Changing Sand Drain Plug in Triton TR60

[amylucintfp]

I'm sure I know the answer to this, but I want to confirm before I get too depressed about how big this project may be.

Our filter has a cap, o-ring and sand-drain plug, which I assume works the following way: the sand-drain plug keeps the sand in and the threaded cap keeps the water in. Take out the cap and the water comes out but the sand stays in. Take out the sand-drain plug and the sand comes out.

The dilemma is that after I re-installed the cap this spring, there appears to be a leak in the 'collar' above the cap, i.e. around the sand drain plug. I ordered what I hope are the appropriate parts, but now I realize that to change the sand-drain plug, I need to remove it. Ahhh...the light goes on, and then I realize that when I remove it, the sand will come out.

So, I assume I am faced with removing all the sand in order to change the plug. Even if the sand doesn't just pour out, I'm guessing enough will fall into/onto the threads that would cause problems if I try to install the sand-drain plug with that sand on there.

Am I right in my understanding of how this works?

 

[Bama Rambler]

[s:1sieue2e]Yes.[/s:1sieue2e] Well I stand (ok actually sit) corrected! See folowing post by the great Ted?

 

[waste]

Sorry Bama, but NO!

There's a way to stop the leak without having to fully remove the sand drain pipe

Welcome to TFP!!

What you want to do is get an o-ring that matches the size of the shaft that screws into the bottom of the filter. Then unscrew the shaft ~ 1/4", and rinse the area betwixt nut and filter, and stretch the o-ring over the nut so it sits on the shaft. Then re-tighten the nut until the o-ring is sealing the gap (don't over tighten it or the o-ring will warp and be useless ).

This is an old trick (and perhaps not the optimal fix) that saves a lot of time and $

Before you risk having to change the sand - give my method a try - it's cheap and 'quick and dirty'

Good luck with this! Please feel free to post questions, results and testimonials :-D

 

[amylucintfp]

Thank you, gentlemen. That sounds like a great solution, but I think I have created a larger mess than that for myself. I appear to have a crack lengthwise in the sand-drain plug itself. I get a very wide spewing of water along the thickest part of the collar. (My filter, unfortunately, is positioned so that it is impossible to see exactly what is going on back there.)

I believe that when I reinstalled the cap, I severely overtightened it, splitting it along its side.

However, I'm going to make the best of a bad situation! I'm looking at this as an opportunity to really clean up yet another 'nasty' left behind by the former owners of our new house. So, in that light, I've been researching changing sand in a sand filter.

1) You can use a shop-vac. Is this true even if the sand is wet? Is it better if the sand is wet? I'm just having a hard time picture the shop-vac's behavior with either of those!

2) Alternatively, or in addition, you can use the sand-drain plug, by running a hose into the top of the filter. I'm having a hard time picturing this, too, cuz the plug is so low to the ground, I can't figure out how to effectively capture the sand/water as it runs out the botton. It seems that one would be holding a small shallow container at best, emptying it every minute or two.

3) After installing new sand, I should backwash a bit to get rid of sand dust?

4) How unsafe is water that is not filtered? I've been trying to run the filter for brief stints at a time. The chemicals appear to be good, with chlorine holding nicely, and I've been vacuuming to waste quite a bit on opening to get rid of what appears to be the last of last year's dead algae.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[waste]

Are you determined to change the sand? (it's the optimal fix, but may not be necessary )

As yet another 'band aid' you can apply 2 part epoxy putty around the drain plug :idea:

However, the shop vac does well with either wet or dry sand. The pull the sand plug method does work, but it's S-L-O-W! If you were to pull the water plug out of the sand plug and let the unit drain for a few days, you might be able to reinstall the new plug, without having to empty all the sand

If your filter is fiberglass, wear a long sleeve shirt so you don't get your arms all full of fiberglass splinters as you reach down into it (apparently coating your arms with hairspray will also prevent the splinters )

When you replace the sand, I strongly recommend substituting 1/8 - 1/4" pea gravel for the first 1/4 of the sand! (it's been talked about here) This will help protect the laterals and provide better flow at the bottom of the filter.

Always 1/2 fill the filter with water before adding pea gravel or sand and make sure the 'stand pipe' is covered!

You can run on ricirculate for many days as long a s your fc is good and holding


If you need more help, we're here

 

[amylucintfp]

I'm back!

The main impetus to change the sand was the grossness of the prior homeowners. I bought the sand (right before I read your tip about patching the plug!) and was determined, but at the last minute, chickened out. We have a homeowners warranty including the pool, so I decided to give that a shot. They sent someone to look/fix, and as a stopgap, he took out the existing plug and just put in a regular drain plug.

