Gasket, or something else?

[Slartibartfast]

Hi everyone, I'd like to thank you for all the helpful advice so far for a new member. Since Sunday, my pool has gone from what could easily be 20K gallons of The Incredible Hulk's vomit, to a nice shade of milky blue (it's getting there).

My issue now is that when vacuuming, dirty water is spewing out the return jet. So, can I assume it's the gasket? The filter seems to function properly in every other way, and yes it gets thorooughly backwashed and rinsed, but this "leak" of dirty water back into the return seems to me a sign of something awry in the internals of the filter head. I'm very mechanically inclined, so I have no problem working on the gear, I just don't yet totally understand it since my experience is with internal combustion engines. I'm guessing the main gasket on the head of the sand filter is like a head gasket on a car or motorcycle.

Does this seem a likely culprit?

Thanks again

 

[Richard320]

Hi everyone, I'd like to thank you for all the helpful advice so far for a new member. Since Sunday, my pool has gone from what could easily be 20K gallons of The Incredible Hulk's vomit, to a nice shade of milky blue (it's getting there).

My issue now is that when vacuuming, dirty water is spewing out the return jet. So, can I assume it's the gasket? The filter seems to function properly in every other way, and yes it gets thorooughly backwashed and rinsed, but this "leak" of dirty water back into the return seems to me a sign of something awry in the internals of the filter head. I'm very mechanically inclined, so I have no problem working on the gear, I just don't yet totally understand it since my experience is with internal combustion engines. I'm guessing the main gasket on the head of the sand filter is like a head gasket on a car or motorcycle.

Does this seem a likely culprit?

Thanks again

The spider gasket in the head could be the problem. Google it or use the search box here and you'll find a bunch of stuff. It's just a funny-shaped O-ring. Typically if it fails, the first sign is water leaking out the waste port when it's supposed to be filtering.

It's also possible that the sand clumped and when you backwashed, you got the clods jumbled which leaves channels between them. Then nothing filters. Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter has some good illustrations and directions.

 

[Texas Splash]

Here you go ... save you a couple minutes.
Sand Filter Multiport Valve Troubleshooting, Sand Filter Part 2 - YouTube
Changing Your Spider Gasket - YouTube