Backwashing...

[Uncle Ben]

Can someone take a look at the photo below and tell me how to switch my configuration to backwash?

My filter does not have any labels or instructions, so I don't even know the make/model. Thanks!

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Bashwashing...

Turn off the pump and pull up the handle on the main valve. You may need to twist the handle or release a catch before it will move. Then run the pump to backwash, turn the pump off, put the handle back in it's current position, and turn the pump back on.

It looks like the backwash water comes out directly on the floor at the bottom of the main valve. You might want to hook up a short piece of pipe to that and connect a backwash hose to run the water somewhere else.

 

[AClogston]

Re: Bashwashing...

On our (ancient) filters you're also supposed to let them sit for 30 seconds before starting the pump after backwashing, to settle the sand bed back down. A multi-port valve has a rinse setting for this.

 

[JamesW]

Re: Bashwashing...

At some point, you should open the filter and clean the grids if it has not been done in a while.

 

[JamesW]

Re: Bashwashing...

On our (ancient) filters you're also supposed to let them sit for 30 seconds before starting the pump after backwashing, to settle the sand bed back down. A multi-port valve has a rinse setting for this.

The poster has a DE filter.

 

[Richard320]

I concur about diverting the wastewater. I hope it's not too late. They sell backwash hoses at the pool store and I've even seen them at Lowes. Well worth the money.

Unless you've seen it, you have no idea how much water comes out when you backwash. I had the 2" hose 100 feet out in the street and it was whipping around. It's like a firehose. With added foul stuff in it that you don't want where you'll be walking.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Thanks for the replies. You were correct about the backwash coming out from the bottom. I simply turned off the pump, twisted the handle 90* and some water started coming out. I also see what you mean about adding a piece of pipe, because I bought a 2" backwash hose, but it will not go around the pipe that is there now, so I guess I have to put a smaller diameter pipe inside the existing one, and hopefully it will fit around that.

Is there a certain type of clamp that I should use for holding the hose on there?

By the way, since I really needed to get the filter cleaned right away, and did not want to backwash late last night without a way to divert the water, I instead opened 'er up and cleaned off all the grids, which have not been cleaned since I owned the pool. WOW, they were caked with a LOT of DE and other ugliness, but luckily they did hose off pretty easily, so I re-assembled and before adding DE the PSI was about 12 (it only went up about 1 psi after adding the DE).

 

[Richard320]

Thanks for the replies. You were correct about the backwash coming out from the bottom. I simply turned off the pump, twisted the handle 90* and some water started coming out. I also see what you mean about adding a piece of pipe, because I bought a 2" backwash hose, but it will not go around the pipe that is there now, so I guess I have to put a smaller diameter pipe inside the existing one, and hopefully it will fit around that.

Is there a certain type of clamp that I should use for holding the hose on there?

By the way, since I really needed to get the filter cleaned right away, and did not want to backwash late last night without a way to divert the water, I instead opened 'er up and cleaned off all the grids, which have not been cleaned since I owned the pool. WOW, they were caked with a LOT of DE and other ugliness, but luckily they did hose off pretty easily, so I re-assembled and before adding DE the PSI was about 12 (it only went up about 1 psi after adding the DE).

Hopefully, that backwash valve is threaded. You want something like this.

Or just wander the plumbing aisle and see what you find. Sink tailpieces might work; they seem to have standard pipe threads under the compression fitting. A standard hose clamp works just fine to hold the hose onto the pipe. My backwash hose came with one.

 

[XsAllOverIt]

How loud is your pump. I believe I have one just like that and am amazed how loud the pump is?

 

[Uncle Ben]

I'll check again, but I didn't notice threads on the inside of the pipe when I felt it last. If not I'll see if I can attach a piece that is threaded so I can add on the attachment that you showed the photo of.

How much should I expect my PSI to go up after I add DE to the skimmer, and is it a matter of minutes before I should be able to see the total rise from the added DE? PSI is now at 15 the following day, but that is after I brushed my new plaster again, so that could be from the plaster dust only since the DE on the freshly cleaned grids only rose it by about 1 psi (up to 13)

By the way, is 12 or so PSI (before adding DE) normal for a filter that just had all the grids completely cleaned.

Xs: Yes, the pump is fairly loud, despite being called a "whisper flow"

 

[zea3]

I would say 12 is a little high for no DE on the grids. Did you clean old DE out of the bottom of the tank when it was opened?

 

[Uncle Ben]

Yes, the majority of it, but there some small remnants were left on the sides, but very minimal. I basically scopped out all excess with a small garden shovel, but I did not actually wipe it all down. I did also notice that in the very bottom of the tank there was a small round ring/opening that seemed to have contents in it that was almost like gravel. I left it there for the time being since I didn't think it would be blocking any of the actual flow through the grids or pipes. Any ideas about that part?

 

[zea3]

There shouldn't be any gravel in there, but I don't know if that is what is causing the increased pressure. Could you tell if the opening was on the waste side or the return side?

 

[Uncle Ben]

I may not understand the filter workings fully, but I don't think it is either the return or waste side, since it is the very bottom center of the inside of the filter housing (underneath the bottom filter grid "bracket"). Since the send and return pipes are on the side I would not think it related to either, but again, I don't know much about the filter workings...

 

[jstan]

I have a Jandy filter/pump with filter cartridges. No sand. I usually take them out and hose down to clean.
How do I backwash?

 

[dmanb2b]

Cartridge filters have to be manually cleaned and are not backwashed.