filter drain line to sewer clean out.

[Titan7]

So I have a cartridge filter but the city required the filter drain plumbed to a cleanout regardless of whether it was a DE or cartridge filter. So I recently noticed that the drain valve was in the open position a couple months ago and closed it. No water was exiting at the clean out as the pipe was capped. I saw the water in the window after the valve looked grey and thought isn't the water in that pipe between the filter drain valve and clean out going to get really bad? Plus I can't drain the water out of the filter body when I clean the filter elements. So I cut the cap off above the clean out and opened the drain valve, wow that water smelled bad. So should I open this drain valve ever month or so to keep the water from turning black, lol?

Picture of the drain valve connected to filter drain, this photo was taken in when they installed plumbing, so I can see they had the blue handle in the open position:

The line from the filter drain is the 1.5" line going over the top and into the clean out funnel.

 

[gwegan]

At best that is wacko. A licensed plumber installed that?

You can only partially drain the filter correct?

I'm not understanding something here.

 

[pooldv]

Yeah, that is something new for me too. Is the drain downhill from the filter? Otherwise, as gwegan says, you can't drain the filter fully? I'd just try to flush with clean water as much as you can. Or cut that weird stuff out of there and make it work better.

 

[Jimrahbe]

As you already know, with the set up you currently have, there is no way to completely drain your filter. I suggest you contact your PB and tell him to come and fix it. If that won't work then either do it yourself, or hire someone, to run a new line from the output of the "Blue Knob" valve to the sanitary drain without going higher than the bottom of the filter. You want the drain to run "down hill".. What you have now looks like an effort to prevent back flow which does not make a lot of sense to me.

Worst case you could just add a hose and dump it right in the clean out.

I suspect you will not have to clean your filter but twice a year, so it could be pretty temporary.

Jim R.

 

[bdavis466]

The filter drain is plumbed the way a backwash valve would have been. There isn't any reason to keep it that way. I'd cut it out just after the valve on the filter.

 

[Titan7]

Wow, they told me the city required it. I dont have a way to run a new drain line, and i am not pulling the deck up.

How much water is in the filter? I guess i could cut out the line like brian suggested, but then the water is just gonna flood the deck.

 

[bdavis466]

You could use that as somewhat of a backwash line if you opened the valve with the pump running and a little restricted flow on the return side to the pool. This wouldn't do much other than clean out the line of the stagnant water but that shouldn't be much of a concern anyway.

If you just dumped the filter water in the area near the filter it really wouldn't be enough water to cause any trouble anyway. That's what most people do when they open up their filters.

You don't have a backwash valve on your filter but if you did, that's how the drain line should be plumbed into the sewer line. Your plumbers either failed to recognize that or were clueless to the type of filter they were installing. Perhaps it was just a ploy to get the inspection passed... Who really knows.

 

[wjr75]

I have Sta-Rite cartridge filter and when I open it up to clean no water comes out. The only time the plug on the filter is opened is for winterizing and there is only a few gallons to dump which goes on the pad at that time.

 

[Titan7]

I have Sta-Rite cartridge filter and when I open it up to clean no water comes out. The only time the plug on the filter is opened is for winterizing and there is only a few gallons to dump which goes on the pad at that time.

Thanks, if there is only a little water in the bottom of the filter body and i can get the cartridges out to clean them then i am just going to leave it alone. I guess can also use it to drain some water out of the pool if we get massive rain. Main thing i wanted to know was would be able open the filter to clean it.

I assume there will about 12-16" of water in only the bottom half of the body.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Titan,

The water in the bottom of the tank, once you open it, is nasty and full of junk that has come off the filters.. There is no way that I'd leave it in there. It is not that much water.. If me, I'd just cut the plumbing right after the blue valve, and add a hose that you can run across your deck. Keep in mind that is some thing that you could put away when not in use. Or just let it drain right on the deck and hose it off. You should not have to clean your filters more than twice a year, so it would not be a big effort.

Jim R.

 

[Titan7]

Update, i just got home from vacation for 10 days, noticed somebody must had climbed my wall to get into the back yard since my gate is locked. Walked over to the equipment pad and saw the PB sent somebody to my house to modify the drain valve when i specifically told him not to touch this until i returned. So this is what they did, wow, not sure why the clean out is still connected as when i open the valve (blue handle) water in going to go into that pipe and go stagnant. Also, why not run the 1 1/2" pipe to the opposite side (left) where there is a drain under the plumbing. Really? Thoughts? Will this work or should the clean out be capped off and this all re-done? There is a threaded plug on the end of that line.

Not only did somebody trespass on my property without my consent, the scratched up my pavers in front of the plumbing and left all the pvc shavings all over the deck.

I am calling the PB in the morning but wanted to get your thoughts.