Filter valve VERY difficult to turn?

[stimpsonjcat]

I decided I would backwash the filter, but I cannot even get the valve to turn to that position.

It is this valve.

So I press the handle down to get the nub above the body face and turn, right?

I was able to get it to move most of the way to backwash, but then it really got stuck. The handle would not go back into a locked position even if it was lined up with a position. At this point I bumped the pump motor and that did pull the handle back into lock. It also discharged junk from the upstream side of the filter back into the pool.

Should these move freely?

I am worried something is not right in there but I do not want to take this apart if I can avoid it as I bet it is complex.

 

[Silver_2000]

sounds like its clogged with something

 

[stimpsonjcat]

sounds like its clogged with something

So I am doomed to taking it apart?

It is working fine in filter mode.

 

[Silver_2000]

if it were me I would avoid taking apart and try cycling it through all the positions with the pump off

If you have unions you can use to get access to the piping try flushing it with a hose while you cycle it

take a wide picture of the actual valve so we can see the piping and someone will come up with a mcguyver solution

Edit
this list suggests that there are spare parts for it
which suggests its possible to take it apart with out destroying it
PENTAIR

http://www.c-m-p.com/cmp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/27505-27507-Instructions-03.06.13.pdf

I would still try the hose method first

 

[duraleigh]

The valve is VERY easy to take apart. Simply remove the stainless screws that hold the handle and top of the body. They will lift off. There is a spring inside so take it apart and remember how things are assembled. You will probably find a bad spider gasket. That's the rubber seal that looks like a wagon wheel.

They are easily replaceable.

 

[Nitzylplick]

It is a pretty simple part. Look at a youtube video for replacing a spider gasket and you'll see it's not that bad. It sounds like your gasket may need replacement or just came out of its channel which is preventing the movement. Depending on the age of the valve, the older ones you can replace the gasket but the newer ones seem to be incorporated into the top valve.

 

[stimpsonjcat]

OK, youtube vids make this pretty clear.

I will take a look but as it is new I am betting on a mucked up gasket.

Thanks everyone!

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Blast the center of handle with a good nozzle.. You may be surprised by the debris that shoots out.. I certainly have been.

 

[stimpsonjcat]

Blast the center of handle with a good nozzle.. You may be surprised by the debris that shoots out.. I certainly have been.

You mean the outside?

 

[stimpsonjcat]

OK, I was wrong about the model, it is a Pentair 261055.

It came apart exactly like the videos showed.

There was some pebble coat in the valve in and around the spider-gasket. I cleaned it all out and reassembled and it turns freely now!

BUT!

I am still confused. With my valves set to the spa settings, and the mutliport valve set to backwash, I got water coming out of the waste port on the multiport (this seemed like a good thing), but when I turned on the pump for a few seconds I once again got an ejection of nasty material back into the spa.

The manual says to use the pump when backwashing, not sure what I am doing wrong.

The plumbing matches the diagrams in the manual as near as I can tell.

 

[Nitzylplick]

What type of filter do you have? You have water flowing out the waste without the pump on? When backwashing i need to have the pump on to get a flow. Have you tried setting your valves off spa settings and backwashing?

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

 

[stimpsonjcat]

I have a sand filter.

Correct, if I switch the multiport to backwash I get water dumping out of the waste outlet, even without the pump on.

I will try setting the control valves for pool settings and see if the pool suffers the same fate.