Routine Backwashing Question

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Pogueld

0
Apr 3, 2015
805
Quinlan, tx
Soooo, I've just finished up a SLAM from an algae outbreak - whew, that was a lot of work :). I completely understand HOW to backwash and now I understand HOW to RINSE. I guess I'm still confused on WHEN to backwash. We have a sand filter, live in a wooded area, and have a dog that is in and out of the pool all day - gets wet, goes rolls around in the dirt, gets back in the pool. I've read that you backwash when your PSI raises by 10 and I've read that you go by 20-25%. Was there a difference in my backwashing during a SLAM, than routine backwashing? My gauge for normal PSI is at a 10. So I guess my question is do I backwash when my guage reads 20 or when my guage reads 12? Is it too frequent to need to backwash more than once a week?
 
Hi Po,
TFP recommends backwashing when the pressure is 20-25 percent above clean pressure.

The reason is because if your filter gets higher in pressure, then your pump has to work harder to push the water through. This actually results in more $ spent on pump electricty for less amount of cleaning power. The dirtier filter also results on extra wear and tear on your pump, because it has to work harder. It results in cloudier water because it doesnt filter as well either.

Here is a link to the TFP filter page which ephasizes our rationale of filter cleaning.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters

I hope this helps,
 
Divin Dave said:
Hi Po,
TFP recommends backwashing when the pressure is 20-25 percent above clean pressure.

The reason is because if your filter gets higher in pressure, then your pump has to work harder to push the water through. This actually results in more $ spent on pump electricty for less amount of cleaning power. The dirtier filter also results on extra wear and tear on your pump, because it has to work harder. It results in cloudier water because it doesnt filter as well either.

Here is a link to the TFP filter page which ephasizes our rationale of filter cleaning.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters

I hope this helps,
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave!
 
Smykowski said:
Yes, once a week is too often.

A clean pool will clog up a filter very, very slowly. If your clean pressure is 10psi, backwash when it rises above 12. Don't be surprised if you go more than a month between back washes.
Click to expand...

We've never watched the PSI before, but we have followed the builder's advice of watching for the pump flow to bog down. This does seem to happen about once a week. We assumed it was because of the dog in and out of the pool along with the debris that gets in the pool from the trees. We have a polaris cleaner, but a lot of the small dirt particles the dog brings in are too small for it to pick up. Skimmer socks have helped some. We brush the pool steps where the dog gets, brush the sides, and push the dirt towards to drain so it can be filtered out. We use a leaf rake to get out larger debris and we keep our skimmers clean (which is a HUGE battle in the fall.) We run the filter and cleaner daily on a schedule. While we weren't familiar with pool water chemical balance (but I've learned a TON! this week), we thought we were doing the other things right. Is there some step we are missing as far as keeping the pool clean? Our pool was built in 2012. This will be our 4th summer. We didn't need to backwash as much until we got the second dog who LOVES the pool - winter, spring, summer, or fall :) :D

Just curious if we are missing something or if our pool's personality and usage might just call for more regular backwashing.
 
It is possible to have a filter that is small enough that it needs to be cleaned weekly, especially with a larger pool like yours. We don't recommend getting a filter that small, but some builders skimp on the filter.

What specific filter brand/model do you have?
 
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.

Here is the filter label.
 

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Hey Po,
one thing that unintentionally slipped my mind about your Clean Pressure....

Given that you have a Variable speed pump, it might very well be programmed to run at various speeds. The higher the speed is, then the higher the pressure your filter is going to read.

So... what all of us with VS pumps do, is just pick one of the higher speeds, and use that speed for determining our pressure.

- - - Updated - - -
 
Ok , that all just went over my head [emoji6]. It is a VS pump and it runs a higher when the cleaner is on. And I saw on the easy touch that there were different speeds, but other than all that, I don't know how to determine the speed - baby steps?
 
You just want to make sure you always check the filter pressure at the same relatively high pump speed. The specific speed doesn't matter, just that you use the same speed each time. This could be done as simply as always checking the filter pressure while the pool cleaner is running.
 
Ohhh ok. I've kinda been doing that. I know when the pool cleaner is on that the PSI is 16-17 so I obviously don't backwash then. So what you're saying is I should check the pressure when the cleaner is on. And use a PSI of 20-21 as backwash pressure?
 
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