Sand filter - Hayward Swim Pro

[cherylandco]

My brother put our pool in in 2006 when he lived here - we moved here in 2008. Nothing has ever been done with the sand filter - nothing added, nothing replaced, etc.... I have all the manuals for all the equipment, and can I just say that the manual for the sand filter is less than helpful?

It's a Hayward Swim Pro.

Should we be adding sand or replacing it or anything? How high should the sand be inside? It "looks" like it's about 1/2 way full.

Following are pictures of the filter and an attempt at the insides. Can anyone see anything wrong or want to tell me what I should do with it (if anything)?

https://picasaweb.google.com/105608157528196075933/SandFilter?feat=directlink

 

[JasonLion]

Sand lasts a very long time. Your should be fine.

It is difficult to tell from the picture. The sand should be in fine grains and free flowing, not matted. It looks a little matted in the picture. If you want you could use a fine strainer to pull out anything that won't go through the mesh. You can also follow the instructions in this post to resettle the sand bed.

 

[cherylandco]

It is a little "matted" - I will take a sieve out and clean it out. Is 1/2 way full enough, or should it be closer to 2/3 full?

Also, it seems like it might be fiberglass sand???? Can I put silica sand on top of it if I need more sand (or is that the same thing?!?!)

THANKS!!!

 

[JasonLion]

To figure out the correct sand height you need to know the complete model number for the filter and find the associated manual.

It is unusual to need to add more sand unless sand has been obviously leaking out into the pool. If you do need to add sand you need to use pool filter sand, also sometimes called No. 20 Silica Sand.

 

[cherylandco]

Thanks Jason - I found it in the manual and it says 1/2 full - so we're good.

I just stuck my hand in and got out the top layer of matted gunk - the rest is mostly loose, but there are some clumps - they break up when I mashed them with my hand, but I'm sure I didn't get them all - not any lower than the first couple inches for sure.

Will it be ok to leave it like that?

Also, if any sand went down the center tube (if any did, it wasn't much), is that going to ruin the filter, or will it just blow it out into the pool?

 

[JasonLion]

Sand dropped in the center tube will usually end up in the pool, not a big deal.

If there are only occasional clumps and they break up easily then it is fine if you don't get them all.