Heyward EC-65 DE Filter

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C

CountChocula

0
Aug 30, 2007
6
CT
Hi to all and continuing thanks for the information posted here. I even went the borates route last year with great success. The wife loved the "luxurious" look and feel of the water!

Today's quandary is related to the Hayward EC-65 DE filter.

Opened pool (12k gals.) a few weeks ago and got it clear with shock. Then a setback where due to my inattention chlorine went to 0 and major algae bloom. Re-shocked and the algae is under control but the filter is not filtering.

Took the top off the filter and hosed out all the algae and old DE and restarted. Now after "bumping" and starting I get pretty good flow through the filter but it quickly diminishes. It perplexes me that it runs well and then deteriorates. Hard to understand in that I cleaned out all the old DE. Today I regenerated the filter - flush away old DE and recharge but no change. The pump is new. Maybe there is some other clog in the filter but I can't see where it might be.

Any advice much appreciated, Count.
 
Sounds like you're still filtering stuff (dead algae) out of the water. DE filters, while very good at normal filtering, are pains when clearing a pool. Just keep backwashing and recharging as needed till it gets clear.
 
Thanks for your replies. It's not a grid - has those fingers that hang down and they are clean. I just backwashed with no effect. Something is clogging the flow through the filter. The bump handle restores but only for a brief period and it has been a week since I killed the algae so the filtering is poor. Also today, for the first time, water started leaking from the gasket where the filter assembly joins the base. To me this indicates high pressure in the filter - symptomatic of some kind of clog. You can imagine the pressure I am under!
 
If the water is very murky, a DE filter can need a through cleaning as frequently as every hour, though a couple of hours is more common. If the water is relatively clear, then something else is going on.
 
I was afraid someone would ask about the pressure - the gauge is busted - will work on getting a new one.

The water is murky and has been for a while and doesn't seem to be getting any clearer in the last week or so.

Are you saying I might need to recharge the DE every couple of hours? Never needed to do anything like that before.
 
Check out my recent post -- I have the same filter and had the same problem. Can't say exactly why. I cleaned the filter today (fingers didn't look very dirty) and replaced the gauge. It was caked last Fall and I'd cleaned it then with muracid, but this time it just needed a quick hose off. New gauge and clean filter seem to be working well now and I think it's clearing. Could be all the pollen and/or fingers just didn't coat right the first time. Good luck.
 
Dear Shorelover and others - One thing we can all agree on is the EC-65 is a piece of junk, especially from its lack of multiport valve/backwashing capability. I'm going to take it apart again and clean the fingers and replace the gauge and see what happens.
 
I wouldn't buy one but it's what came with the house. However, it does a good job when it's working properly. It's just a pain to work with or clean. Very odd that we both had the same combination of problems.

My pool cleared in less than 24 hours after cleaning the fingers, putting in fresh DE and replacing the gauge! Hope you have similar luck!
 

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The Hayward EC-65 filter is probably the most effective filtering device in the pool business. By that I mean, if it's working well it will keep your pool free of even microscopic particles (you cannot see below 5-10 micrometers and this thing filters down to 2-3). That being said, once it becomes fouled it is a real pain and needs lots of TLC. I have run one for nearly thirty years and am an expert (besides having a MS in engineering with forty years of filtration experience).

If "bumping" does not restore full flow for 24 hours (by that I mean that the pressure does not increase by more than 10 psi) it needs cleaning. NEVER (that is not ever, not never, not no-how) believe that you can really clean it by bumping, draining, spa wand or anything but disassembly and hosing with a high pressure hose. Reassemble, re-charge and enjoy. You will have to do this about once per month (less often if the fingers are new - I am on my third set).

If the above does not work it means your fingers are "blinded" (i.e., choked with particles that CANNOT be bumped or washed out). The filter assemby needs to be soaked overnight in a 5% hydrochloric acid solution. (About 5 gallons water into a plastic garbage can THEN add 25% muriatic acid SLOWLY - never dump water on top of acid!). This cleans the pores and restores the filter to full function. An alternate and safer solution, although a bit less effective, is to soak in laundry detergent (Tide) and bleach. The commercial DE filter cleaners also work, but the acid treatment is by far the best. Under normal circumstances free of algae blooms and nasty storms that load your pool with debris, you still should perform this soaking once per season (at closing time).

Keep your pool balanced and clean using the advice on TFP and the EC-65 will work well and even be worth the trouble.

Additional tidbits: Don't use DE with Baquacil. The polymer gums up the pores. Better yet, don't use Baquacil. Reed the forums.
 
You don't want to do an acid cleaning unless you do a detergent cleaning first to remove any oils on the fingers. If you get too much oil on the fingers and then fail to take it off the acid can turn it solid and ruin the filter. The best sequence is to do a complete take apart and clean everything with a garden hose, then soak overnight in a solution of one cup of automatic dishwasher detergent for every five gallons of water. In the morning rinse it off with a garden hose again and then if you have calcium issues in your pool you can do an acid soak after that. Actually most people can skip the acid soak altogether.
 
Point taken. Tide seems to work as well, though. Acid will surely gum up if oils are present but I found a thorough high pressure rinse prior to soak helped to avoid that problem. In any case, with BBB I expect far fewer issues with the DE filter. I will need a lot more time than I have now to tell my tales of Baquacil troubles. I'll post on that later.
 
The filter does work well, I just hate unscrewing all those bolts, and then putting them back after cleaning! I'd read stories of people cracking the plastic from tightening them improperly and having to buy a new top, so I'm super-careful. It looks like the newer model might be easier to work with.

The previous owner of my house used BAQ with this filter. However, I was lucky enough to have to buy new fingers when I bought the house, so mine have only been used with BBB.

Glad to hear that your pool cleared too, Count!
 
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