would carry out a test on a bucket of pool water and see how much it takes to get chlorine to hold. Without stabiliser in the water your chlorine will be burned up by the sun in a couple of hours.
I have CYA test kits in stock.

How long would it take to get a cya tester to me?

I will try your suggestion after I’ve bought more chlorine!

These are my current pool readings.

Hi John. We have got too high a chlorine level at 5, but the ph is around the 7.4 level.
The water is blue but still cloudy with a white scum on the top.
Should I abandon all hope of being able to swim in my pool this year?
Your help would be greatly appreciated or do you know someone over in France who knows how to really deal with pools?
I’ve had someone twice to look at my pool and he has twice told me it will be fine in a few days. Expensive way of getting no real help I’m afraid.

Freya

Keep up the chlorine and time will sort it. These are the differences I talk about when problems arise the difference between excellent pools and not so is the time it takes to clear up a problem.
Sorry for the delay, was travelling.

Hi John,

We got an expert pool man in who looks after the local public pools. He thinks our pool will not clear as some measurement that I know nothing about was 119 but should be 20. We are in the process of emptying the pool at least 3/4 and will then refill it. It will take forever to refill as we only have a basic hose connection to a tap, but at least if we do it overnight we may be able to swim in the pool this year!

Having been here four weeks now I am just so frustrated at not having been able to use the pool. This chap says that quite a few pools in the local area have had the same issues as mine, whatever they are. He also recommends the pool water is changed every five years or so and it must be that time for us already.

Thanks for your help. Fingers crossed things go ok from here on in!

Freys

Yes Freya, that sounds like the cyanuric acid stabiliser level. I have a tester for you and I am at the house, we might visit Ligueil in a day or so.

Regarding the level, my neighbours pool is at 120 ppm CYA and we counter this by running the free chlorine at 6ppm minimum.
The level of CYA you can comfortably use is 30- 50ppm, my pool is currently at 60ppm due to the very hot weather and I run a free chlorine level 3-5ppm.
Therefore the is no need to empty more than half the water.
20ppm of CYA is low and means an unnecessary waste of water as is changing water every 5 years.

Hi John,

I seem to be back at square one! I’m so frustrated as I now have a greenish pool despite the chlorine level being high and I think the ph level ok.

I don’t suppose you are around and could give me a crash course on how I should deal with the pool?

Because of the problem of a potential self isolation when I get back and an imminent court case for my divorce, I have had to change my return to the uk to 26th August. Frustrating.

I would really appreciate some help if you are around.

If you aren’t around, could you advise me on what chemicals I should put in the pool when I shut it up for the winter.

Thanks
Freya

Hello John,
I am going back to the UK on 26th August and planned to go into Cash Piscine in Tours to buy some liquid chlorine and whatever I need to put into the pool to leave it through the winter. I am planning on leaving the pool completely shut up in case this tit for tat self isolation goes on into October/November meaning I can’t come back again to shut down the pool.
Would I be right in thinking I need to add “hibernage”?
I no longer have a husband to hand who knew what to do and have been left with an extremely steep learning curve with respect to the pool.
I would appreciate your help.
Thanks
Freys

Morning Freya, sorry wasnt able to get online. Unfortunately I cannot visit. OH is fed up with our holidays being visits to pools. We have only just come back from a pool at Argenton.

Last time you were having someone drain and refill your pool?
Where is that now, dont waste your money in cash piscine buying chlorine, its exactly the same as BricoMarche eau de javel 20ltr biddons for half the price. Go to St Maure.
If no water has been drained, you need the full 20ltrs in one go because your stabiliser level is so high. If you emptied and refilled half of the pool you can halve the quantity of chlorine. This would be my recommendation.
Dont waste money on hivernage, its only anti algae re badged for autumn sales and notice how its not tested for unlike everthing else added. The chlorine will be used up quicker burning out the hivernage, its ok when chlorine is minimal but I havent used any in 17 years!

Hi John,

Thanks for getting back to me.

We emptied half the pool and refilled and got the chemical levels pretty much spot on. Then my brother cleaned the pool via filtration and we ended up with the rubbish going back in the pool. Should we have done it on filtration or another option?

When he left I cleaned the pool again and sent the water out to waste, then topped the pool up. The water is spot on again and clear, although the bottom is a bit dirty still.

My plan is to clean the bottom out to waste again to lower the level of the pool before I leave next week. I will take your advice and buy some equipment de navel in St. MAURE.

Do you have any advice on what I could cover my pump room stuff with over the winter? I feel I should cover up the pump stuff in the shed as I’m worried I may not be able to get out here in October/November with the way covid is going. It would be helpful to be able to buy something in bricoMarché too.

Thanks for your help. I feel as though I am very slowly getting to grips with the pool, but still have so much to learn.

Freya

Hi, if vacuuming on the filtration cycle then backwashing to reverse the flow and flush out the dirt its important to then put the valve on rinse to flush any remaining dirt before going back into filtration.

Plug the skimmer with a pool bung. Empty and remove the bung from the front of the pump and the bung from the base of the filter

Should I not vacuum on the filtration cycle? Is it better to vacuum on rinse?
I don’t totally understand how if I vacuum on filtration I stop the green rubbish going back into the pool before I actually finish the job.
Sorry to be such an idiot

You vaccum to waste if there is lots of dirt, vacuum via filtration is lf there is a little.