Channeled Sand?

[PhilR]

Hi Everybody!

I've been lurking a couple of years, using the TFPC method, and it's been great. We bought this house with a pool in 2011, and I've been learning a lot. Since opening this year, I've noticed that the returns are spitting out pieces of what I've recently vacuumed, like leaf fragments. Pressure and filtering are good, otherwise. I think my sand is channeled, and that I need to clean the sand. I've read the thread on cleaning sand filters a few times, and it seems pretty straightforward, but I have a few questions:

1. Does that sound like the right diagnosis and approach? Anything else I should look at first?

2. I assume that to get to the sand it's just a matter of disconnecting the multiport from the three pipes, and then undoing the ring of bolts attaching the bottom of the multiport to the body of the filter. Is that right? I don't need to take apart the multiport itself, right?

2. Should I plan on replacing any gaskets between the multiport and the filter body, or any other gaskets, while I have it open? I'm going to address that slight leak at the return pipe while I have it apart.

3. What else should I be thinking about or worrying about?

Thanks

Phil

ps: pay no attention to the puck feeder in the pictures. It's been empty for years...

 

[JasonLion]

1) Yes, that is the most likely possibility. The other options include a bad spider gasket in the multi-port valve or a broken pipe inside the filter. Both of those are much less likely than channeled sand.
2) Yes.
3) You should examine, clean, and lubricate any o-rings/gaskets. Needing to replace them is unlikely.

While you have the filter open, examine the pipe coming up in the middle of the filter and make sure it isn't cracked. That is an unlikely problem, but worth checking while you have the filter open. Also remember to check/clean/reinstall the o-ring where that pipe connects to the multi-port.