Today is my 2-month anniversary of being a first time homeowner and also a first time pool owner. Needless to say, I'm still in that "getting to know my pool" phase. I'm quickly getting to know my water chemistry, but the one area I've been putting off is getting to know my sand filter. The only thing I have done to filter is backwash.
As backstory, the previous owner left a lot of receipts from past home repairs and it looks like the filter was replaced in 2010. In the filter book left behind the previous owner wrote that normal PSI is 30. That is consistent with the current PSI on pump at highest speed (3250rpm). Despite that, my PSI does seem high compared to what I hear others mention on here as the normal range. Also, I do get a lot of debris in pool and everyday have very fine silt that I am always sweeping toward drain.
Despite having a pool guy, I'm going on the assumption that the previous owner never cleaned or replaced sand since installed 7-years ago. So basically, I've come up with a few excuses why I should open up the sand filter and have a few questions since I don't want to screw something up.
1. Replace Sand or Clean Sand - I've seen conflicting posts on the need to replace sand or just clean sand?
2. I like the idea of starting over fresh, or even putting in different type of sand that is better. Is all sand created equal? Is there a "higher end" type of sand?
3. If I were to replace sand, how do you dispose of old sand? Can you use it in your yard or does it have to be thrown out?
4. How would one know if a lateral was broken without taking out sand?
5. How much sand do you need in filter?
6. Whether I take out sand or just clean out with hose, do I disconnect the pipes coming in and going out of filter before opening up the filter?
Thats all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I will have more as I build up courage to tackle this project. Thanks in advance for any help and guidance.
As backstory, the previous owner left a lot of receipts from past home repairs and it looks like the filter was replaced in 2010. In the filter book left behind the previous owner wrote that normal PSI is 30. That is consistent with the current PSI on pump at highest speed (3250rpm). Despite that, my PSI does seem high compared to what I hear others mention on here as the normal range. Also, I do get a lot of debris in pool and everyday have very fine silt that I am always sweeping toward drain.
Despite having a pool guy, I'm going on the assumption that the previous owner never cleaned or replaced sand since installed 7-years ago. So basically, I've come up with a few excuses why I should open up the sand filter and have a few questions since I don't want to screw something up.
1. Replace Sand or Clean Sand - I've seen conflicting posts on the need to replace sand or just clean sand?
2. I like the idea of starting over fresh, or even putting in different type of sand that is better. Is all sand created equal? Is there a "higher end" type of sand?
3. If I were to replace sand, how do you dispose of old sand? Can you use it in your yard or does it have to be thrown out?
4. How would one know if a lateral was broken without taking out sand?
5. How much sand do you need in filter?
6. Whether I take out sand or just clean out with hose, do I disconnect the pipes coming in and going out of filter before opening up the filter?
Thats all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I will have more as I build up courage to tackle this project. Thanks in advance for any help and guidance.
