Sorry if im such a newbie here but.. I opened up my inground pool for the first time, just bought the house. Pool was BLACK. I believe it was neglected for at least a year. Got it to a milky blue/white right now, but there is a problem with my DE filter.. (I think its the filter). Upon a fresh start up with new DE the returns shoots out strong and the suction at the skimmers is ok, but within a hour the returns are barley pumping out and there is minimal suction at the skimmers. If i back wash and start up again, same thing happens with in a hour. Please let me know your opinions. Thank You. - Jim
Troubleshooting Filter Problem Low Return Pressure
- Thread starter dennihj
- Start date
Hi Jennihj,
welcome to TFP.
your DE filter is doing it's job. Its filtering out all of the gunk in the pool and in doing so, is starting to clog because there is so much of it.
You need to backwash or clean your filter VERY often in these types of situations where you have ugly water.
welcome to TFP.
your DE filter is doing it's job. Its filtering out all of the gunk in the pool and in doing so, is starting to clog because there is so much of it.
You need to backwash or clean your filter VERY often in these types of situations where you have ugly water.
I work 8-10 hours a day, so I can only keep the filter running when I'm home, which in result is leading to a dirty pool. I don't want to keep it running while I'm not home because this will strain the motor.
Tough situation. You'll have to get to a point where it can run, and make the stretch until you get home. Perhaps this Holiday/long weekend will give you some time to work towards that.
Is it normal for the filter to clog like that, that quick? Its almost every hour I'm back washing and mowing through DE... Could it be another issue? Anything else I can check?
It's perfectly normal with dirty water. Your filter is doing its job. That's a positive and negative for a DE filter. They are really good at filtering.
The best way to proceed is to put the filter on recirculate before you leave for work so you get chemical circulation and then set it back to filter when you are home.
how do I set it to recirculate.. Sorry I'm so new with pools.. I have a hayward perflex EC75A filter with a standard one valve set up that has a 3 way jandy valve.. (Main drain skimmers and pump)
Well, you are kind of between a rock and a hard place then because your filter doesn't have the ability to recirculate. You'll just have to do the best you can to keep the circulation going until it gets better.