Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Returns

[asusundevils23]

Recently I replaced the sand inside my Triton II filter after witnessing dirty water emitting from my return valves after backwashing. I purchased my home 5 months ago after it sat empty in foreclosure for almost a year. My pool guy hypothesized that during the filter's idle state, the sand "calcified" and consequently the water could not filter through the sand. I was essentially filtering dirty water back into my pool. Today, even after having changed the sand, I still notice a little dirt and debris emitting from the return valves. I was told by my pool guy that this is typical with sand filters, but it annoys me to no end because it essentially can cloud my pool. What are your thoughts on this situation and experiecnce with sand filters, in general?

Thanks, as always, for your insight.

 

[JohnT]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

It shouldn't happen.

Are you rinsing the filter sufficiently after you backwash?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

Did you inspect the laterals and stand pipes in the filter while you had the sand out? A commom issue is a broken lateral. Also did you add about a foot or so of water in the filter before refilling the sand?

Your sand filter shouldn't allow anything you can see back into the pool.

 

[DBfan187]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

check the air relief tube inside the filter, it's connected to the bottom pipe the laterals are on. If it's loose or broken, sand will get inside and then blown back into the pool

 

[RobbieH]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

After adding new sand, you need to do a THOROUGH backwash, think five minutes! If you didn't do this, try it. You may still get a little sand back through the filter the first time you put it back into filter, but should not get any afterward.

 

[asusundevils23]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

The debris returning to the pool is not sand; it was literally just dirty water.

Yes, I thoroughly backwashed after replacing the sand.

Yes, I inspected the laterals and all the equipment inside and found everything was ok.

Yes, when I filled the filter with pea gravel and sand, I was very, very, very, careful so to not damage the laterals.

So if i'm understanding you correctly, there should NEVER - under normal circumstances - be any dirty water returning to my pool with a sand filter? Again, my pool guy said that's it's a common issue with sand filters. I certainly scratched my head after hearing his comment because it just didn't sound right.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

I would never say never. If you have very fine dust then it can pass the filter and return to the pool. It would have to eb very fine to pass the filter. It isn't a common occurance for sure. I've never seen it happen with my filter.

 

[linen]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

Yes, when I filled the filter with pea gravel and sand,

Pea gravel is new to me, I went and looked at that filters manual, and sure enough, pea gravel is listed (much to my surprise). Are you sure you have the appropriate freeboard ( I do not know what model you have) and proper ratio of sand to pea gravel. I would think that if there is not enough sand distance to travle through the water will not get properly filtered. For what you dealing with, you might want to go all sand?

 

[linen]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

For what you dealing with, you might want to go all sand?

After posting this, I searched the forums a bit more on pea gravel (since it was new to me). This one:http://www.troublefreepool.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8506&start&view=viewpoll changed my viewpoint on not using it. I probably would on your filter, but what I said about the ratio still seems to be relevant. If you do not have enough sand "thickness" in your waters path, you might not get enough filtering.

 

[JohnT]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

Are you rinsing the filter sufficiently after you backwash?

 

[asusundevils23]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

It shouldn't happen.

Are you rinsing the filter sufficiently after you backwash?

Not sure I understand your question. When backwashing I turn the backwash valve - the push/pull type - to its backwash setting, turn the pump on, and allow it to run 2-3 minutes. I then return it to its regular setting and run the filter for 1-2 minutes. I then backwash again for 2-3 minutes before returning the valve to its regular setting. It is when the backwash valve is returned to its regular setting that I walk to my pool and see debris and dirty water emitting from the returns. It was very bad before I changed the sand last weekend. Now it's very minimal, almost impossible to see unless one focuses on the returns. I just feel that nothing but clear, debris-free water should return from the filter after a good backwashing.

 

[linen]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

How long do you see the dirty water coming out? Do you have a rinse setting on your valve. I need to use this after backwash but before going to filter to clean the dirt from the valve or I will get dirty water coming back into the pool for ~20 seconds. Also, why are you backwashing twice? I backwash until the backwash looks clear (plus about 30 seconds), then I rinse till clear (plus about 30 seconds), then finally I go to filter.

 

[JohnT]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

It shouldn't happen.

Are you rinsing the filter sufficiently after you backwash?

