Hi, bugsb! I converted my 12,000 gallon pool into a pond of considerably less gallonage due to plants, pots, etc. Although I swapped out my Hayward pump for a Sequence pump to save money on electricity, I'm still using a Hayward pool filter and it seems to be working fine after a year. Did replace the sand with pea gravel to minimize clogging and I back-flush if the flow slows down same as when it was a pool. I've even used my pool vac to clean out the bottom but had to backwash much more often than the pool. As things are now, I could drain it, powerwash it, and have a swimming pool again if I didn't love it as a pond, full of fish, frogs, and what-all. I'd definitely recommend it--basically the same as a pond filter but with different media and I would think a prefilter would make it even more efficient. Good luck whichever way you go with it. Linda

I don't think your pH is at a critical stage but it can be adjusted. Can you explain PCM/5. Is this a device that monitors pH levels and adjusts chemical feeds or monitors flow rate (either flow or no flow), or actually gpm? Do you have water sent to other locations where chemical feed is not needed, say outside faucets, so that the chemical pump is not actuated when you are watering your garden? Let me see if I understand what was recommended. The Stenner pump injects a liquid solution, which is what: Sodium hydroxide? Do you have copper/galvanized plumbing? I suppose you have one-inch plumbing at the pressure tank to the house, right? Liquid pH adjustment chemicals are usually recommended for very acidic conditions, below 5.4 pH. By putting this chemical feed, you may very easily jump your water to base levels too high. I have seen water jump to 12-13 pH due to poor settings and monitoring. I don't recommend the Stenner pump, not because it is not a good piece of equipment--I like them very much--but because of the method of pH adjustment. At 6.7, I don't think there is a need to mix Calcite with corosex. Calcite (marble or lime chips) alone should be sufficient. Hardness is raised about 1-2 gpg for every 0.5 pH rise. The nice thing about this sacrificial media is that the pH will reach a certain level and go no further. At a pH of 6.7, the media will last a long time and the media volume or contact time does not need to be great. Now, your iron is well above the 0.2 ppm level, which becomes a nuisance leaving stains. A greensand filter works between pH levels of 6.2 and 8.8 or there abouts. Greensand filters will work but require a correct set up, regular maintenance and "adequate backwash rate". I don't particularly like them (they can be a mess) but they have been around a long time and many use them exclusively for iron removal. My recommendation would be an upflow Calcite filter and an efficient softener. Not sure why you don't want to go this way (water softener) as your water is hard and hard water results in many negative water condition aspects. A backwashing pH adjuster can also be used. Andy Christensen, CWS-II

Assuming a basic system... The 3 way Jandy valve in front of the pump diverts water from the spa suction (floor or wall) and the pool suction (skimmer). If there is another 3 way valve very close to this one, it is for a dedicated cleaner line. If so, you'll find that port in the pool wall about mid pool and it SHOULD have a spring loaded flap on it. You can't open that flap if there is suction to the line. There will be another 3 way valve above the first one. It diverts filtered water to the pool or spa. Depending on the system, if the valve is 100% to the pool, there should be a smaller line that tees off below the valve and serves as a bypass to the spa return for a spa overflow during filtration. So, you have a pump that puts water into your filter and then goes to the heater and finally back to the pool. That pump has a basket that needs cleaned out on a regular basis. If the filter is indeed clean, check the pressure. When it rises 7-10 psi, it's time to clean the filter. In there, you will find 4 cartridges that need hosing. The more time you spend on them , the better. Fire the heater a couple of time per month to keep it in good working order. The display on the heater should be a digital display. It will give you options to toggle between pool or spa. Both settings heat identical, it is pool/spa specific for convenience. One for your favorite pool setting, one for spa. If you install a suction cleaner, you can't go wrong with "The Pool Cleaner". Yes, that's the name. About $425 but worth every cent and it will not fail you compared to most other suction cleaners. Beyond that, you should find a qualified tech in your area to go over the system. With many foreclosures, and we have a billion of them here in So. Cal, we find lots of issues with these pools that have sat for months without care. Yours looks good because the bank paid a few hundred bucks to clean it out but believe me, that's about all they did. You'll want a complete water analysis, an inspection of all the rubber in the valves, pumps and filter. Guaranteed they will leak if the pool sat for more than a month or two. If they are not leaking now, they will. The heater may also have become a home for rats in the owners absence.

quote" I'm thinking a three way valve would be easier to install, more reliable, and cheaper. "quote easier to install- no more reliable- yes cheaper- no 2 3-way valves will give you the same options as a slide valve, filter or backwash only. Vacuum to waste would take a third 3 way. That is the only real benefit of a multiport valve over a slide or two valve setup. quote" Do I really need to backwash? "quote Only if you want to extend the time between filter cleans, and have less to clean off of your grids when you do breakdown the filter. I always backwash the grids as effectively as possible before taking my filters apart. See ya, Kelly