Swiming Pool Problems

[kevinsmith73]

I have a swimming pool with a Triton II sand filter and an Aqua Rite salt chlorination system.

The pool was installed in 1996 and the Triton 2 sand filter is the original filter. The Aqua Rite system was installed new last fall. A pool company installed the new salt system and replaced the pump.

It worked great last fall and through the winter even. It was crystal clear. But this past month, the pool turned murky green in about three days.

Currently there is intermittently little or no circulation. You can set the pump to backwash, then back to normal, and the circulation will increase for short time, but then decrease to a slow flow.

There were a few leaves in the pool from last fall, but I would assume these would be negligable.

My pool guy said that my Aqua Rite computer board is shot, but I feel that this is not the case.

Can anyone give me some troubleshooting hints to find out what this could be?

Any help would be appreciated. I am an unlearned novice.

Thanks,

Kevin Smith

[gfretwell]

How can a bad board plug up the flow? Are there computer controlled valve actuators in there? If the pump is running and water isn't moving, that is a plumbing problem. I would start with the filter. Is it plugged? I have a cartridge so I don't know much about sand but it is still just a filter that should be passing water freely. If the pressure "in" is low you could also have a "spun" impeller on the pump. They just thread on and if it got jammed it can strip the threads. That may allow it to spin enough to move some water but nowhere near the normal capacity of the pump

[tom]

[dcd416]

Also, a filter will not remove much of the algae that it still alive and will slow down the flow. You say it works as it used to after you backwash? If so, the impeller should be ok but always keep it in mind. Sounds like no CL- is being fed to the pool. At least, not enough. A good CL- shock should turn the water a cloudy blue without any filtration. An adjustment in pH to one side of normal and then back may help the CL- react more aggressively. ,Finally, if all this is the case, then the CL- generator needs a fixin'.

[Sacramento Dave]

I have a Aqua Rite system also, Are you still shocking the pool? Do you check the water chemistry? ( chlorine level) The salt water system with the chlorine generator dose not even come close to generating enough Chlorine, they make it sound like it when you install one. My pool is hitting about an average of 85 degrees I,m shocking it once a week. I do not think you have a filter problem, also clean the Turbo cell.

[kevinsmith73]

We are still shocking the pool weekly and checking the water chemistry. However the pool company gave us shock on a blue bag one and in and orange bag the next week. We called the Aqua Rite manufactures and they said we needed to use a specific shock for salt systems.

Is this right? Do we need a specific shock for salt? If so what type should it be? Thanks for your help.

[kevinsmith73]

After two weeks of treatments the pool has turned a cloudy blue as DCD above mentioned. There is slightly more visibility. However the flow is still intermidiate.

[Smokey]

Kevin,

I may not fully understand your situation, as I know very little about the Aqua Rite system, but you may have another problem or two. You say that the sand filter is the original from 1996. Have you changed the sand? It should be changed every three to four years, or it will not filter properly. There are filter cleaning chemicals that may prolong the life, to get throught the year, but, if your sand is older than four years, it probably needs replaced. If there is a knowledgable Pool supply store in your area, take them a water sample and have it tested. Tell them everything you have posted, and anything you may have not posted.

[Sacramento Dave]

I use the same shock I used before I converted to salt. I also stay away from home depot/Lowes shock. My pool did seem to get cloudy from them, but it did go away. One thing I found about the whole pool thing is you have to find a decent pool supply that's not trying to sell you stuff you don't need. My first few months with the pool I went to Leslies there national CO. it turned to be the worst of them all.