NO backwash pressure

[dbstang]

Hey Guys. Just opened my pool and it was all sparkly and clear. Checked my levels and to my surprise found out that I still had FC in pool from the winter. Filled up the pool and started the filter last night around 6pm. Let it run all night and this morning went to check on things. Pool was a little cloudy so I decided to add a little DE. While adding the DE it looked like it was making it past the filter it was a little cloudy out of the return.

Decided to backflush out the DE and found a problem. Very little pressure while backwashing.

Tried all filter settings and I get very little pressure on all of the other filter settings except filter.

When I put to Backflush/Rinse/Bypass to waste it comes out but not at high pressure.


I took off spider gasket and It looks OK to me. then I opened up filter to look at sand and the sand was not channeled and looked fine to me.

Cleaned everything off and test again same thing. When I back flush I get no dirt coming through. I know theres is some because when I opened the filter there was some debris that should have been backflushed out floating on top of the sand.

Any ideas?

 

[duraleigh]

What is your normal, clean psi? What is the psi when you backwash?

 

[dbstang]

Normal PSI is 12 - 13

It is currently filtering at 12

When I Switch to backwash guage does not come off 0

 

[duraleigh]

Well, that has me stumped. The only change you make is the multiport setting which is on the pressure side of your system.

Yet, The resultant 0 psi you see when you switch to anything other than filter would have to be a restriction from the suction side.

That puzzle is above my pay grade. I have no explanation but will be curious what others have to say.

 

[dbstang]

Although the gauge reads 0 I do have water flowing out the bypass port when back flushing or rinsing. Has me stumped too. Been on this site for two years now and have been able to search and find an answer for all my questions. I don't want to call the "pool experts" at the pool store.

 

[dbstang]

Ok so after more paying, testing, if I put my hand over the waste port while in back flush the water will come out the return in the pool. I'm leaning towards a bad spider gasket. I will start there and see where it goes. Still looking for input though.

 

[duraleigh]

I'm leaning towards a bad spider gasket.

You know, the more I think about it, I believe that's it. I just couldn't imagine a scenario that would allow the psi to go to zero on the pressure side but I think this may make sense.....

The spider gasket is faulty in that it only works in "filter".

In all other modes, the faulty gasket simply allows water to flow freely to each port....waste, backwash,rinse, bypass, etc.

In other words, the multi-port only forces water through the filter in "filter". In all other positions, it allows the water to bypass the filter and flow through all the other ports, resulting in 0 psi.

 

[dbstang]

Ok so after days of agonizing. Knowing I closed and winterized the pool correctly. I just couldnt accept that the spider gasket went bad after only two seasons, I ordered one already. So I took everything apart again and looked at it. Cleaned everything. Put it back together and still the same results.

So here comes the good part, and at this point i'm even emabrassed to post this. When reinstalling all the fittings and hoses form over the winter I did not refernece my photo/drawing from when i disassembled everything. Turns out I had the pump plumbed into the return port of the multi port valve and the return hose plumbed into the pump port. ALL BAKWARDS. WHAT AN IDIOT. Thing is when looking at it it seemd correct from last year. I got cocky thinking I did not need to reference how I took things apart. LESSON LEARNED.

Just posting this so maybe someone else can learn from others eperiences.

Again thanx for all the help I get from this site.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Glad you posted it, and take heart in that you're not the first, nor will you be the last to hook the hoses up backward. If it can be hooked up wrong, somebody will do it. Even if it can't be hooked up wrong somebody will figure out how to hook it up wrong.

 

[Corsulian]

Thank you for posting the true resolution. Upon closer investigation while facing the same issue...I did the same **** thing. It was very nearly the only thing I had to keep straight while cementing in new PVC for my new filter and I mixed up the two. This would also explain why I get a bit of air in the pump housing now and why, when the filter is set to Waste and the pump is off, water still manages to leak out. I'll show myself the door.

 

[Grego1968]

OMG! I'm having the exact same problem! I can't wait to get home and check out my plumbing. As embarrassing it might be I really home that's what it is..quick fix! Thanks for posting this.

 

[Gingersnaps]

I am so glad that this site does not delete these threads! I, too, hooked mine up wrong even AFTER I double checked! Ironically, I had hooked it up correctly the first time and thought I had it backwards.
Hoping this will solve two problems: cloudy water and backwash pressure. Backwash pressure is good now, crossing fingers on the cloudy problem.

 

[TJones]

I’m so happy that I found this post!!
after having the same issues “we” (my husband) put the hoses backwards also when “we” changed our valve. Thank you for posting and we have now fixed our problem!!
Thank you for posting, you are the true hero!