Not sure I understand your question. When backwashing I turn the backwash valve - the push/pull type - to its backwash setting, turn the pump on, and allow it to run 2-3 minutes. I then return it to its regular setting and run the filter for 1-2 minutes. I then backwash again for 2-3 minutes before returning the valve to its regular setting. It is when the backwash valve is returned to its regular setting that I walk to my pool and see debris and dirty water emitting from the returns. It was very bad before I changed the sand last weekend. Now it's very minimal, almost impossible to see unless one focuses on the returns. I just feel that nothing but clear, debris-free water should return from the filter after a good backwashing.

When you backwash, the filter works in reverse, and can trap dirt between the pool and the sand. When you go back to normal operation, the dirt goes into the pool. With a multiport valve, you set it to rinse after backwashing and this dirty water goes out the waste line. With your valve, it has to go into the pool. I don't know that this is the source of your dirty water.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

It sounds like you're not backwashing long enough. You shouldn't backwash twice in a row like that. You should put the valve in the backwash mode and let it run till the water gets clear, really clear. It will most likely start out clear and then get dirty and then after a few minutes it will get clear again. That's when you're done. If you're stopping half way through and setting the valve back to filter then you're introducing dirty water into the stream.

 

[deanbrew]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

check the air relief tube inside the filter, it's connected to the bottom pipe the laterals are on. If it's loose or broken, sand will get inside and then blown back into the pool

Where exactly does it attach to the bottom pipe. I was getting some sand back into my pool, and tore apart my Triton II filter yesterday. I removed the sand, thinking I might have a broken lateral. All the laterals look fine, though, but the air relief tube was just hanging down inside the filter. The top was attached to the diffuser, but I'm pretty sure the bottom of the tube was not attached to anything. Could this be why I'm getting sand in my pool below the returns? Where exactly should the bottom of the tube attach?

Thanks, I'd like to get the thing reassembled today. I may unscrew all of the laterals to check for any damage just to be safe, but they all look and feel OK (I ran my fingers along the outside of every lateral).

 

[griffths]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

check the air relief tube inside the filter, it's connected to the bottom pipe the laterals are on. If it's loose or broken, sand will get inside and then blown back into the pool

Where exactly does it attach to the bottom pipe...l).

Here are a few pictures of my filter that I rebuilt this year. I had to fabricate the lower piping so this may not be exactly as it came from the factory but functionally it is identical. All you are doing is giving the air somewhere to get out of the filter. My filter in the picture is a PacFab Superflow 100 but the Triton TR100 is the replacement and both filters use many of the same parts. Since all of the parts were missing from my filter, I had to purchase all of the following to restore the air relief to my filter.

154440 Conn Air Relief Tube
154578 Strnr Air Relief Tube
154437 Tube Tr100C Air Relief

 

[DBfan187]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

yes, sand can enter through the air relief tube hole if the tube isn't in there

 

[deanbrew]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

Thanks, griffths!! That helps a lot. I looked, and I do have that fitting on my bottom pipe. When I tried to reinsert the air tube, it cracked in half, as it is now very brittle. I'm going to go to the hardware store and find a replacement tube. Do you think I should use any sealant or adhesive so it stays put top and bottom? It seems to just fit in with little to hold it there.

 

[griffths]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

Thanks, griffths!! That helps a lot. I looked, and I do have that fitting on my bottom pipe. When I tried to reinsert the air tube, it cracked in half, as it is now very brittle. I'm going to go to the hardware store and find a replacement tube. Do you think I should use any sealant or adhesive so it stays put top and bottom? It seems to just fit in with little to hold it there.

The fitting is a push in type. Not a compression fitting but a single use fitting as far as I can tell so if the tube is not staying in I would replace the fitting. The last thing you would want to do is take all of the sand out again to put the tube back into the fitting. Since you have all of the pieces you could probably find a nylon compression fitting locally at HD or Lowes that will fit the tubing and threaded fitting in the lower pipe assembly

Jay

 

[linen]

Re: Triton II Sand Filter Emitting Dirty Water Through Retur

The fitting is a push in type. Not a compression fitting but a single use fitting as far as I can tell so if the tube is not staying in I would replace the fitting. The last thing you would want to do is take all of the sand out again to put the tube back into the fitting. Since you have all of the pieces you could probably find a nylon compression fitting locally at HD or Lowes that will fit the tubing and threaded fitting in the lower pipe assembly

If it is a push fit fitting, sometimes the tubing itself becomes worn and either needs to be rotated slightly for a fresh surface or it needs to be replaced so the fitting is able to "grab" it.