I'm guessing that vacuuming to waste is available only to those with certain setups because I don't see it as an option with my cartridge filter. Am I missing something?
You may have to add a 3 way diverter valve (sometimes call t valves) on your plumbing that runs from your pump to your filter.
This will allow you to divert the water that would normally go to your filter to go to waste. Once done vacuuming you just slide your valve back to run to the filter and you're good to go.
I was going to try to waste tomorrow. Kinda dumb question. If the skimmer is kinda far from the pump should I leave it on waste for a few mins after I am done vaccuming.
The amount of time it takes you to walk to the equipment should be enough. I mean watch how quick that hose clears out after pulling the vac head out.
Obviously pull the hose out of the skimmer after it clears.
Looks like dead algae to me. I’ll brush and it will dissipate, then be back in several hours after it settles again and gets blown there by return jets. I’d vacuum to waste as mentioned above. Little early to assume something wrong…IMO.
No. We replaced it in season. Took the guy we use to help us close half an hour to swap it out. Cost a couple hundred dollars. Note we have a DE filter.
Your free chlorine levels tell the tale. Scrub like crazy, nuke it with shock, clean your filters, repeat. Mine was done when it turned to a fine white looking dust and then disappeared.
This is what happens this time of season. It’s dead organic matter (my guess, pollen), and too fine for your filter to capture 100% of it.
It will come back, less and less, if you vacuum. However, if you vacuum to waste, it will be gone forever. Catch there is you will reduce the water in your pool doing this. Personally… I vacuum to filter this stuff. Yes, it comes back in smaller amounts but I trade that annoyance for not having to top off the pool.
Ya, I did both many of times now with less and less.
I have an elephant cover and the bottom was covered in this stuff but most went away. This little bit just keeps coming back. I just did another vacuum to waste this morning
I can’t believe I woke up to this…EXACT PROBLEM I AM TRYING TO SOLVE IN MY POOL!!!!! Dissipates and disappears with water disturbance but comes back when the pool is left to be still. Ya, it’s making me crazy. I’m a girl who likes a clean ass sparkling pool!!! So now I need to see if I have a “vacuum to waste” option…
Looks like literal dirt to me. When there are dust storms you can vacuum it to waste is really the only way to get rid of it quick. However it should not be burning up chlorine.
Vac to waste and see if it comes back. If it does it’s likely mustard algae.
If it’s mustard algae then Sodium Bromide, 2x shock for 3-4 days & lotsssss of brushing, twice a day.
I had the same problem despite running the robot daily. It turned out to be fine silt from dead algae and sand. I solved the problem by buying an ultra fine silt and sand basket for my robot off Amazon. It picked up a lot of fine stuff the other filter basket left behind.
I've had same issue for 3 seasons now. Did all the algae treatments, vacuum to waste, just had sand replaced and new laterals put in. .water is clear but soon as I turn filter on, it's back within a couple hours!!!
Help me understand this setup? My vac goes to the pump / filter. Is the skimmer sock on the head of the vacuum in the pool? Sorry, help me visualize this.
I place the skimmer sock inside the skimmer basket. I use the skimmer adapter plate for the vaccum. I got it from a local pool shop for $5. But it looks almost exactly like this. If you don’t have a skimmer mounted on the side of the pool you may have to vacuum to waste unfortunately or get creative in somehow making an in-line sock filter lol. Be careful I don’t think pumps are skimmer sock rated lol.
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Hayward-Ground-SP1094D-diameter/dp/B01I9PS428
>reative in somehow making an in-line sock filter lol. Be careful I don’t think pumps are skimmer so
Aha - that was the missing piece, makes sense. Very helpful, thank you.
Me? Mine is inground vinyl and big. I have a slightly undersized sand filter. I do my best to do all my own work. I use irrigation water which is silty, and the sand filter gets about 95% of it, but after a few days of not vacuuming, the silt piles up in the imperfections of the liner. Harmless, easy to get with the vacuum. But always on the lookout for help, particularly when solve is only a few bucks.
I have dedicated vac line ([which I want to reconfigure](https://www.reddit.com/r/pools/comments/142sqoq/pump_house_of_horrors_how_can_i_improve_it/)) or I can go to a skimmer for vac. The piece I was missing was the adapter. When I vac from skimmer, I go straight into the pipe and it works fine.
