Check Valves on Chorinator

by Kathleen
(PA)

Why do you need to have a check valve after the chlorinator? When the pump isn't running the water inside the pool maintains equal pressure on both sides of the pump and filter, so the water is not flowing.

I don't see how water can back feed into the filter.

Hi Kathleen.

I'm not sure how, or why, it does but it does. Whether the water moves or whether it's just the fumes that move through the water, I’m not sure. I do know the damage that can be caused by chlorinators and I would sure have a check valve.

High concentrations of chlorine can easily damage a vinyl liner. I have seen this happen when the return flow was set to hit the edge of the pool as opposed to going out away from the pool wall. I have also seen liners damaged by leaky returns where high concentrations of chlorine seeped around the edges of the return and came in contact with the liner.

For many years we set up chlorinators for a store we worked for. We plumbed all the filters with flexible PVC pipe. This pipe normally lasts just about forever. We found that the short piece of pipe used between the chlorinator and the check valve would only last a few years before it was eaten up from the inside out.

Seeing what this amount of chlorine could do to PVC pipe made me a believer in check valves and helped me to understand why this water should not be allowed back into the filter.

The valves we installed were between the filter and the chlorinator. I believe this is the proper place to install them.

Ground Wire on an Above Ground Pool

by Brian
(Massachusetts)

Where and how do I attach the ground wire to a pool that has resin post and joints? Pool is 18 round. Please help!!

Hi Brian.

That is a good question. Many times the pool bottom rails are steel, you could drive a Tek screw into the rail holding your ground wire. The footplates are usually metal and a wire could easily be bolted to one of them, even if you needed to remove a few screws and pull the bottom of the upright away from the pool.

When all else fails go to the wall joint and loosen one of the nuts, attach your wire, or wire connector, and re-tighten the nut. This can usually be done without removing the upright, but if you can not get behind it, remove the bottom screws to make it easier.

Those are all the secrets to ground wires on above ground pools that I know of.

Do I Have a Salt Water Pool

Hi, I just bought a house and it was vacant for a couple of months. I wanted to test my pool and see if it needed more chlorine but the chlorine part of the test, the water should turn yellow and it was completely clear.

How can I find out my pool needs chlorine or salt water?

Hi.

You are correct, a pool low on chlorine or one low on salt would show the same in a water test.

Take a close look at your pool equipment. A salt water system should be well labeled as such.

Most above ground pools will have a skimmer going to a pool pump. The pump goes to the filter and the filter goes directly back into the pool.

If there is something connected to the line going back into the pool take a look at it. It might be a chlorinator or it could be a salt water system.

If it is a chlorinator it probably just needs to be refilled. If it is a salt water system it should have a computer type read out telling you what it needs.

Water Level in Pool Pump

by Shila
(Brownsville PA)

I have a 1hp maxi pool pump and where the skimmer is inside the pump, the water doesn't come all the way up to actually touch the plastic cover but there is alot of power from the return. Is this ok? I just was under the impression that it should be completely full.

Hi Shila

You are under the right impression. The lid to the hair and lint pot should show water all the way to the top. What you are seeing is air getting into the system. While the filter can still function well with this going on it will work better once you fix it.

Normally all it takes is lubing the o-ring under the lid. This needs done every few weeks. A product called Aqua Lube does a great job. Tell the pool store guy what you are trying to do and he will have a good o-ring grease.

The only other places you could be getting air into the lint pot would be the skimmer to lint pot hose ends. If either of them leak when the filter is off, that might be the problem.

DE Filter Pump Mounts

The bolts connecting the motor to the base have corroded & broken from the plastic base plate. Can the motor/filter be operated without the connection or will there be problems? Can those motor mounts be replaced? The brackets appear to be part of motor & not separate parts piece to order/replace.

Hi

You should be able to run your system just fine without these mounts. I would not mess with them until the time comes when your pump dies and you need a new one.

I have seen many different ways people have used to secure their pumps after the brackets were long gone. Mounting some boards to the base is the most common. A couple of 2x4's on each side of the pump holds it in place without a problem.

If it stays put on it's own, maybe because of solid plumbing, then you need to do nothing. If it is moving around a lot them I would attach something to the base that would stabilize it.

Sand Filter Blowing Sand In

by Julie
(Nebraska)

Hello Again, I have a 28' Doughboy AGP with a 1.5 hp Hayward and Pentair Sand Dollar filter. The pool was used, so we put new sand in the filter when we started the pool. We are noticing sand in the bottom of the pool. ALSO, if we backwash, a considerable amount of sand comes out with the water.

I have read what you said about it possibly being a tear in the lateral, or a gasket. My question is, how do I go about finding out. The pool is full, and we don't have a shut off valve from the pool to filter.. So would we need to drain below the skimmer to be able to open the sand filter?

My second question is, the clean up of the sand. Our vacuum connects right into the hole in the skimmer, no adapter that I can see. Unless I need to purchase one. Can I vacuum that sand out? Or will that be harmful to the pump/filter?

Finally, you have a very informative website, and I truly appreciate all the help you have given me.

Hi Julie

If the pool is set up with the standard flexible hose it is usually possible to just do a fast switch and connect the skimmer to the return. If the pool is hard plumbed now would be a good time to install shut off valves. This can be done without draining water out of the pool, just plug the return and skimmer openings.

Your first task would be to replace the spider gasket in the filter valve assembly, that is usually the problem.

A Doughboy skimmer has an opening below the skimmer area, that is for the vac hose. There is an adapter that fits into the opening, the hose connects to that. When that is hooked up the lid to the skimmer gets set down inside the skimmer blocking off the suction to the skimmer area. Vacuuming the sand back into the filter is not bad for any part of the system, it is just fine.