First time backwash with a slide/push valve

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ShinDiors

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2021
227
Northern VA
Pool Size
20500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I've seen folks recommend "rinse" cycle after the "backwash" with multiport valve, but I have a slide/push valve, so how should I proceed with multiple "cycles" of backwash (seen recommendation of backwash 30s, then back to filtering, then backwash again, for three times)?

Or with my push/pull valve, I should only be doing a longer time backwash, then return to filter mode and recharge DE? The manual of my DE filter says backwash for 1min or until water is clean, I have no sight glass and the legacy plumbing I inherited is buried down, so I can't see the water coming out clean or not. Should I just do 1 min backwash?

Also, when recharging DE afterwards, do I need to remove the skimmer basket entirely and dump DE cup by cup into skimmer? I suppose I need to remove the skimmer socks at least.

Thanks a lot.
 
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All you can do with your slide valve is what the manual describes.

Backwash for 1 minute then recharge the DE.
 
ajw22 said:
All you can do with your slide valve is what the manual describes.

Backwash for 1 minute then recharge the DE.
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when recharging DE afterwards, do I need to remove the skimmer basket entirely and dump DE cup by cup into skimmer? I suppose I need to remove the skimmer socks at least.
 
Remove the skimmer socks and not the basket and dump the DE into it.
 
Do I need to open the air pressure relief valve before pulling the backwash valve? And I also saw a video
saying after the 1st backwash, push down to filter position, and turn on and off the pump a few times (to remove more DE), then backwash again. Will that damage the pump coz it is basically short cycling it?
 
That video has a single speed pump controlled by a timer circuit.

I would not "bump" a pumps power on a VS pump that has sensitive electronic controls and goes through a priming cycle.

After you recharge the filter with DE you should purge any air form the filter.
 
ajw22 said:
That video has a single speed pump controlled by a timer circuit.

I would not "bump" a pumps power on a VS pump that has sensitive electronic controls and goes through a priming cycle.

After you recharge the filter with DE you should purge any air form the filter.
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i have a single speed pump on timer too, should i then follow that bump strategy?
 
ShinDiors said:
i have a single speed pump on timer too, should i then follow that bump strategy?
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I don’t think it makes a big difference to the filtering. Just seems like a bad way to stress the motor.
 
I took a closer read on the manual, and it actually says if no sight glass, back wash 1min, then valve to filter position, filter for 1min, and do this cycle three times. So 3mins a total backwash, does that seem to be too long? I do have high water level now due to 2.5 inch of rain two nights ago.
 
ShinDiors said:
I took a closer read on the manual, and it actually says if no sight glass, back wash 1min, then valve to filter position, filter for 1min, and do this cycle three times. So 3mins a total backwash, does that seem to be too long? I do have high water level now due to 2.5 inch of rain two nights ago.
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It is a judgment call how long you need to run your pump for to clear off all the old DE.

Different pumps have different flow rates. So 1 minute is more then enough but adequate if you have a small pump. With a large pump you don’t need a full minute.

If you can see your waste flow then you will see when the water starts running clear.
 

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ajw22 said:
It is a judgment call how long you need to run your pump for to clear off all the old DE.

Different pumps have different flow rates. So 1 minute is more then enough but adequate if you have a small pump. With a large pump you don’t need a full minute.

If you can see your waste flow then you will see when the water starts running clear.
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It's a Jandy 1.5hp single speed pump btw.
 
ShinDiors said:
It's a Jandy 1.5hp single speed pump btw.
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A backwash seldom removes all the D.E., but enough. After a backwash it is good to only refill about 80% of the recommended D.E. that would go into a completely clean filter. Too much D.E. will cause filtering issues.
Some people follow the backwash/filter/backwash routine and some don't with similar results. You get used to how your system functions and adjust accordingly. A D.E. filter should be opened and inspected at least once a year. Grids break, fabric tears, holes appear. That inspection will tell you how well your backwash routine works.
 
What about just backwashing for 1 minute, and then shut off pump and then open up the filter and hose it off? Last season, our first, my PB sent a closing crew and they just backwashed, but did not break down the filter. When I opened this spring, I was curious as to the condition of the grids. Well, the outsides of the grids were clean, but the insides of the grid were dirty. I think the only way to get the grids clean is to open the filter and manually clean after an initial backwash to remove a lot of the DE.
 
SecoSteve said:
What about just backwashing for 1 minute, and then shut off pump and then open up the filter and hose it off? Last season, our first, my PB sent a closing crew and they just backwashed, but did not break down the filter. When I opened this spring, I was curious as to the condition of the grids. Well, the outsides of the grids were clean, but the insides of the grid were dirty. I think the only way to get the grids clean is to open the filter and manually clean after an initial backwash to remove a lot of the DE.
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If the inside of the grids is dirty, that means that either the backwash water itself is full of debris, or that dirt is getting through the D.E. and fabric.
 
1poolman1 said:
If the inside of the grids is dirty, that means that either the backwash water itself is full of debris, or that dirt is getting through the D.E. and fabric.
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By inside, I was referring to the grid's position. The way the grids are "layered", where two grids meet each other, I call that the inside of the grouping.
 
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