It's been over a month and a half and the original DE is still good according to the guage. Only reading 2 PSI rise. Water is srystal clear and everything appears fine. Just need to know if this is normal? Should I change it monthly? Etc.
DE Filter - How long does DE Last
- Thread starter pjiv
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I am sure some people may disagree but I am an if it ain't broke don't fix it kind of guy. And no DE doesn't go bad after a month. Just don't get so comfortable that you forget to check it. When I had a DE filter it used to go long as there are not a lot of trees around the pool I would let it rise 6 lbs then backwash and charge. The only time I would find it rising faster was at times of the year when I would see a lot of pollen on the cars, ground and yes the surface of the pool in the morning. So get in the habit of checking the pressure like you check the skimmers and PH and Cl.
Similar advice here. I let psi increase (for me, 8 to 10 pounds higher than normal) be my guide for backwashing. Some times of the year, I can go up to 4-6 months but other times, I may have to backwash after 1-2. I live in Southern California, and we get seasonal winds. That's usually the time when I'm doing it more often. I do a full cleaning once a year, where I pull the grids, hose them down, and start fresh.
It's not unusual for people to report only backwashing on opening and closing so there's not a problem with your's. Keep an eye on the gauge to make sure it's working correctly. It should go to zero when the pump is off.
Guage is working just fine. I have a Clean pool and yard, no trees! So I guess I only need small bad per year. Live and learn I bought a 25lb bag this year, and from the looks of it I'll have 20lbs left at the end of the season. Thanks all!
Don't worry about having DE left over at the end of the year. It'll keep. It's millions of years old when it's dug up out of the ground, a few more years isn't going to hurt it. 
I only changed my filter media because I wanted to know what the clean pressure is. That was about 8 months into pool ownership.
And when I did it, I waited for a rainy day so the backwash would get flushed away with no traces.
Anyway, it turned out I coulda gone another few months. I've gone almost a year and it still isn't ready to change yet. Like you, I have no trees filling my pool.
And when I did it, I waited for a rainy day so the backwash would get flushed away with no traces.
Anyway, it turned out I coulda gone another few months. I've gone almost a year and it still isn't ready to change yet. Like you, I have no trees filling my pool.
Bama Rambler said:Don't worry about having DE left over at the end of the year. It'll keep. It's millions of years old when it's dug up out of the ground, a few more years isn't going to hurt it.
Right on!
I am surprised my pressure hasn't risen more. On a fresh re-plaster, with all the plaster dust I have filtered, its only gone up about 5 psi. So half way to backwash. Sure beats that old cartridge filter I was dealing with before the remodel.
That's seems like a lot in week but it will settle down if it is a fresh replaster. I had an old DE filter that was giving me a lot of trouble, I had to pull it apart now and then. A dealer was trying to talk me into a cartridge filter but I didn't want to deal with all the cleaning so I went with a sand filter with zeo in it. I am usually way to busy to tear down the filter periodically. I was worried about water clarity with the sand filter as a few of my friends have them and their water never looked as good as mine so I put the zeo in it instead of sand and borates the water and it is every bit as pollished as it was with the DE filter. I figured I could always dump a cup or two of DE in if I need it.