Bad DE fingers?

[TheChupacabra]

We've been having an enormous amount of trouble with our DE filter since we got our house. We're in our third season and the last two we have limped through but this year the pool is beating us! Our filter is old. It's an Anthony Apollo VA38. It has 6 filter fingers. We constantly have blowback and have to open the tank and clean and reassemble the fingers. This year as soon as we start the filter, the pressure rises to 20psi almost immediately and the whole assemble pops up off of the feed tube. My theory is that I'm not getting good flow thru the fabric. Can these be restored with the filter cleaner or is it likely that I need to replace the fingers? When the water is not run thru the filters, the pressure ramains at 10psi, which eliminates up or downstream blockage or breather tube malfunction. What say you?

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP!
Soak the fingers in a solution of powdered dishwasher detergent and water overnight. Use 1 cup of detergent to every 5 gallons of water. After soaking rinse well and reassemble the filter and recharge with DE.

 

[TheChupacabra]

Thanks, glad to be here, we need wisdom and advice! I was hoping a cleaning would do it, we will certainly start there. Thank you

 

[Isaac-1]

I don't know about your filter, but the hayward style fingers also need an acid bath from time to time to break down CH buildup. I use a 50 gallon rubermaid trashcan to do mine, in fact I did it yesterday, used about a pint of muriatic acid to about 30 gallons of water and soaked overnight.

P.S. Where is Huntersville? It helps for us to know the state so we know the climate

 

[TheChupacabra]

Sure, it's NC, in the Charlotte area. I have been trying to fix my profile but it gives me pushback because I'm on the phone. I'll have to attack it with the laptop