Water Slide help!

[EmilyOTR]

Ok, we are new to this house and opened our pool about 1.5 weeks ago. The slide was amazing! the water pressure was so fantastic, we could get it to go off the slide. I've never seen water like that on a slide. Then our water level got low, and it stopped working. I realized it was because of the water level. We refilled it. and backwashed the filter yesterday. The slide has barely a dribble coming out now from the bottom, and a little bit of water comes out of the top. What in the heck happened? And how can I get the amazing spray again?

 

[AftonJeeper]

Has your filter pressure changed? Could a valve not be open all the way?

 

[EmilyOTR]

I'm not really sure. My heater stopped working yesterday and I googled the error message and google told me that my pressure was low and to backwash. So I backwashed yesterday and that fixed my heater but my slide still doesn't work.

 

[EmilyOTR]

I take it back. My heater is not working again. It says "water sw open." Any ideas?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Emily,

Sure sounds like your filter is still plugged up. This would account for your poor flow to the slide and not enough pressure to run the heater.

I suggest you turn your filter to "recirculate" just to see what happens.. If the heater and slide suddenly start working you will know it is a filter issue.

What type of "Magical" pool store chemicals did you add when you opened your pool??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[EmilyOTR]

They shocked it with chlorine and then 18 bags of mineral springs the following day when they installed the SWG.

 

[EmilyOTR]

So I should shut it off, put it on recirculate and turn back on. For how long?

 

[Jimrahbe]

E,

Yes... off , turn valve, then back on...

Run it for half an hour and see if your heater and slide start working..

I would not leave it that way for normal operation, but it won't hurt to run it in recirculate long enough to confirm if the problems goes away or not.

Jim R.

 

[EmilyOTR]

Ok so we did that. The heater started working but the slide did not. So it seems I have 2 issues?

 

[Teald024]

How's the pressure coming out of your returns?

 

[EmilyOTR]

Not great

 

[Teald024]

It could be an overall system pressure issue that is coming to head at your slide. The top of the slide is the highest point and would be the first spot to show low pressure. The switch in the heater is more likely a flow switch and not a pressure switch.

 

[Fingaling]

Some common possibilities: Have you cleaned out the Skimmer and pump baskets? Is pump basket full of water when running? Do you have a variable or 2 speed pump running on low?

 

[EmilyOTR]

Baskets are clean. Pump basket is full of water. I don't know how many speeds my pump has.

Actually the top of the slide has more water than the bottom.

 

[Fingaling]

Can you post the model number of pump your using or a photo of the side with all the info? Someone should be able to figure it out.

 

[EmilyOTR]

 

[Fingaling]

That's a single speed pump. So at least we know that's not the problem.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Emily,

Seems to me that if you have good water at the top of the slide and no water at the lower part then something is plugged up at the slide.

I say this not having any idea what your slide, and slide plumbing, look like, but common sense says that it is easier for water to come out the bottom hole vs. the top hole.

I'm puzzled why in the recirculate mode your flow is "Not Great"... With the filter not in the system your flow should be good as it is going to get.

Jim R.

 

[EmilyOTR]

You mean the flow at the returns? I'm sorry I did nt check that. I meant in general it wasn't great.

 

[EmilyOTR]

It's fixed. Pool guy came out and my pump basket had a piece broken so stuff was getting clogged in the pump. That fixed the top slide water. Then he said my bottom slide thing was clogged with tree debris. He cleaned it out and I have my amazing slide pressure again. And a working heater. And a working pool.