Changing media in sand filter

[Guest]

Hi,

I am new to pools now that I rent a house with one. I have been battling pool cloudiness for a bit and would like to change the media since it has not been in 3 years now as per the homeowner. I would like to give you values for the chemistry but am awaiting a Taylor kit to arrive, however, I believe the chemistry is great as per the pooltek strips. The image attached is the sand filter dome cover removed and I do not know how to proceed in emptying it of media. What needs to be removed next?

 

[woodyp]

Welcome to the forum. There are plenty of folks here who have NEVER changed the sand in their pools over many, many years of use. It doesn't exactly wear out so to speak. You may want to just insert a garden hose on low flow and rinse more gunk out of it GENTLY and maybe fix any channeling problems. Don't fix it if it ain't broke! Maybe try adding some DE to it as reference in pool school.

 

[Butterfly]

Welcome to the forum

Someone will be along to help you if you want to remove the media; however, I suggest the sand is probably just fine. Possibly needs cleaning, maybe channelled, but just fine

There are a couple hundred reasons the water could be cloudy, but the sand in the filter is really low on the list. Sand should last forever, or at least as long as the filter lasts.

While waiting on your test kit, you could take a sample to a pool store and have it tested. Post the results here. We can get an idea what is going on.

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!!

Cloudiness is seldom the filter's fault.

Are you a betting man? I'll wager that when you do get your test kit, you'll be posting again, asking how to test CYA when the dot disappears before you even get to the first mark. I'll also wager that if you take your water to the pool store to get it tested while you wait, they'll mark 99 or 99+ on the sheet. And try to sell you some sort of overpriced product to clarify the water, remove phosphates, or 'shock" it one time. Save your money.

Clean the sand by slowly and gently working a running garden hose down into the pile, gently, so you don't crack anything, and bust up any clumps and rinse out any chunks of material that will float up. I only say this because you already have the thing open. My guess is you need bleach. Lots of it.

Wait for the test results and we'll go from there.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the warm welcome.

I suppose the reason we decided the sand was bad was because we tried vacuuming the pool twice and every time we do so the bottom of the pool gets the same junk back. I am running the filter as I run the vacuum. I vacuum, pool gets cloudy, pool clears but the same dirt (orange in color) returns to the floor. Also, I do understand that by vacuuming I am agitating the fine stuff which causes the cloudiness and have read that superfloc would work to aggregate the particulate to larger than 25um so the sand can filter it. I was assuming the filter is not working. I may try to vacuum to waste.

Yes, I did have the pool water tested and CYA was 100 and phosphates were high too PH was 7.6, FC was 5ppm. They did not sell me anything. I did buy some Phosfree at Homedepot and dumped 32oz (my pool is 15 by 29). The pool chemistry seems fine now, I think but only a better test will tell all.

Another thought I have, if the sand media never gets changed or rarely, well does all the filtrate go? Does this mean all the junk just gets recirculated over and over until the sun or Na(Ca)OCl oxidizes it?

Thanks

I'll post values as soon as the kit arrives.

 

[Richard320]

Another thought I have, if the sand media never gets changed or rarely, well does all the filtrate go? Does this mean all the junk just gets recirculated over and over until the sun or Na(Ca)OCl oxidizes it?

The sand gets backwashed periodically to flush the debris out the waste pipe.

Picture peagravel in a box. If you pour water with a bunch of sand in it over the gravel, most of the sand will stay on the surface. Some will get caught in the cracks, and a little bit will slip through. Now shrink it to sand-sized gravel. That's a filter. It catches much smaller stuff, about 20 microns. When you backwash, water goes through in reverse and washes the stuff built up on the surface away. If gooey stuff or a lot of calcium goes through, the sand can end up clumping into rocks. Then it cracks and leaves a large passage for debris to go through.

Prodding it with a running garden hose will break up the clumps, flush out any stubborn debris, and resettle the sand.

 

[Butterfly]

Filter maintenance and cleaning in Pool School:

pool-school/cleaning%20pool%20filters

It might be helpful if you download a copy of the owners manual.

 

[Guest]

Filter maintenance and cleaning in Pool School:

pool-school/cleaning%20pool%20filters

It might be helpful if you download a copy of the owners manual.

Just figured out it is an S200 Hayward. I think the top diffuser needs to slide out before I can get a hose in there. From my view it looks like the filter tank head needs to as well because the diffuser is hitting up against it on the inside.

 

[Guest]

Picture peagravel in a box. If you pour water with a bunch of sand in it over the gravel, most of the sand will stay on the surface. Some will get caught in the cracks, and a little bit will slip through. Now shrink it to sand-sized gravel. That's a filter. It catches much smaller stuff, about 20 microns. When you backwash, water goes through in reverse and washes the stuff built up on the surface away

So back washing takes it to waste as well? Meaning I should see water coming out the pipe that leads to the street? Funny thing is I called Hayward pump technical support and the guy would not explain to me how all the settings worked. Thank you for clearing that up.

 

[Richard320]

Filter maintenance and cleaning in Pool School:

pool-school/cleaning%20pool%20filters

It might be helpful if you download a copy of the owners manual.

That's the problem all the writing on the housing is missing so I have no clue what model filter I have. It seems like the hose can only go in the middle where I don't think the sand is.

So take some more pictures of it from different angles and post it here. Someone may recognize it. Also get a tape measure and measure the circumference so you can determine the size. We'll get you straightened out eventually.

Final question: If the only opening isn't where the sand is, how were you planning to get the sand out?

 

[Guest]

I figured out that it is. Hayward S200 sand filter. I was going to use a wet dry vac a suck the sand out from the top after I find where to drain the water from the tank.

 

[Guest]

I will take a circumference measurement to confirm because the s200 and 240 look almost identical.

 

[Guest]

Just wanted to give you guys a snap shot of my chemistry, it looks balanced to me.