Step by Step instructions needed to move filter

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

blondemarcello

0
Jun 14, 2012
114
Blaine, MN
Hi,
We want to move our filter from under the deck to beside the deck. Asthetically we love it under the deck but I hate crawling under the deck and bumping my head and hanging upside down over the deck hole to do anything with the filter. Besides disconnecting the hoses what else needs to be done? We won't be able to get a hand truck underneath to move the filter so I imagine we need to remove the sand. It's 3-4 seasons old. Do we replace the sand or save it and put it back in after moving it?

How do we remove the sand? What else do we need to do to make sure not to damage anything?
 
The easiest method to remove the sand is to drain the filter completely and let it dry for a few hours. Remove the lid if you can to help it dry out a bit. Then use a shop vac to suck out all the sand. You can reuse the sand if you like but look into Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter after you put it back in the filter. When sucking out the sand and moving the filter without sand, be careful not to damage the laterals inside the filter. Do you know the specific make/model number of your filter?
 
Sounds like you have a sand filter with a top mount multiport valve. You'll need to remove the multiport valve. I'm assuming it's a Hayward filter? That's why I asked what filter you had.

If you go to the thread I linked, you can see the top mount filter pictured there. In that picture, the retaining collar has already been removed from the looks of it. To remove a Hayward top multiport, you need to loosen the two screws on each side of the retaining collar below the multiport. Once the screws are out, remove the collar and lift the multiport straight up off the top of the filter. Then you can access the inside of the filter and use the vacuum hose to suck out the sand into your shop vac.
 
Joel,
Thanks. I didn't tell you what filter I have because I am guessing it's a Hayward but keep forgetting to look when I go outside. One time when draining the tank I accidentally removed the collar of the drain instead of the drain plug and sand came out it. Would it be possible to empty it that way? I am envisioning holding empty bleach bottles (I have a 30-40 saved for winter cover weights) at the bottom of the filter and filling them. I am thinking it would be easier to move gallon jugs than emptying a full vacuum multiple times and then I have somewhere that I can store it until I get the filter moved. What do you think?
 
Just a thought: Instead of a handcart what about a piano dolly? They are pretty short to the ground and have small wheels. You could maybe tip it up, slide the dolly under it and then re-position as needed. You would need some wood or something to roll it around on to get where you want to go.

looks like this: dolly.jpg
 
I don't think the sand is likely to come out very well from the drain. The sand will be soggy and heavy and won't flow much at all unless you somehow get it to dry very well. The reason I suggested a shop vac is that many of them have wheels and they have a fairly large capacity. When I emptied my old filter of about 250 pounds of sand, I sucked quite a bit out until the shop vac was getting heavy. I transferred as much as I could using a small shovel to a tarp on the ground then sucked the rest of the sand out and spread it all on the tarp. Then when refilling, the sand had dried some from sitting spread out for a while and was fairly easy to shovel back into the filter. That should be easier in your area that's not covered by the deck. Just be sure when refilling the filter to cover the center standpipe inside the filter with a bag and rubber band. You don't want sand inside the center pipe.
 
Here is what I did at my buddy's place, something similar to what your describing. I took a piece of plywood just big enough to have the pump and sand filter sit on it, drilled a hole in each corner at one end. Then put a long rope through the holes to pull on. The put the pump and sand filter on top of it, threw the rope out from under the deck, and had him pull it out while I balanced it. Went super easy........easy as pie so to speak. Why pick up and fight with it, when you can slide it out on something.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply