Question about junk getting through filter

[steveo]

Still very much green in the world of pools. I have a neighbor with pampus grass (drops lots of seed pod things this time of year) and I have to clean my baskets about daily of the junk. What I have noticed, and it also happens with some grass clippings, is that the in line filter on my polaris (on a return jet) gets clogged up with the stuff as well. It is much smaller in size there, but it should be getting trapped by the sand in the filter, correct? I asked a fellow employee as we were discussing my success with TFP and BBB (he ordered a TFTK), and he said he has a pressure relief on his filter, which I don't. I also have a hose that comes out of the bottom and doesn't go to anything in my filter (parts lookup call it a pressure relief), and I also have a pipe coming out of the ground near my pump and filter that has a cap and a bunch of holes drilled in it. I have no idea what that is for.

Can anyone shed some light on any of this, and tell me if the reason I am getting trash through the sand is because of the pressure relief not working right because of the air trapped in the filter?

The filter is catching algae and other things because the water is crystal clear and very shallow looking. When I backwash, algae and junk can be seen in the sight glass. How are these seed pods getting through?

 

[spishex]

Can we get a pic of the equipment? Long story short, you should not be getting that kind of debris there. Short of a picture, it would help to know what kind of filter you have. 90% of the time I come across this it's because of an improperly seated filter cartridge.

 

[waste]

Welcome to TFP!!

If it's a sand filter, the only place to get the bypass is the multiport (unless your sand has channeled). Is the feed for Mr. Polaris before the filter? As spishex asked, any chance of a pic? - it could really help us figure out what's going on with the filter and what the mystery line is

 

[steveo]

I'll take a pic. It is a Triton. Old one.

Polaris is after the filter.

 

[spishex]

Another note while we wait for your picture:

Please be sure to check both your skimmer and strainer baskets for cracks, and please use a skim-vac plate when vacuuming your pool (allows you to use your skimmer basket when vacuuming). Some small debris can't be helped, but there's no excuse for a leaf making it through to anyone's impeller!!

Your filter should still be catching this stuff after the pump anyway, but just a friendly reminder on two commonly dismissed problems.

 

[waste]

On the same topic, skimmer socks or a ladies knee- high in the skimmer basket can help filtration 8)

 

[steveo]

Please be sure to check both your skimmer and strainer baskets for cracks,

No cracks on those, but the strainer basket (the one by the pump right) does not lock in place. I have a rock in it to hold it down. I don't know if it is supposed to lock or not. It has an indexing tang that lines it up, but it doens't lock to the bottom of the housing.

and please use a skim-vac plate when vacuuming your pool (allows you to use your skimmer basket when vacuuming).

The first thing I purchased. I have a hydroplate. I rarely use it now though with the Polaris in there.


Still no pics. I just got back in town. Hoping to snap a few at lunch. I'll also get some pics of the offending particulate so you can see what I am referring to.

 

[steveo]

Pics. Taken with a cell, but I think they are good enough.

 

[steveo]

More pics

 

[spishex]

Pics are great! No idea what that vented pipe is, but it certainly adds intrigue to the whole setup.

So no booster pump on your system, you just redirect all the flow from your filter pump to the cleaner instead of the returns? And you don't change the setting on the multiport, just the valve on the return lines? If you run it on recirculate to get better pressure you'll get a clogged in-line filter.

If that's the case, there are only two possible causes: water bypassing the filter through the multiport or horrible filtration. Open the multiport and check to make sure that your gasket is in good shape. Does the handle itself move smoothly or does it feel like you are grinding through the gears?

If all checks out with the multiport then it's off to the sand. Looks like you've got the wrench in place on the cap, so take it off and have a look. The sand might be channeled, though I'd expect to see more debris in the pool if that were the case. The other thing that might have happened is the air relief tube and/or fitting that connects to your lateral assembly has broken off and is letting unfiltered water through. That's part number 12 on this diagram:

 

[steveo]

I have a few more, but the sessions on the site aren't holding and it logs me out when I try to add photos. I'll try at home with the others.

