Opening the pool, Before I prime the pump, I read I should unscrew the top of the sand filter and release any air. After I open it, do I screw the lid on the sand filter shut and prime the pump or should I leave it open until it is primed? If I leave it open, will the water shoot out of the top? I have installed all of the plugs where they belong and used my robot to clean and stir up the water. The next step is running the pump.
Pressure in the sand filter
- Thread starter sd72667
- Start date
Not the lid of the sand filter, just the small air release valve on top of the filter.
You leave the air release valve open while priming the pump and continue leaving it open until a steady stream of water sprays out, then close it.
You leave the air release valve open while priming the pump and continue leaving it open until a steady stream of water sprays out, then close it.
OK, I unscrewed the small valve and I will begin to prime and get things rolling. Thanks for the advice.
After running waste cycle with the small pressure valve off, water began to stream out, so I flipped breaker off and screwed in the small pressure valve. I ran the backwash and rinse. I then ran the filter cycle for a minute, then the backwash and rinse again, but the pressure gauge is reading high, around 40-50. Will the pressure go down after several backwashes? Or do I need to unscrew the small preesure valve again and run it a bit with it off?
A pressure of 40 to 50 psi indicates either a bad gauge or some sort of blockage on the return side.
Does the pressure gauge go to zero when the pump is off.
Is the return line valve open?
Are the returns plugged (they might be plugged from winterizing)?
Does the pressure gauge go to zero when the pump is off.
Is the return line valve open?
Are the returns plugged (they might be plugged from winterizing)?
I think the gauge is bad. I released all the pressure and the gauge did not go back to 0. It is a Hayward gauge. The black knob on the top of the gauge turns the red and green arms. When the filter is running, water is returning back to the pool. Is also is working properly when I backwash. Should I wait and get a new gauge before I run the pump? Where can I buy a new gauge that is similar but won't stop working within a year? My pool was completed July 2010.
If you're confident that the issue is with the gauge, then you can leave the system on. If you're not sure, then you want to leave it off until you get a new gauge. You can get a new gauge at any hardware or pool store.
Sand filters do not require air bleeding.
Filter pressure gauges are relatively cheap. Figure about 8-12 dollars.
Suction side cleaners such as Kreepy Krawly and others of that style will eat gauges. The oscillation of the pressure they create pounds the gauges into submission. On my own system, until I can afford something else, I gave up on my pressure gauge. I can recognize, based on my experience (i.e. don't you do this at home) when I need to backwash.
You'd be hard pressed to find a pool pump that will push enough to generate more than 40 PSI in a filter and still have any flow. That high a pressure is indicative of a blockage, be it a valve or dirty filter or anything else.
Scott
Filter pressure gauges are relatively cheap. Figure about 8-12 dollars.
Suction side cleaners such as Kreepy Krawly and others of that style will eat gauges. The oscillation of the pressure they create pounds the gauges into submission. On my own system, until I can afford something else, I gave up on my pressure gauge. I can recognize, based on my experience (i.e. don't you do this at home) when I need to backwash.
You'd be hard pressed to find a pool pump that will push enough to generate more than 40 PSI in a filter and still have any flow. That high a pressure is indicative of a blockage, be it a valve or dirty filter or anything else.
Scott
Mine does. More than half the models I know of do.PoolGuyNJ said:
Generally, if there is a multi-position main valve on top of the filter then it does not need to have air released. But if the main valve is on the side it does.
I ended up running the backwash and rinse again. Then I ran the filter cycle for about an hour with great flow back into the pool from the 2 returns. The water is actually crystal clear. I have ran "Robey" (thats what my kids and I call him), my Polaris robot about 10 different cycles in the last 3 days before I even turned on the pump. I'll test the water today before I turn on the SWG. I wonder if the broken gauge is still under warranty from my pool installer. If not, I'll get another soon. Jason, are you close to the DC zoo? We went out there 3 years ago and it is a great zoo, and it's FREE. Also I listen to Steve Czaban show every day and he does his show down the road in Rockville. Great radio show. Thanks everyone for the help.
I'm a little over half an hour from the zoo. It is quite amazing. No one can resist the pandas and they have so much more than that.