Help ... how is DE getting in my pump

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Flyguppy

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Jan 2, 2014
74
The Woodlands, TX
After cleaning my Pentair, I'm having an issue that I hope someone can diagnose. I suspect an air leak, but not sure.

Recharged filter and everything seems to be working ok. The next morning, I noticed DE in my pump basket and my filter pressure was at ZERO. The pump primed and the filter pressure came up normally a few seconds later. Shut pump off, waited a few hours, and it did it again. DE in the basket, ZERO filter pressure.....only to go back to normal pressure seconds later.

Took it apart again. Was surprised but the entire filter was full of water still.....not sure how I screwed that up? When I removed the filter grids/manifold, I noticed the standpipe o ring was askew.

So, a leak, right?

1. Could a bad standpipe o ring cause the symptoms I described above?

2. If not, I guess I'm not using enough lube on the filter o ring?
 
I am a little unclear. Are you saying that after the pump turns off, DE is being forced backward into the pump?
When the pump turns off, the pressure should go to ZERO. Is that not what you expected?

The standpipe is where the water flows back to the pool. If that o-ring was messed up it should only allow some DE to bypass the the filter and be sent into the pool, so I do not think that is your problem.

The only way for DE to back up like that is an accumulation of air in the filter that gets compressed. Once the pump turns off, that compressed air pushes some of the water/DE out of the filter. Were you releasing the air when priming the pump?

You could also have a leak in the filter that is allowing air to be sucked in when the pump is off and thus allowing the water to flow out of the filter.
 
Rocco said:
Could it be possible that a bad spider gasket in the multi-port valve could cause this issue?
Click to expand...
That would more likely force the DE into the pool. The only way the filter can drain when the pump is off is if there is a leak allowing air in. Or the air is sucked into the pump and compressed in the filter.
 
I understand the pressure goes to zero when I turn the pump off.

What I meant was, when the pump restarts after sitting off for awhile, my filter pressure is zero for about 10-15 seconds and I'm seeing a cloud of DE in the pump basket. There is air in the filter each time I start it, which I bleed off. (and I bled it all off when starting the pump for the first time after cleaning)

I haven't noticed DE coming out of the jets.....but my pool is definitely cloudier than it should be. So, DE is probably making it's way in there too.

Going to take it apart again and start with a new o ring for the standpipe. It didn't look great last time I had it apart.

Any other suggestions appreciated. Did not have any issue like this before trying my first "self filter clean".
 
Took it all apart. Replaced and lubed standpipe o ring. Re lubed filter o ring....made sure no contamination on filter housing.....put it all back together...same problem.

After pump has been off for 3 hours......restart.....ZERO pressure. Pressure comes up after about 15seconds, and a bunch of DE flowing thru pump strainer basket. Water cloudy. (DE)

Out of ideas.........
 

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I don't know about the OP, but I had a similar problem on my Hayward Perflex DE filter a little while back, the problem turned out to be a bad check valve that is built into the inlet fitting on Hayward DE filters allowing DE to backflow into the pump when it is turned off. Rather than replacing it, I added an Jandy swing style check valve which has a clear top inline.
 
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