Sometimes to get extra polished, crystal clear water I backwash the filter and then add about 2-3 cups of DE to the skimmer and monitor the pressure. Works like a charm- especially after heavy rains, heavy pollen, increased bather load, also seems to clear up "sunscreen cloudiness". Other than having to closely monitor for pressure spike, are there any other concerns or contraindications?
My reasoning for occasionally adding DE- basically, dirty sand filters better than cleaner, newly backwashed sand because then it's able to trap smaller and smaller particles, but usually it takes a long time for my sand to get dirty enough to increase the pressure 5-10 PSI. In order to prevent channeling of the sand, I try to backwash about every 7-10 days. Adding some DE is like adding "clean dirt" to the filter to increase its filtration surface area.
Just wondering if this is a good practice or if it shouldn't be done.
My reasoning for occasionally adding DE- basically, dirty sand filters better than cleaner, newly backwashed sand because then it's able to trap smaller and smaller particles, but usually it takes a long time for my sand to get dirty enough to increase the pressure 5-10 PSI. In order to prevent channeling of the sand, I try to backwash about every 7-10 days. Adding some DE is like adding "clean dirt" to the filter to increase its filtration surface area.
Just wondering if this is a good practice or if it shouldn't be done.