Anyway, he's going to try to get them to replace the whole filter as the foot is cracked and the sand plug that was in it was a real patch job. Someone had actually glued cpvc over the existing broken sand drain, to form a collar that sealed the broken plug. He's concerned that there is more 'creative patching' elsewhere in the filter, and it's not worth his time to mess with fixing each issue as he uncovers it.


So, now my timeframe may be much shortened and I'm hoping to pick some brains about a good replacement. (I'll be searching threads, but wanted to go straight to the source quickly, too!) My pool specs are in my signature...it's a VERY simple, old pool. One skimmer in the shallow end, 2 returns in the deep end. No spa, no fountains, no nothing, no hopper...just a slope from 3.5 to 8 ft. If the liner holds up another few years, we hope to save enough to do some remodeling, turning it into more of a sport pool.

My multiport is new, so I don't need or want a filter with a valve on top. I like the sand filter, so I'd prefer to stay with that. I think my pump may be next on the list, as it's noisy and hot. I don't know if that can or should have an impact on a new filter decision now.

Any advice on what, or what not to choose (assuming I get any input!) would be most appreciated!

 

[waste]

Always willing to help a new 'lifer' who shows such a sincere interest in taking control of their pool

Perhaps Jason or Mark can give you the specs on how big a filter you need for your pump - I can't but my gut tells me you need at least a 300 lb filter, and larger is better!

As far as I've been able to tell, all the major sand filters perform equally well, so get the one that costs you less $. Please remember what I said about pea gravel!

If you need more help with this, I'm here almost every day to 'hold your hand' and assist as you make this change

 

[amylucintfp]

And I'm back again! Whew, but life has been crazy. We've been working non-stop, moving and painting for the past month, with no time left for pool work (and TFP updates!), let alone pool enjoyment.


Anyway, when last we left, the sand drain plug was shot on our VEERRRYYYY old filter. I decided to try the home warranty company, even though I know that it would be a struggle at best to get them to cover the repair. But, it was worth a shot, and as of Saturday, I am the proud owner of a brand-new Triton TR-60!

It took this long, because the service person they sent was also an hvac person, and with the heat here in MO, he had a long list of more urgent, ac-related calls. We were patient, and after a few weeks, he came with a brand-spanking new filter. He spent an unbearably hot afternoon on the west side of the house by the brick walls, taking out the old filter and installing the new filter, only to find......

that the new filter was defective! Yup....a whole afternoon of work, but it was all for naught. Kept leaking at the gasket where the water flows out of or into (can't remember right now) the filter body itself. No matter what he tried, it kept leaking out of the factory-installed inlet/outlet.

So, we waited a few more weeks ('cuz it's still dog-hot here!). He came Saturday with the replacement gasket and showed me the original. Someone at the factory had not installed a rubber ring between the plastic parts on the inlet/outlet parts. Gee.....you think that might leak?


So, now we have a beautiful new filter that doesn't drip out of the bottom anywhere, and we're really gonna need it because......

our A/C died last night!

 

[Bama Rambler]

OMG! Well at least the A/C guy knows where you live. (I'm not sure if I should use a smilie or a frowny!) :?

Congrats on the new filter though!

 

[amylucintfp]

Thanks!

At least we're in the midst of moving, so we have random mattresses distributed around the house in various inconvenient locations. The plan for tonight is to drag a few into the basement where it's at least a little cooler. 'Course, we could also use some of the million random boxes distributed around the basement in various inconvenient locations to make mattresses and save the hassle of more moving! Think "Man vs. Wild meets Hoarders"!!!!

Oh, and Ted, I didn't end up with gravel in my filter (sigh.....) because I didn't do it myself and I didn't want to push too hard for something the service guy hadn't done before. I'm focusing on the shiny new filter and the sparkling new sand and just enjoying the lack of prior owner grossness. (As a money-saving diet plan, I can offer up the urine-soaked underlayment around one of the toilets for public viewing. Enough to put anyone off a meal or two. And that's just the first one! Ewwwwwww!)

My next pool project is to plan for the refurbishment and/or redesign of the pool, pending the imminent (cuz we bought the 'Moneypit') failure of the liner. I want to be prepared for when it happens, so all decisions are set and ready to go.

 

[waste]

Amy. like Bama, I'm not sure which emoticon to use :lol:

Sorry to hear about your troubles/ issues, but am happy the filter is now OK

Don't sweat the pea gravel, it's optimal - but not necessary!

Sounds like you're having a typical moving experience (always one more thing )

Have faith and PATIENCE - all will turn out fine :-D