Pressure gauge

[SadieBailey]

My pressure gauge is running around 20 after replacing the standpipe, manifold and laterals. Before the repair, the pressure gauge was between 10 and 15. Two days ago I found that my manifold was in about 3 pieces hence the replacement. My question is, should my pressure gauge be reading that high? After I backwash and rinse it stays at about 12 for a few minutes and then creeps back up to around 20.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Sounds like it's clearing some stuff out of the pool that was bypassing it before. I'd say that's a good thing. :-D

 

[SadieBailey]

Excellent Bama! I will keep backwashing then, what should my pressure be at normally? Before I realized that the manifold was in pieces, the filter was pumping sand into the pool faster than I could vac it out.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'd say 12 psi. :-D

 

[SadieBailey]

When it gets to 20 psi which is every 30 minutes or so, the return loses a lot of pressure. Once I backwash and rinse it seems to restore return pressure. Water that is coming out of waste while backwashing doesn't look dirty. There is a little sand in sight glass but water never looks horribly dirty.

 

[SadieBailey]

Would not having the proper amount of sand in the filter cause high pressure?

 

[linen]

Your pressure is fine right after backwashing, so I would guess you have the right amount. Do you suspect (other than from your pressure) that you have too much? How much did you put in?

When your pressure goes up and you backwash, what does the water look like as it is coming out of the backwash port?

 

[SadieBailey]

I was concerned that maybe I didnt have enough sand. I put back in what was in there that we took out to repair. The previous owner had just changed sand. When I backwash the water looks clean.

 

[linen]

Sorry, i missed that you had already stated the backwash water is clear.

Wow, so your pressure goes up from 12 to 20 psi within minutes and your backwash water is clear?

Something does not sound right with the filter or valve.

Where was the sand level (approximately) in the filter once you had put it back in?

Any bag left over that indicates what the previous owner put in there?

 

[SadieBailey]

No left over bags, over a foot of sand is in the filter. Would a bad O ring or air leakage at the top of the filter cause the pressure to be crazy? I noticed last night that it would get to bout 20 psi and the skimmer would loose suction, if i put my hand over skimmer hose and would "plunge" it with my palm suction would come back. Pressure would drop down to around 15 or 16 psi.

 

[Bama Rambler]

If the pump is losing suction the pressure should go down not up. When the pressure goes up how is the flow from the return?

 

[linen]

Does your gauge go to 0 when the pump is off?

 

[SadieBailey]

Yes

 

[Qwaxalot]

Is there any possibility that you got sand in the standpipe or laterals when you were putting the sand back in?

 

[SadieBailey]

I dont think so. We had duct tape over standpipe when adding sand.

 

[Qwaxalot]

One other possibility, the previous owner changed the sand with play sand instead of filter sand. Filter sand is much coarser than play sand. Play sand would quickly clog with only small amounts of dirt, causing a quick increase in pressure.

 

[linen]

Yes, since you do not know what sand they put in there, it might be the wrong stuff. Only way to fix that is to replace with new pool filter sand. I am not sure showing us a picture of some of the sand would help...maybe...not sure I would be able to tell without seeing the good stuff side by side.