Need Help Diagnosing Dirty Water Coming Back Into the Pool

[bstway]

The other day I was letting some water out of the pool through the waste setting. After a few minutes there was clouding water coming out of the inlet jets. My initial thought was that DE was making it’s way back into the pool but none settled to the bottom. So, I’m thinking it must have been something else. At the beginning of the season the innards of the filter checked out ok but I haven’t looked since. Any ideas what it is and the cause?

Here are my current levels which have been the same all season:

FC = 4
PH = 7.6
TA = 80
CH = 250
CYA = 40

 

[zea3]

Did you rinse the filter before putting the valve setting back to filter? If you don't flush out the old, dirty water after using the waste port you may see dirty water enter the pool after changing settings.

 

[bstway]

Thanks. Just to add clarity, this was happening while in the waste setting. In other words, while water was being pumped out of the pool dirty water was coming out of the jets into the pool. If what you are saying could happen from previous use of the waste setting and not rinsing afterwards that very well could be the problem. I have never used the rinse setting. Mainly because I never knew what that particular setting was for. So, I guess the few “wastes” I have done this year without rinsing have accumulated stuff?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

You might also have a bad gasket in the multiport vlave. In the "waste" setting all the water coming into the valve from the pump should be getting discharged out the valve without going into the filter and nothing should be coming out of the pools inlets.
:google: https://www.google.com/#q=you+tube+spider+gasket

Have you checked to see if you are leaking anything out the waste port when the pump is running and you are just filtering normally ??

Backwash pushes the water backwards through the sand and out the waste port.The "Rinse" setting is used after you backwash to push the water back through the sand in the filtering direction and out the waste port. That takes any remaining "stuff" that might be floating in the filter and traps it in the sand before shifting back to "Filter".

See - - > http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-To-Operate-Your-Sand-Filter-Multi-Port-Valve-/10000000004694454/g.html

 

[zea3]

Definitely check the spider gasket. Nothing should come out of the returns while the filter is in waste mode. The spider gasket should be firmly attached at all contact points with no signs of wear, tears, or stretching.

 

[bstway]

The spider gasket seems more likely the problem. I didn't think water should be coming back in during the process of getting rid of water. It makes sense that something let go seeing that it started to happen after a few minutes of running in the waist setting .