 

[poolhacker]

Yep, I joined the club too! Found this post and got the plumbing problem solved. Problem is, the water was so milky/cloudy after the new zelbrite fine dust went into the pool, it didn't hardly clear with the pump running for a whole day. I saw how dust storms and rain will put such fine particles in the pool water that it's nearly useless to run the filter. Figured that rather than spend big money on a flocculant it would be cheaper to start over. So I just dumped the water and mopped up the clay-like gunk and sand. Hope it will correctly filter once it's full again.

 

[DanB1]

Sign me up for the club. Just fixed it. Glad I'm not alone

 

[Tigher]

Sign me up for the club. Just fixed it. Glad I'm not alone

Glad to be in good company’

 

[PoolsRaPain]

OMG. Pretty sure this post just saved me from buying a new filter...I have to say that although I feel like an idiot, I am not near as much of one as the FOUR different pool companies I have had out here in the last six weeks troubleshooting my pool. Short story - bought a flipped house that was a foreclosure, house sat for years. Original pool company (pro #1) said the sand needed changed, but they didn't do it, so I had to call someone else. Those guys were about two weeks behind, so I scheduled the sand change and called someone else for the infloor cleaner system. Changed the cleaner system valve with that company (pro #2). Regular pool guy (Pro#3) saw that dirt was coming back in the pool on waste mode, said there's a problem, but could not identify it. Sand guy came out (Pro #4), changed the sand, said nothing. He said the stand pipe was glued in and too short, since it had been cut already. I replaced the valve and the stand pipe/laterals about two weeks ago. Still no backwash, still a filthy pool. I floc'd it, pool guy vac'd to waste, but after half the pool, filth was coming in. WTF? I let it drop again and vacuumed to waste with a complete disconnect of the filter to make sure none came back in. Fired my pool guy and had both the service guy (Pro #2) (who told me I did not need to repipe the return side) and the next day the owner (Pro#5) came out to sign me up for new pool service (on his behalf, the filter and pump were disconnected at the moment, since I was vac'ing and skipping the filter. Googled and googled and googled and searched this site, until all of a sudden this comes up this morning and VOILA - my f'ing pipes are backwards. How many people does it take? Serious face palm happening here. Glad it happens to everyone, and always keep questioning. At least now I have an extra valve and stand pipe for my filter, hoping I am good for many years to come. Lesson learned the very hard and expensive way. Hoping for a clear pool for the first time in six weeks tomorrow. We will see.

How long does it take to clean out that fine dust without floc'ing?

 

[michaelmamma]

I have literally been messing with this pool pump four weeks. I literally bought all new parts for my Hayward sand filter. This forum saved me. I had my hoses switched. Just wow So grateful for this site . Thank you thank you thank you

 

[Khennessey22]

Ok so after days of agonizing. Knowing I closed and winterized the pool correctly. I just couldnt accept that the spider gasket went bad after only two seasons, I ordered one already. So I took everything apart again and looked at it. Cleaned everything. Put it back together and still the same results.

So here comes the good part, and at this point i'm even emabrassed to post this. When reinstalling all the fittings and hoses form over the winter I did not refernece my photo/drawing from when i disassembled everything. Turns out I had the pump plumbed into the return port of the multi port valve and the return hose plumbed into the pump port. ALL BAKWARDS. WHAT AN IDIOT. Thing is when looking at it it seemd correct from last year. I got cocky thinking I did not need to reference how I took things apart. LESSON LEARNED.

Just posting this so maybe someone else can learn from others eperiences.

Again thanx for all the help I get from this site.

I just did the same thing and this post helped me figure it out so thank you!

 

[madison89]

Ok so after days of agonizing. Knowing I closed and winterized the pool correctly. I just couldnt accept that the spider gasket went bad after only two seasons, I ordered one already. So I took everything apart again and looked at it. Cleaned everything. Put it back together and still the same results.

So here comes the good part, and at this point i'm even emabrassed to post this. When reinstalling all the fittings and hoses form over the winter I did not refernece my photo/drawing from when i disassembled everything. Turns out I had the pump plumbed into the return port of the multi port valve and the return hose plumbed into the pump port. ALL BAKWARDS. WHAT AN IDIOT. Thing is when looking at it it seemd correct from last year. I got cocky thinking I did not need to reference how I took things apart. LESSON LEARNED.

Just posting this so maybe someone else can learn from others eperiences.

Again thanx for all the help I get from this site.

This post is 10 years old almost to the day but it just saved me! Exact same issue, could not figure out why back wash wasn't working but filter "was". I just Google reasons backwash isn't working and came across this thread. I too had my hoses backwards. Grew up qith a pool and now my 5th year with a pool and I made this mistake aswell. Thanx so much, you saved my kids summer and I should have a clean pool within the week!