Quad DE Filter gage reading at Medium and Low speeds. At high speeds shows backwash

What was the clean filter pressure at high speed?

Backwash your DE filter when the high speed pressure rises 25-30% from the clean pressure.

ajw22 said:

What was the clean filter pressure at high speed?

Backwash your DE filter when the high speed pressure rises 25-30% from the clean pressure.

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I would not use high speed as the test pressure. I would use whatever speed your pump normally runs at for pool filtering.

A new pool not only gets debris in it but also sheds plaster dust initially. This can load up a filter quickly. The Quads are very good filters but I would recommend it be opened up, taken apart and fully cleaned out instead of backwashed. Backwashing is very inefficient at cleaning these filters. I actually never backwash and choose to simply take apart the filter twice per year. That’s all it needs.

I find backwashing and loading in DE is more than adequate to get the filter performing again. Opening up the filter is a more elaborate task then many folks want to get into on a regular basis.

I agree a filter can get loaded up quickly with a new pool or when opening up a pool. Once the water settles down filter cleaning should be less frequent. Frequency a filter needs cleaning depends on the environment the pool is in.

Pick a speed and use that as your gauge for when the filter needs to be cleaned.

With some experience you learn how your pool behaves and when to expect to clean your filter.

My point, which was hastily and poorly made, is that my Quad is so efficient and large that a 25% increase over clean pressure happens about once per year (and my pool is open and running all year). Since it is good advice to open, inspect and clean the filter annually, backwashing makes no sense and uses more DE than what I would use from just opening it up and cleaning it out.

Also, from the original post it sounds like you are using the standard pressure gauge that came with the filter. Those are ok but there are better gauges you can buy that are higher precision (+/- 0.5 psi) and are liquid filled. They are higher quality and will last a lot longer than the OEM gauge (my original gauge failed after 2 years of service). By using a better gauge, you can more accurately track filter pressure. Of course it is up to you and your level of comfort with working on the equipment pad but it’s definitely worth the $20 they cost.