Having he11 with my filter (DE)....

[sredish]

Nothing that can't be fixed but it seems to just be one thing after another. Started to open last week. Everything was going good... did a good backwash, got lots of good stuff out. Ran it for a day hard to get it circulating, backwashed, everything was good. Then vacuumed and it picked up lots of good stuff as well, but i probably got it a little too clogged because immediately after, when replacing DE, it all shot back through the jets.

Took it apart, busted manifold. Inspected grids, they were all good. Manifold wasn't in stock, was able to get one the next day. So, get it back together and am pumping again. Pressure is a little higher than normal but it seemed to be working good. Let it circulate part of that night, came back next morning to vacuum the DE on the bottom to find it not pumping as good. Backwashed, all clear, so what the heck. Took the top off and couldn't see anything, grids were clean (should've been a little dirty IMO). So, disassembled and found one grid had busted. Replaced it and picked up 2 extras just in case. Got it back together and am pumping once again. Came back a little later that afternoon to vacuum up the DE and high pressure, low vacuum... Dammit. Disassemble again, 7 of the 9 grids are totalled. Like, not a little bad spot but like totally beat up like I ran them over.

So.... now I'm just disgusted. I've had wet nasty DE on me for the last three days, I'm not closer, actually farther, from getting this thing going. I'm losing time trying to get it ready for Memorial Day... so close but I'm losing ground when I'm not pumping.

Right now the filter is unhooked, grids apart by the truck. Was going to take it to a local shop in the morn, get the parts and have him help me assemble it real quick but..... I'm really considering just picking up the biggest cartridge filter I can get from him and calling it good. I feel like I'm going to be worrying now about this stupid filter for awhile and if the cartridge filters pretty close to the DE, then it almost seems like a no brainer... what are the down sides, other than I already have a DE I've paid for but I'm about to spend money I can put toward the cost of a cart filter on the new grids. Am I thinking clearly or am I being dumb..........

 

[Richard320]

The way your luck's been running, I'd be careful about switching filters. You just know the plumbing won't line up exactly. So then you'll be making endless trips to the hardware store for pipe and fittings and glue and the fitting you forgot. And then more of the same because now you have a leak you didn't have until you started sawing...

Now a whole new filter exactly like the old one (assuming it's still being made) might be a way to preserve your sanity, even if it's rough on the wallet.

Still, you're in so deep now, might as well finish. You have essentially all new guts in the filter. Might as well spring for new seals, just so you won't have to tear it apart again.

 

[zea3]

How high is the pressure reading when the parts are being destroyed? How old is the filter? What size is your filter? How much DE are your adding? Have you done an acid wash or added a lot of MA lately? I would be concerned about replacing parts without knowing what was causing the destruction in the first place. I wish you good luck with your pool!

 

[Mayorb]

Your experience is actually not uncommon. The elements inside of a DE filter can almost be thought of as a chain, the weakest link breaks first. After replacing that one the second to weakest link will break, fix that and the third to weakest will break etc... If you have any broken grids and the grids are all the same age, replace the whole set. I can recall dozens of times over the past 15 years a partial repair had been tried only to be redone a second and third time in short order. Its aggravating If you are a DIY, its aggravating and expensive if you are having a service company do it.

 

[sredish]

got it done. had a local pool guy stop by and show me the 'tricks'. replaced all grids and got it back up today. now i'm undergoing the task of filtering out all the old DE that shot into the pool. i'm putting a light amount of DE in the filter, allowing the DE in the pool to get caught, then backwashing it out. i've backwashed 3 times today. Pressure clean was 20 and it would climb to over 30 within a few hours from the DE clogging it. did this a few times and the pool is looking a little clearer but it's a slow process it seems. just did it again this evening. i'll be running it a little longer tonight and then will shut it off and inspect in the morning.

baby steps.

 

[sredish]

i think the 'destruction' was mostly due to the age and it seemed to start a chain reaction like the prev post mentioned.... i add about 12 coffee cans worth, per the inst on the DE bag I get... (60 sq. ft. filter)... I have, in the past, added too much, not measuring properly and that may have led to an early down fall on the grids. i think the manifold went because it clogged so much so fast.

I'm working on shocking as well right now to get rid of some algae growth as well... should be some dramatic differences in the next few days. i was just venting earlier, think i'll just stay with the de i have as it has served me well for quite some time. now, it's the phantom's trn for some attention.