Modify a diffuser? What's the risk?

[MNPoolDreamer]

After many posts about cloudy water, stuff going into the pool, we think we've figured out the problem with our sand filter.
First of all the spaces on the lateral are so big anything but gravel would go through them. Well we can't really fix that but the amount of sand getting into the poll isn't that much.

What we did see is a sort of channeling from the diffuser. The sand is blown away almost to the lateral on the same spot that it comes out of the diffuser. That would explain explain why the pump on high just blows everything back into the pool. So my husband is in the process of taking our old pump basket, cutting it apart and wiring with garden wire into the diffuser basket. His hope is it will spread the flow of water more evenly over the sand.

I'm not really comfortable modifying things but wondering if anyone has ever done this? Any other ideas of what we could do to diffuse the water better (other than run the pump on low always?). We can't vacuum with the pump on low, it would take forever. Plus the heater needs just a little more pressure than low provides.

Thanks!

 

[JasonLion]

Wire will tend to corrode in pool water, unless it is stainless steel, which seems unlikely.

It sounds very much like your diffuser must be broken. Getting the correct replacement part might be better.

 

[MNPoolDreamer]

No,the diffuser isn't broken, it just seems like very poor design. The holes on the diffuser are so big, we can see where the water comes from the multi port onto the sand.

He ended up using zip ties (plastic) so we don't have to worry about corrosion. So far it seems like everything is ok. We'll have to check the sand next week to see if it is truly solving the problem.