Removing DE from pool

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H

House2021

Well-known member
May 24, 2021
61
Los Angeles Ca
Pool Size
30000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I have DE that leaked into my pool. I have a backwash valve that has waste or filter mode. If I put a vacuum hose directly into the skimmer hole and then attach a vacuum to the bottom can I just vacuum all the DE and let it go into the filter? I see many posts recommend vacuuming to waste but don’t understand why.
 
H,

I think the idea to vacuum to waste is when you have a lot of larger debris in the pool that you don't want to dump in your filter.

Sucking up DE into your filter should not be an issue..

As a side note... I found the best way to get rid of DE is to convert to a large cartridge filter... :mrgreen: I will never, ever go back to DE again..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Jimrahbe said:
H,

I think the idea to vacuum to waste is when you have a lot of larger debris in the pool that you don't want to dump in your filter.

Sucking up DE into your filter should not be an issue..

As a side note... I found the best way to get rid of DE is to convert to a large cartridge filter... :mrgreen: I will never, ever go back to DE again..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
What is the minimum amount of equipment needed to convert to a cartridge filter
 
Did you solve the problem with the filter that caused the DE leak in the first place? If so, then yes you can vacuum it up, but do it slowly or else you’ll push the DE around with the vacuum. If you haven’t fixed the leak/issue, then vacuuming will just send it right back out the returns again.
 
I’m honestly not sure if i fixed it or not or how to tell. What I did was replace all the o-rings in my filter, also my backwash valve had a small leak and I replaced the o-ring there too. I could not find any issues with the grids or manifold. Since there is already DE in the pool, it’s hard to tell if the issue is fixed. Let me know if you have any recommendations
 
Just start vacuuming and see if the return water looks “dirty”. If the filter is running properly the return water shouldn’t be visible. Helps to have a second set of eyes …
 
House2021 said:
What is the minimum amount of equipment needed to convert to a cartridge filter
Click to expand...

H,

Other than the filter itself, you would need a Jandy valve between the filter and the pump.. A valve between the pump and the new filter will allow you to open the pump lid without the filter draining down.. If you use a 3-way valve you can use it to vacuum to waste if you wanted.. The main downside of converting is the cost.. The install is pretty DIY easy. The cartridges last 8 to 10 years so that is not much of an issue.

I had two rent house pools that had DE filters.. I put up with them for years just because I did not want to spend the money to replace them.. They worked fine, just a pain in my rear..

I 'sold' one of the houses to my daughter, so as part of the deal, I replaced the old DE filter with a large cartridge filter. I recently sold the other rent house to the tenant, and would have felt guilty about leaving the old DE filter in place, so I replaced it as part of the sale..

I used these filters.....


Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Can a cartridge filter be installed using the existing backwash valve I have?

Also wondering if a leaking backwash valve could be the cause of DE going into the pool, if yes why would that cause this problem
 
H,

Cartridge filters cannot be backwashed, so no you can't use the old valve.. The whole point of having a large cartridge filter is the fact that you don't need to screw with backwashing, you just open the filter and clean it once a year..

The backwash valve changes the direction of water flow through the filter.. When in the backwash mode water basically goes in the out port of the filter and pushes all the DE out to the waste line.. Seems to me that a leaking backwash valve could cause some of the DE to be sent to the pool..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 

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I'm sure it has to do with the microscopic rough edges of the DE particles and how they wound entangle themselves into the filter material and not be able to be washed off. Those rough edges are what can kill exoskeleton insects that walk across a line of it around your home.
 
Jimrahbe said:
PS,

Really??? Would it not just rinse out when you cleaned the cartridges???

How much DE could the OP actually have in his pool???

Got to admit that I have never poured DE into my pool just to try out your theory... :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...

Jim,

The filter material of a cartridge filter is different than a DE filter. The DE gets embedded in the woven polyethylene of a standard cartridge filter and doesn’t easily dislodge with rinsing or soaking. If enough gets on there, the cartridge will load up and flow will be reduced. DE grids and cartridges are made of a thicker nylon mesh that doesn’t hold the DE making it easier to wash away.

But I love “sciencing” so I vote for you to dump about 10lbs of DE into your skimmer and watch the magic happen 🤪
 
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JoyfulNoise said:
If enough gets on there, the cartridge will load up and flow will be reduced.
Click to expand...
The general advice to not add DE to a cartridge filter is correct. Not TFP recommended.

The "enough" part is the real question. We don't know how much DE you have in your pool. We also don't know if that is "enough" to load up your filter.

I'm erring on the side of caution. I'd hate to have you clog a new set of filters and have to replace them. They can be pricey.
 
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I was wondering how would a leaky backwash valve cause DE to end up in the pool? Doesn’t it just control whether the water after the pump goes to waste or the filter? If instead of the filter it went to waste, how does that cause DE to go to the pool?

It seems the issue can only be in the filter itself
 

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