How Did Sand Get in My Pool? | Swimming Pool NJ

You have noticed sand in your pool and have wondered just how it got in there…

Swimming Pool NJ – How Did Sand Get in My Pool? – Aside from dirty feet from kids who don’t wash off before hopping in the pool, the presence of sand has limited sources. If you have noticed sand in your pool, you may have wondered, then, just how it got in there. Swimming Pool NJ – Got a sand filter? That’s your source. It’s inevitable, really. However, if you don’t own a sand filter, what you think is sand is probably only yellow pool algae. To find out for sure, brush it with a vacuum and see if it makes the water cloudy. If so, you have yellow pool algae, also known as mustard algae. The solution to this is to shock the pool and sanitize everything in it.
If you do have a sand filter and have determined that you do indeed have sand accumulating at the bottom of the pool, it likely got there due to a broken sand filter standpipe or laterals. How this happened may be a mystery – it could be many things. Perhaps your filter moved and shifted the standpipe, which caused a crack in the laterals due to how heavy the sand is. It could also be that you just have an old filter. Either way, this situation will have to be fixed before you move forward.

Dismantle the sand filter…

Basically, you have to dismantle the sand filter, take out all the sand, repair the unit or replace the problem part, then add new sand. You can do this on your own if you’re the handy type who likes to spend his weekends on YouTube. Or, you could call the professionals here at Central Jersey Pools who can get your pump and filter up and running again.
Once the filter problem is fixed, it’s time to get the sand out of your pool that leaked in there as a result of the broken part. You can do this by manually vacuuming it up using the “waste” setting on your multiport valve instead of “filter.” This will allow you to drain water out of the backwash port without having to go through the filter. Bypassing the filter and getting the sand out directly is beneficial because you don’t want the sand to get stuck in your filter’s laterals. That’s another problem for another day!
To make the sand easier to sweep up, use a brush to get it all to the middle of the pool first. Also, try to do the whole vacuuming process quickly because lots of water will be lost as you go. It’s a good idea to overfill your pool a bit with the garden hose so that when you do lose water, the level will still be within accepted parameters.
Swimming Pool NJ – If you need help with this process, give Central Jersey Pools a call at 732-462-5005 or visit our superstore in Freeport. Our experts can have your pool sand-free in no time!