Need Help Figuring Out Pump and Filter Equipment

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ButterflyPool

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Aug 14, 2016
14
San Jose, CA
Hi Everyone. So, the pool guy is gone and we're on our own. We're learning the chemicals just fine, but we are very confused about what we have in terms of equipment.

We have a DE filter on the right (Leslies/Haywood Crystal Clear II DE-LE-42054), and we know the little pump in the front is for the Polaris sweep. We have no idea what the DE separation tank does which is the fire hydrant looking thing. We've also tried to figure out the path of the water, but get lost.

We can see that the water comes in from the pipe behind the rusty timer box. (There is also a back wash device there so the water can't back flow into the pool.) It goes up the clear tube and....? Directly into the DE filter, or into the DE separation tank? The white pipe on the left that goes off the page goes into the ground to....?? But there is a shut off valve on that pipe that is currently closed.

One of the other reasons I'm posting this is because in the year we've had the pool, we've never back washed the filter. The pool guy never back washed the filter either. We are seeing that this should be done periodically and are uncertain where the water comes out and if we need a hose or not. The youtube videos we've watched so far seem to skip over the part about where the water comes out.

I saw the pool guy today (he still services the neighbor's pool) and when I tried to ask him about the filter and back washing, he was less than helpful and not as friendly as when I was a paying customer. Basically, he said he hates DE filters and he cleans them thoroughly once a year and that's it. There is no need to backwash because you have to add DE and there's no way to know exactly how much you need or how much is in there. And what happens is you mess up the filter. The only way to do it right is to clean it. And then he warned me to be careful about what I do.

So, can you help give me an idea of our setup and some general ideas about DE filters. I have looked at some DE filter threads and they seem like a total pain! Our friend has a cartridge filter which seems so much easier to care for. Maybe we should switch down the road. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Tracy

P.S. I have more photos if you need better angles.

Pool Equipment All.jpg
 
A few more pics would help - from different angles. make sure we can see all the piping and also where they exit from the ground.
 
I've been labeling my above photo which helps clarify a lot, but for some reason, that has made my file way too big for TFP to accept it. No matter what I do, it will not shrink enough, I think b/c of the labels. Will have to find another way.

I think our main question is, does the incoming water go to the DE filter first, or to the DE Separation tank first? Both the pool water and the DE separation water flow to the DE Filter. Why have the separation tank? (Pool guy said it's for commercial pools.) We are also not sure what the pipe is going away from the equipment. It's connected to the pipe that comes from the DE separation tank, so it appears that it's an outflow pipe. But it goes into the ground and not sure where it goes. Back into the pool? We aren't convinced it's a drain pipe. But what do we know.

Pool Equipment 3.jpg
 
Butter,

When you move the multiport valve to "Backwash" the dirty water will come out of the valve and to into the pipe on the left side of your "Separation Tank" and then, in theory, clean water will come out the right side of your Separation Tank and into the drain pipe. In Theory, the tank will have a bag that captures the DE so that if can be thrown away. My gut feeling is that the bag is either gone, or in sad shape.

I'd check with your city and see if the tank is a requirement. Where I live it is required that the dirty DE be sent down the sewer drain, so no tank is required. If not required, I'd take it out and plumb around it.

I have a couple of rent house that have DE filter and I also do not backwash. I clean them twice a year. But... I can get away with that because I have variable speed pumps running at very low RPMs. It is recommended that you backwash or clean the DE filter anytime the pressure increases by 25% to 30% over what is called the "Clean Pressure". The clean pressure is the initial pressure you see right after the filter has been cleaned and has new DE in it.

Jim R.
 
Thanks Jim. Your explanation along with some photos and plumbing diagrams from sellers, I'm better understanding what the separation tank does. We will have to open it up and see what's inside, but I suspect you may be right. And I see those bags are not cheap to replace! It would be money better spent to bypass the separation tank all together. The city requirement I can find here is that it is NOT allowed to go down the street drains. It needs to be backwashed onto a dirt area and then any debris can be scooped up and thrown away. I guess I can't do that until I disconnect the separation tank? I don't think there is a way to bypass it without removing it completely and send the backwash out a different exit point??
 
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