Sand coming out during backwash...

[sersee]

Hi all..

I have a Hayward pro series high rate sand filter. The model number is S244T. My pool in a 20 X 40 unground with vinyl liner. This will be our third summer with the pool. We opened it a couple weeks ago and had some algae but not to bad(thank you cooler temps). We had been cleaning it and my husband backwashed it and he said quite a bit of sand came out. He backwashed it again at another time and he said "a lot of sand came out" through the hose.

As I was looking this up, I was reading through other threads and they asked if it came to in the pool. Im not sure ..but now we think maybe? We had dirt in the pool that we vacuumed. The dirt was back and my husband was saying...I just vacuumed this..how could there be dirt. So I don't know if it's possible it could be sand? Or it could just be dirt. I have read it could be a lateral something or other(not sure of the name). How expensive is it to replace these? I would think the sand wouldn't need to be changed yet? I read that would be another reason it could happen? I am just hoping it isn't something really expensive.

 

[familytr33]

Are you rinsing after your backwash, before your turn the valve back to filter? I think you are supposed to set to rinse for a minute or so after each backwash.

If not, perhaps some of the gunk that got backwashed out was pumped back into the pool?

ft.

 

[sersee]

Are you rinsing after your backwash, before your turn the valve back to filter? I think you are supposed to set to rinse for a minute or so after each backwash.

If not, perhaps some of the gunk that got backwashed out was pumped back into the pool?

ft.

Yes he is rinsing it.. He said he learned the hard way when we first got it but has been using the rinse ever since. Im not positive it is in the pool. I am positive it came out during backwash through the hose onto my driveway

 

[sersee]

Ok ..so upon researching ,I am thinking something is wrong with my filter. This will be our third summer with the pool and from what I have read it seems to early for a sand change. But I also understand that I can't see whats wrong unless i dump the sand.

How hard would this be to do myself..? My pool company has been awful. I made an appointment and they gave me a four window . I waited and no one showed up. I called and they told me service calls were taking a back seat to openings and at the end of the day if the workers can get to a service call they will. This makes no sense . Why make me an appt then? Anyway they said they would try to get me on the schedule the next day and would call me. I did't hear anything. I called the next morning to find out if they would at all be able to come and fix this( i was under the impression they were coming to diagnose and fix the problem). I was told they would call me. I had a vet appt and left.


I get home from the appt and saw something taped to my filter . It was a bill for $95 and a note to call for more info. I called and was told they needed to replace the sand and then they could see what was wrong. I told her that I thought that was what we were doing in the first place? Then she told me that they came by and knocked but no one was home even though there was a car in the driveway(apparently people only have one car). I asked did the workers do anything? She said no . So basically they want me to pay $95 to knock on my door . She again told me how I wasn't home. I told her I was home the entire day before when I had an appt.

So she told me she would have the owner call me . I waited all day. Nothing. I called again and asked them if they are going to come fix this and that I wasn't paying $95 for them to come out and knock on my door. I was told again the owner would call. Nothing. That was yesterday.


So I am afraid that my filter is going to be ruined if I don't get this taken care of. So I am really hoping someone can give me advice on here. How hard is it to do? We know nothing about filters and don't know what to do.

 

[duraleigh]

Ok ..so upon researching ,I am thinking something is wrong with my filter. This will be our third summer with the pool and from what I have read it seems to early for a sand change. But I also understand that I can't see whats wrong unless i dump the sand.

How hard would this be to do myself..? My pool company has been awful. I made an appointment and they gave me a four window . I waited and no one showed up. I called and they told me service calls were taking a back seat to openings and at the end of the day if the workers can get to a service call they will. This makes no sense . Why make me an appt then? Anyway they said they would try to get me on the schedule the next day and would call me. I did't hear anything. I called the next morning to find out if they would at all be able to come and fix this( i was under the impression they were coming to diagnose and fix the problem). I was told they would call me. I had a vet appt and left.


I get home from the appt and saw something taped to my filter . It was a bill for $95 and a note to call for more info. I called and was told they needed to replace the sand and then they could see what was wrong. I told her that I thought that was what we were doing in the first place? Then she told me that they came by and knocked but no one was home even though there was a car in the driveway(apparently people only have one car). I asked did the workers do anything? She said no . So basically they want me to pay $95 to knock on my door . She again told me how I wasn't home. I told her I was home the entire day before when I had an appt.

So she told me she would have the owner call me . I waited all day. Nothing. I called again and asked them if they are going to come fix this and that I wasn't paying $95 for them to come out and knock on my door. I was told again the owner would call. Nothing. That was yesterday.


So I am afraid that my filter is going to be ruined if I don't get this taken care of. So I am really hoping someone can give me advice on here. How hard is it to do? We know nothing about filters and don't know what to do.

Sand seldom if ever needs to be changed. I might be a broken lateral, it might be that it is overfilled. It doesn't sound like you can tackle this yourself so see if you can find a smaller company that will work with you better. Personally, I wouldn't pay the money either but TFP can not get involved in disputes like that.

 

[DKT113]

Third year for me with a sand filter and I changed the sand today. 250 pounds out / 250 pounds of new sand back in.
My sand was filthy. I deep cleaned the tank twice. Water wasn't clearing Normally if you dumped a truckload of mud in the pool that filter would clean it. Multi-port worked, unlike you, I didn't have junk coming back in the return, but I took a gamble today and changed that sand.

With a sand filter as long as the pipes are run correctly (had that problem too) and multi-port is working, if it isn't cleaning that pretty much only leaves the laterals and the sand bed, itself.

Only way to see the laterals is to remove the sand.

Now I did mine today and I am a 47 year old woman, it was a pain in the backside ~ but it was totally doable.
Turned off power, closed off the lines (skimmer & return with the plugs)
Took off the cap to drain the filter tank
Unhooked the multi-port & turned the center pipe just a bit (the pipe that returns the water to the pool.
Grabbed a flexible cup & a couple buckets and removed the sand.

I had replacement sand onhand if mine was filth & it ended up being so dirty.

I did not remove the laterals, not even sure in mine if I could have without it being a major job. With visual inspection they looked fine, none broke & when I cleaned the inside of the tank they really looked brand new.

Put the cap on the drain at the bottom of the tank,
Covered the return pipe with Aluminum Foil & gallon ziploc
filled the tank 1/3 full with water
Put new sand in the tank.
It appears to be doing the trick
I dosed up after sun went down with pool tech, tomorrow I will test and see where my numbers are.

If your pump is working and you have no leaks, everything is hooked up ok and you have dirt/ sand coming in at the return I am guessing you have dirty channeled sand or broken laterals or both.

Deep clean it first. There is a post on the forums with instructions for that. It's simple and done with a garden hose.
If you have no luck with the deep cleaning then you may have to go on an excavation.