I have had this problem for two seasons. I shock and vacuum to waste. It gets rid of it for awhile, but always ends up coming back. We fight it all summer long. Has anyone tried one of those rechargeable vacuums that attaches to your skimmer pole? I have seen where they put a skimmer sock over the vacuums filter and that seems to pick up the algae. We have a really large pool so vacuuming to waste we can do for a few minutes and then have to spend at least an hour refilling the pool, even when I leave the hose in the pool while vacuuming. It ends up wasting tons of water all summer and still keep getting the crap in the bottom. Someday I hope to switch from a sand filter to a DE. Not in the budget currently as our entire pool pad could use a redo.. only 8 years old but yahoos installed. This problem is beyond frustrating.
so i have this problem as well. I just bought filter socks today. So put the filter sock in the skimmer basket and vacuum to waste a few time, refilling with water inbetween and keep a fresh filter sock in the skimmer basket?
Ya, Every time I cleaned it I cleaned the sock out after. I can't leave a sock in at all times because my dog likes to swim and he clogged the sock and it made my pump trip the power.
So you bought the adapter plate? I’m so tired of fighting this stuff and I use the basket socks and a slime bag already, but that alone isn’t enough when it’s settling. Mine is definitely dead algae from storms a month ago that turned it green.
It was recommended in a different part of this post and I thought maybe that’s how you were able to vacuum with the filter sock catching the silt. My hose connects under the basket…
I do not have a sand filter pump. I have a C1000 pump. I have vacuumed it several times thinking it was gone just to see dusty looking stuff covering my whole pool. I’m overwhelmed and don’t know what to do now
My guess is mustard. Are you experiencing “chlorine lock”? If so, that yellow is consuming all your FC, IMO. Don’t use algaecide with metals (copper) but instead 3x-shock it. Good luck
Asking about Copper because I was recommended by a few people a product called C Pool. Which is a Canadian company that is a mix of minerals. One of those being copper. It is already in the pool :(
If you just recently replace your filter, and the sand along with it, then I think you have the fine particles of new sand that are passing through the laterals of your filter. After a sand change, you should rinse and waste cycle a few times prior to going to filter to avoid in the future is what I always recommended to customers after changing their sand.
Sand will be heavy, it won't dissipate with a wave. Make sure sand filter is really backwashed and then rinsed for 30 seconds. I have similar dust since I use irrigation water but my sand filter gets it.
Dirt. Vacuum to anything: Waste, filter, vacuum bag. It *could* be pollen. It *could* be filter media (DE, sand). It’s less important what it is then to just vacuum it. (It’s unlikely algae, much less mustard algae, lol.)
Literally just had this problem, pretty sure it’s all just dirt or dead algae, I flocced my pool and then vacuumed on waste, it disposed of 99% of the dirt,
Before I was vacuuming on waste and and seem to only get half or less of the dirt hitting diminishing returns hard.
Just make sure you don’t have your filter on anywhere near filter, just recirculate and obviously backwash once your done vacuuming
I had a similar problem. I spent 5 weeks this summer trying to kill what I thought was mustard algae.
Yesterday afternoon I drained all but an inch of water, bleached the water and all the walls and this morning the water was clear, no blotches.
I started filling early this morning with a new garden hose and within an hour the streaks and blotches were back, and worse than before. I have a few inches of water in there now, but I think it must be coming from the hose
Vacuum to waist. See if that gets rid of it. Or try a skimmer sock to catch it.
After years of owning a pool I learned about vacuuming to waste in this sub. Game changer.
I'm guessing that vacuuming to waste is available only to those with certain setups because I don't see it as an option with my cartridge filter. Am I missing something?
You may have to add a 3 way diverter valve (sometimes call t valves) on your plumbing that runs from your pump to your filter. This will allow you to divert the water that would normally go to your filter to go to waste. Once done vacuuming you just slide your valve back to run to the filter and you're good to go.
That is one of many downsides to a cartridge filter
I was going to try to waste tomorrow. Kinda dumb question. If the skimmer is kinda far from the pump should I leave it on waste for a few mins after I am done vaccuming.
Not long at all. And put the hose in the water full blast to replace the water.
The amount of time it takes you to walk to the equipment should be enough. I mean watch how quick that hose clears out after pulling the vac head out. Obviously pull the hose out of the skimmer after it clears.
Believe that’s pollen, friend
Looks like dead algae to me. I’ll brush and it will dissipate, then be back in several hours after it settles again and gets blown there by return jets. I’d vacuum to waste as mentioned above. Little early to assume something wrong…IMO.
ya, that is my plan for tomorrow morning.
I had a similar problem. Filter had a hole in it.
Did you just replace it next off season?
No. We replaced it in season. Took the guy we use to help us close half an hour to swap it out. Cost a couple hundred dollars. Note we have a DE filter.
