Pool Question for the Pool Gurus

[SchiadaJohn]

Just purchased and moved into new/resale home (new to us), 3 weeks ago. Has nice Gunite/Saltwater pool.

Previous owner left me a mess on bottom of pool, as a requirement for closing pool was to be opened and running. Owner did get running and based on first water analysis made a half-a$$ed attempt at getting chemicals balanced. Its now good as of last weekend check and water finally cleared so I could see the all the crap on the deep end bottom.

The pool has a water fall, three inlets - deep end, shallow end, and inlet on bottom. Deep end (10') is a mess with leaves, dirt, and a several leave behind diving toys on bottom. Challenge I am facing is the pump is not moving enough water to generate enough suction to vacuum bottom? Filter has four paper cartridge filters in it. Have cleaned filters 3 times including today at car wash (water only no soap). Pool is approx. 7 years old and I would imagine if there were restrictions (in plumbing) that issue would have surfaced long ago and fixed.

I replaced filters (after car wash cleaning) and immediately had 8 psi pressure in pump and what appeared to good water flow through water fall and water outlets. I am thinking success but within hour filter pressure has increased to 25-26 and flow out water falls has decreased to a trickle.

Pump/Motor is a Pentair Single Speed 1.5 HP and appears to be wired 230v single phase.
Questions:
1. Can the motor be losing power after warming up and causing loss of water flow? Is this possibly a known issue with the Pentairs?
2. I keep getting a lot of crap in filters, suggestions on how to work around clogging the filters until I can vacuum the crap off the bottom of the pool? I can dip some of the stuff off bottom but will need to vacuum off the dirt and dead algae.

Thoughts or suggestions? Its a PITA because the pump doesn't move enough water to keep the algae from returning.

Pool Specs:
Approx. 13-15K gallons.
Its a diving pool with 10' deep end and shallow end after steps is 4-1/2" or so.
I can control the inlet/outlet water flow with install valves. Currently using the settings that were on pump.
Pool was constructed by 1 of the 2 high end builders so I am making an assumption all equipment/plumbing is sized appropriately.

 

[Melloyellovector]

Drain it, clean entire Pool out, clean the filters again, fill back up and start fresh.
Your spinning your wheels. The time wasted cleaning, chemicals, cleaning cartridges etc.

That water has to be shit if it’s clogging filters within hours
Someone could of added phos free or similar product. It works great on an already clean pool. And you’d still need to clean the filter multiple times with that If was already flawles.

Start fresh that way you know what’s what.

 

[rivermobster]

Drain it, clean entire Pool out, clean the filters again, fill back up and start fresh.
Your spinning your wheels. The time wasted cleaning, chemicals, cleaning cartridges etc.

That water has to be shit if it’s clogging filters within hours
Someone could of added phos free or similar product. It works great on an already clean pool. And you’d still need to clean the filter multiple times with that If was already flawles.

Start fresh that way you know what’s what.

+1

 

[Uncle Dave]

Vacuum to waste rather than cycling in through your filter - you'll lose a lot of water but far less than dumping all.

You can hire somebody to come by with a secondary filter and pump on a cart to speed up the process.

UD

 

[aka619er]

Mine was doing the same thing but it sounds like we have different equipment. My first thought was debris was getting past your filter and clogging your module screen prior to popups which is what mine was doing. I didn't see any mention of popups though. I find it hard to imagine the filter clogging in such a short period running naturally.

One thing I do recall prior to running a variable speed pool pump was the impellor wearing out. My pump was running almost 24hrs a day and moving near no water.

 

[JB in so cal]

Drain that stuff. With no idea what was done prior. Think public pool heebie jeebies...and gobs of suspended solids and shit...

 

[Melloyellovector]

Vacuum to waste rather than cycling in through your filter - you'll lose a lot of water but far less than dumping all.

You can hire somebody to come by with a secondary filter and pump on a cart to speed up the process.

UD

No where near even worth it! A pool in so cal area is 70-130 to fill a pool, Service guy is going to charge 300 min plus chems. Dump it, add conditioner, chlorine and acid wayyyyyyy easier and way more cost effective.
If you can’t even see the bottom and it’s been weeks or month plus of cycling water. No way that water is worth saving, shit there could be a pet cemetery in the bottom of the damn thing. Not even worth discussing dump it

Edit: I don’t know where you live so water may very well cost more. It’s all relative, in Carmel valley it can cost you a few thousand to fill a pool.
Note: unless you have taken a tape measure and physically measured the depth, and your pool was built in the last 10-15 years it’s also very likely it is not 10ft deep. In the last 500 plus Pools iv built in the last 8 years or so alone, I can recall maybe 4 that we’re 8ft deep or more and 3 of those were commercial.

 

[Uncle Dave]

My regular water bill in tier one with only 14 of 15 HCF is already 100.00 Add another 20 on top of that and you are now in the 4-500 range.

If the OP catches the cycle wrong he could jack his bill up for a whole year.

The OP need to get on the phone with his water agency as the price you are quoting can be severely off it to happens to be the summer reset cycle where sewage fees are recomputed - he could get an additional 15K of water (never seen a pool only 15K that had a 10ft deep end ) added to his sewage charge for an entire year if he happens to do it at the wrong time.

Ive rescued complete swamps without total drain and fills.

As far as the filter clogging so fast the elements could be 10 years old and clogged already even after cleaning so its hard to say Ive noticed that when old they will tend tp plug up almost immediately after a backflush.

UD

 

[Mandelon]

Could the impeller be the issue? Perhaps ran without water and has become damaged?

 

[Hallett Dave]

When you back wash the filter where does the water go?
Bite the bullet.
Start fresh.
Drain the pool water.
Check county/city ordinance as for draining pool water, where is the water going?
Clean any debris from the bottom of the pool.
Spend the money on new filters.
Refill the pool and make sure you have enough chemicals to add as the pool fills.
Use liquid chlorine.
Check your Chlorine and PH balance as the pool is refilling.
Tablet chlorine is OK but the blue flakes (for algae) in some tablets can introduces too much copper into your system.
Algaecide will do the same.
Be diligent and stay on your maintenance program and remove any leaves or grass clippings as soon as you see it.
I know it can be a pain, however, if you vacuum dirt and eradicate leaves you should have a clear and sanitary pool to enjoy.
Keep up on the chemicals.
Good luck

 

[Motor Boater]

As far as your water bill goes. Here in Phoenix all you have to do is call the city and tell them you are draining and refilling your pool and they give you a hugely discounted rate. I think they will do it for you 1 time every few years or something.

 

[Uncle Dave]

As far as your water bill goes. Here in Phoenix all you have to do is call the city and tell them you are draining and refilling your pool and they give you a hugely discounted rate. I think they will do it for you 1 time every few years or something.

Nice I hear these stories and think that thats how municipalities should operate.

When I called the LADWP to ask about a pool fill program they told me to pack sand.

UD