Difference between "backwash" and "rinse"

[Linkterfur]

Guys,

I'm quite curious as to what the difference is in flow through the sand filter on backwash vs rinse. They both send water through the drain and not back into the body of water, right? So really what does the "rinse" cycle even do?

 

[JohnT]

Rinse runs water in the same direction that normal filtering does. Backwash runs it through the sand in the opposite direction. Rinse is to clear any dirt out of the clean side of the sand before you start sending it back to the pool.

 

[Linkterfur]

Excellent, thank you. I've tried to come up with theories based on the PSI. Guess I was over thinking something so simple

 

[swimcmp]

JohnT you are 50% correct. Rinse just runs through the filter head. It does nothing other than passes water through the head to waste.

 

[Bama Rambler]

swimcmp -- You sure about that?

Here's what the manual for my filter says about the rinse function.

RINSE: From pump, through valve, downward through filter sand, up through center pipe to valve and out waste port. This position is used for start up cleaning and resettling filter bed after backwashing.

 

[JohnT]

JohnT you are 50% correct. Rinse just runs through the filter head. It does nothing other than passes water through the head to waste.

No, it is exactly the same as filter except the outlet goes to the waste line instead of back to the pool. The water passes through the sand in the normal direction.

 

[Drag.az]

I always wondered about that too. My manual did not give that info. Now we know. Thx yall

 

[linen]

I have confirmed that my sand filters "rinse" position works exactly like JohnT and Bama described. What swimcmp describes is the "waste" position on my filter.

 

[Patrick_B]

swimcmp -- You sure about that?

Here's what the manual for my filter says about the rinse function.

RINSE: From pump, through valve, downward through filter sand, up through center pipe to valve and out waste port. This position is used for start up cleaning and resettling filter bed after backwashing.

This goes for water softeners as well.

 

[stebs]

In response to the last part of your original questions. Rinse is used after backwashing to clear out any remaining debris from the backwashing process. I personally backwash until waste line is flowing clear, then rinse for 20 sec to settle everything back in, then switch it back to filter.

Waste is used for pumping water out of the pool (bypasses the filter)
Recirculate is used to bypass the filter but still recirculate the pool water ( I sometimes use this when adding certain chemicals)