What's that valve near the filter, and what position?

[ddas]

I'm taking over care of my pool from an expensive pool guy and learning everything I can.

What's the name for the valve that's next to the Heyward filter (pic attached)? And what position should it be in? I only see two settings: open and lock. The pool guy always seems to have left it on open, but is that right?

[attachment=0:3e64k877]IMG_7143.jpg[/attachment:3e64k877]

 

[Richard320]

That is a slide backwash valve. It has two positions: normal operation, and backwash.

If water is getting sucked in the skimmer and is coming out the returns, it's in the right position. The other position sucks from the skimmer, reverses the flow through the filter, and spits the dirty water out the waste port.

 

[jblizzle]

That is a Backwash valve (push-pull type). I can not remember exactly how they work (as far as the turning to lock), but when you want to backwash you have to turn the pump off and pull the handle up and then turn the pump back on.

 

[kwolfe]

Technically it is a "gate valve" the inards of the valve enable you to redirect water flow from 4 pipes into 2 different paths. When down, it blows water in the bottom and then out the top to your pool. Twist and pull it up, and it blow water in the top and out the bottom to your backwash pipe. This blows out the dirt.

 

[ddas]

I appreciate all the replies, but didn't actually get the main answer to my question.

I did figure out how to backwash it (lift the valve and turn it). But during regular operation, what position should it stay in? Open or Lock?