Zeobrite

[vanmor]

I don't think my filter is working anymore. It has Zeobrite in it. The pressure is around 15 to 17. I have backwashed and backwashed to no avail. I think this is really the reason my pool won't clear up.

 

[vanmor]

Yep. It was all slimy and gunky. They suggest a salt solution to restore it. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

 

[vanmor]

I tried the salt solution. The guage still reads about 14 lbs of pressure. I'll see how well it filtered in the morning, but I think I'm going to be buying some sand.

 

[vanmor]

When all else fails, read the instructions. My filter manual says that the pump should be running at 10 to 12 lbs. So I'm close at 14 lbs. It also says to backwash at 20 to 22 lbs. As stated earlier, we shall see in the morning how well things are going.

 

[newnick]

I've got a similar set up and run 14#'s after backflushing.
Pressure gauges can't always be trusted, tapping on them sometimes gets them to move a little.
The gauge that came on our filter quit after 2 years.

 

[vanmor]

My original guage didn't survive the winter. So I had to get a replacement.

 

[Kymberly]

We are heading into our 4th year with a Hayward Sand Filter full of Zeobrite. When we got our pool in 2006 we were told Zeobrite was 3-year lifespan, so it's not outrageous that we need to replace.

However, the pool store claims that now Zeobrite says to replace annually instead of every 3 years? ANNUALLY? Can that be right?

I mean I thought the stuff was nice, worked well, but it's like 3x the cost and ANNUALLY?

We only have 3 years of pool experience under our belts so we don't know much. We are only THIS YEAR having trouble with cloudy issues so it's not far fetched to think we need new filter medium.

As we replace does anyone really think Zeobrite is THAT much better or would you recommend we give sand a whirl?

 

[matt4x4]

I think that's all just pool store sales talk.
Every fall when I winterize my pool, I take the valve off my filter drain the water down in it to the top of the Zeobrite and dump a couple of liters of bleach into the top, stir it around with a rod through the zeobrite and let is sit for a good hour, the stir some more, I then stick the hose into the filter and continue stirring while all the Crud starts to wash out over the top - make sure you wear old clothes and shoes because all that bleach will do wonders to your outfit!!!
The Zeobrite is once again white when I am done with it - at which point I pull the drain plug and cover it all with a garbage bag cynched around the bottom above the drain hole with a bungee so the drain can continue dripping without getting into the bag.
My pool is 7 years old and the filter still works like a charm on the original Zeobrite.

 

[Kymberly]

matt4x4 - do you do that instead of running filter cleaner - or in addition to? We clean our filter with the store-bought filter cleaner every year.

 

[matt4x4]

I run the filter on backwash and rinse right before I take the top off the filter, then I do the chlorine...i think filter cleaner is just another overpriced product you can do without.