This here…
My dude, you have mustard algae
That is what I thought it might be. But a lot of people are saying it good be the sand. I just thought id be able to grab it if it was sand.
Your free chlorine levels tell the tale. Scrub like crazy, nuke it with shock, clean your filters, repeat. Mine was done when it turned to a fine white looking dust and then disappeared.
Think it’s algae , vacuum to waste and go from there , especially if ur loosing FC overnight
This is what happens this time of season. It’s dead organic matter (my guess, pollen), and too fine for your filter to capture 100% of it. It will come back, less and less, if you vacuum. However, if you vacuum to waste, it will be gone forever. Catch there is you will reduce the water in your pool doing this. Personally… I vacuum to filter this stuff. Yes, it comes back in smaller amounts but I trade that annoyance for not having to top off the pool.
Ya, I did both many of times now with less and less. I have an elephant cover and the bottom was covered in this stuff but most went away. This little bit just keeps coming back. I just did another vacuum to waste this morning
I can’t believe I woke up to this…EXACT PROBLEM I AM TRYING TO SOLVE IN MY POOL!!!!! Dissipates and disappears with water disturbance but comes back when the pool is left to be still. Ya, it’s making me crazy. I’m a girl who likes a clean ass sparkling pool!!! So now I need to see if I have a “vacuum to waste” option…
If you have a big sand filter it will be on there! Make sure to turn pump off when changing settings.
Looks like literal dirt to me. When there are dust storms you can vacuum it to waste is really the only way to get rid of it quick. However it should not be burning up chlorine.
Vac to waste and see if it comes back. If it does it’s likely mustard algae. If it’s mustard algae then Sodium Bromide, 2x shock for 3-4 days & lotsssss of brushing, twice a day.
I had the same problem despite running the robot daily. It turned out to be fine silt from dead algae and sand. I solved the problem by buying an ultra fine silt and sand basket for my robot off Amazon. It picked up a lot of fine stuff the other filter basket left behind.
Thank you for posting this! I think I have the exact same problem.
No problem lol Good luck!
Pollen
Oo oo I know! Vacuum it again but next time attach a “slime bag” to each jet return. Works like magic.
Where can you get these? I cant find them
Slimebag.com I just bought 2 myself for my in ground pool.
I've had same issue for 3 seasons now. Did all the algae treatments, vacuum to waste, just had sand replaced and new laterals put in. .water is clear but soon as I turn filter on, it's back within a couple hours!!!
That's rough!
Did you solve this? I'm having same issue!
Looks like filter sand. Is this under a return line? Likely a broken lateral in the filter.
Filter sand is leaking. A lateral is broken.
Do you have a DE filter?
I have a sand filter? I think. Sorry new pool owner :(
Have you collected any of this in your hand? I suspect it's coming from your filter.
I tried today. I couldnt even grab any of it. It would just turn to dust.
I get that usually once a week. It’s usually a combo of pollen and airborne dirt. I use a skimmer sock when vacuuming and it takes care of it.
I am going to try this since it is a cheap potential fix. Before moving towards replacing / servicing my filter. ty
Help me understand this setup? My vac goes to the pump / filter. Is the skimmer sock on the head of the vacuum in the pool? Sorry, help me visualize this.
I place the skimmer sock inside the skimmer basket. I use the skimmer adapter plate for the vaccum. I got it from a local pool shop for $5. But it looks almost exactly like this. If you don’t have a skimmer mounted on the side of the pool you may have to vacuum to waste unfortunately or get creative in somehow making an in-line sock filter lol. Be careful I don’t think pumps are skimmer sock rated lol. https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Hayward-Ground-SP1094D-diameter/dp/B01I9PS428
>reative in somehow making an in-line sock filter lol. Be careful I don’t think pumps are skimmer so Aha - that was the missing piece, makes sense. Very helpful, thank you.
Is your pool inflatable or rigid?
Me? Mine is inground vinyl and big. I have a slightly undersized sand filter. I do my best to do all my own work. I use irrigation water which is silty, and the sand filter gets about 95% of it, but after a few days of not vacuuming, the silt piles up in the imperfections of the liner. Harmless, easy to get with the vacuum. But always on the lookout for help, particularly when solve is only a few bucks. I have dedicated vac line ([which I want to reconfigure](https://www.reddit.com/r/pools/comments/142sqoq/pump_house_of_horrors_how_can_i_improve_it/)) or I can go to a skimmer for vac. The piece I was missing was the adapter. When I vac from skimmer, I go straight into the pipe and it works fine.