 

[steveo]

If all checks out with the multiport then it's off to the sand. Looks like you've got the wrench in place on the cap, so take it off and have a look. The sand might be channeled, though I'd expect to see more debris in the pool if that were the case. The other thing that might have happened is the air relief tube and/or fitting that connects to your lateral assembly has broken off and is letting unfiltered water through.

The multiport is fine. It is less than 1 year old, too. The sand was replaced less than 3 months ago. I am guessing there is a problem with the air relief tube as well. I guess the only way to get at this is to start scooping sand one cup at a time, eh?

So no booster pump on your system, you just redirect all the flow from your filter pump to the cleaner instead of the returns? And you don't change the setting on the multiport, just the valve on the return lines? If you run it on recirculate to get better pressure you'll get a clogged in-line filter.

I didn't need a booster. I have enough pressure I can still run my jets and my polaris on the returns. I replumbed the side inlet to be a return and connect my polaris there. I have spa jets on the shallow end that I rarely run. With ALL the jets on and the polaris in the pool I still pull 12 pounds. With the spa jets off I am at 18pounds and the bypass on the polaris will vent due to pressure. The pool is 25000 gallons and I think the pump is 2HP.

The baskets are all good, only thing I saw in the same schematic was the air vent. I also do not have a pressure relief.

I wonder if the spare pipe is just that, a spare they ran to the pool for later?? Why drill the cap?

 

[steveo]

here is the junk that is passing.

 

[steveo]

I just noticed looking at the pictures. What about the chlorinator? Even though I have it turned to 1 or 2, could it be allowing the debris to pass? That debris is after about 8 hours of running. I have never noticed the chlorinator doing anything wheter at 5 or at 1. I burp it every time I open the basket.

More on the air relief: Mine is an open ended hose just coming up through the sand. It doesn't appear to be attached or have been attached to anything. Should it be? Is it only attached on the lower pipe?

 

[spishex]

I see now, it's a Polaris 360 not a 380.

I was thinking the same thing about the chlorinator. You're saying it doesn't make a difference what setting you have it on? The valve is an easy replacement on that thing if you ever feel like it. Any idea if it will close?

There's a strainer that should be on the air relief tube (technically part #8, really not shown), which should in turn be held in place by the water diffuser on top of part #10. If the tube was broken at the pipe you'd probably be getting sand in the pool. Try crimping the tube up top or just taping it shut just to see if that makes a difference in the debris. Then move on to the chlorinator.

 

[steveo]

Just getting back to this.

I still haven't narrowed where the particulate is passing, though it has to be in one of those two locations (air pressure bypass or chlorinator) as those are the only two unfiltered areas.

The mysterious pipe that has holes I may have figured out. I live in an area with a very very very very very very high water table. One foot of digging yields water seepage. Being as the fiberglass pool will raise easily here, could it have been an air relief or some sort of water relief from when the pool was installed? Not real sure how the inserts are done, but I am pretty sure they add these so that pressure can be relieved from under the pool during installation.

Also looking at this plumbing, I am suprised at the number of valves involved. Definately could be replumbed to remove a few of those.

 

[spishex]

Looks like the only redundant valves are the 3-way in front of the pump and the ball valve on the waste line. I like having a valve on the waste line just in case. The 3-way could come in handy for holding water when you open the pump. You could move the 3-way to a position between the two suction lines and remove the two ball valves instead.

That's interesting about the spare line. I don't deal with many water table issues, but I could see that being the case, especially with a fiberglass shell.

Did you ever cap the air relief line?

 

[launboy]

You mentioned having Spa Jets. Do these bubble air when you turn them on? IF they do, this may be the air inlet for the Venturi jets. That would explain the drilled cap too. Unless of course, you have an air control valve somewhere near the pool already. When you run the spa jets with enough pressure to create bubbles, does any sound come from that pipe?

HTH,
Adam

 

[steveo]

I plan on capping the air relief to test soon..

As far as the spa jets, I have not run them more than about 5 minutes yet just to check they work. I'll have to try that out.

Thanks!

 

[steveo]

Finally got back to this. It was the directional filter gasket. It was marred up something nasty. Looks like it has been out of the gasket tracks since it was installed, and I think it was installed updside down. Am I correct that the gasket needs to be installed rounded side up?