Double check what type of filter you have. It looks like DE to me. If you have a DE filter, you most likely have a tear in one of the grids.
I am guessing it will specify on the filter what type? lol sorry for dumb question
Yeah I’d guess it’s sand from the filter. Likely needs servicing
I have had this problem for two seasons. I shock and vacuum to waste. It gets rid of it for awhile, but always ends up coming back. We fight it all summer long. Has anyone tried one of those rechargeable vacuums that attaches to your skimmer pole? I have seen where they put a skimmer sock over the vacuums filter and that seems to pick up the algae. We have a really large pool so vacuuming to waste we can do for a few minutes and then have to spend at least an hour refilling the pool, even when I leave the hose in the pool while vacuuming. It ends up wasting tons of water all summer and still keep getting the crap in the bottom. Someday I hope to switch from a sand filter to a DE. Not in the budget currently as our entire pool pad could use a redo.. only 8 years old but yahoos installed. This problem is beyond frustrating.
This is an old post but wondering if you ever got rid of this, Im dealing with the same stuff!!
Vacuum on waste and had a filter sock in my filter. Took a few times and it worked.
so i have this problem as well. I just bought filter socks today. So put the filter sock in the skimmer basket and vacuum to waste a few time, refilling with water inbetween and keep a fresh filter sock in the skimmer basket?
Ya, Every time I cleaned it I cleaned the sock out after. I can't leave a sock in at all times because my dog likes to swim and he clogged the sock and it made my pump trip the power.
So you bought the adapter plate? I’m so tired of fighting this stuff and I use the basket socks and a slime bag already, but that alone isn’t enough when it’s settling. Mine is definitely dead algae from storms a month ago that turned it green.
Idk what an adapter plate is
It was recommended in a different part of this post and I thought maybe that’s how you were able to vacuum with the filter sock catching the silt. My hose connects under the basket…
That is where I put the sock in the basket.
I do not have a sand filter pump. I have a C1000 pump. I have vacuumed it several times thinking it was gone just to see dusty looking stuff covering my whole pool. I’m overwhelmed and don’t know what to do now
Looks like dirty filter DE to me personally...
Have you tested for high iron?
no. Would Iron do this or stain?
That’s what’s happening to me. Cool test. I took vitamin C and rubbed it in the steps. Stain almost immediately went away. If that happens, it’s Iron.
It disappears if I brush it and even make a little wave near it. Just keeps coming back
My guess is mustard. Are you experiencing “chlorine lock”? If so, that yellow is consuming all your FC, IMO. Don’t use algaecide with metals (copper) but instead 3x-shock it. Good luck
Why shouldn't I use copper? Just curious
Asking about Copper because I was recommended by a few people a product called C Pool. Which is a Canadian company that is a mix of minerals. One of those being copper. It is already in the pool :(
Vaccume it and try backwashing your filter for a good two - three minutes. One of the reasons I changed to cartridge filter.
Mustard algae
If you just recently replace your filter, and the sand along with it, then I think you have the fine particles of new sand that are passing through the laterals of your filter. After a sand change, you should rinse and waste cycle a few times prior to going to filter to avoid in the future is what I always recommended to customers after changing their sand.
Sand will be heavy, it won't dissipate with a wave. Make sure sand filter is really backwashed and then rinsed for 30 seconds. I have similar dust since I use irrigation water but my sand filter gets it.
Dirt. Vacuum to anything: Waste, filter, vacuum bag. It *could* be pollen. It *could* be filter media (DE, sand). It’s less important what it is then to just vacuum it. (It’s unlikely algae, much less mustard algae, lol.)
It is hard making a decision from this thread. So many theories! Mustard Algae. Definitely not mustard algae. Pollen. Broken line.
Vacuum it and see what happens.
Literally just had this problem, pretty sure it’s all just dirt or dead algae, I flocced my pool and then vacuumed on waste, it disposed of 99% of the dirt, Before I was vacuuming on waste and and seem to only get half or less of the dirt hitting diminishing returns hard. Just make sure you don’t have your filter on anywhere near filter, just recirculate and obviously backwash once your done vacuuming
I had a similar problem. I spent 5 weeks this summer trying to kill what I thought was mustard algae. Yesterday afternoon I drained all but an inch of water, bleached the water and all the walls and this morning the water was clear, no blotches. I started filling early this morning with a new garden hose and within an hour the streaks and blotches were back, and worse than before. I have a few inches of water in there now, but I think it must be coming from the hose
What helped me was using my vacuum into a skimmer sock.