Adding a Sand Filter to my AGP Setup (photo heavy)

[usafssk]

If you've read my other post in pumping station, you already know my love/hate relationship with the cartridge filter that came with my pool. This is just a continuation of the overall project, but mainly focused on adding the sand filter. This will be a photo documentary, of sorts. Here's what I started with:

Waterway FC125 cartridge filter with 2hp, 2sp pump (14.4 amp high, 4.4 amp low)

Completely removed the old setup to give way for some digging...

Got a good area ready, and answered the question of "what am I going to do with the old filter sand?"

Put down weed guard, more sand, bricks around the perimeter, river gravel, and then more of that old filter sand.

Placed the equipment to get an idea of how it is all going to lay out...

I like it! Pulled it all back out and set my "Paver Pad"

Time to start some plumbing!
I can't believe this was the very first thing I did... can you spot the oops?

There, I fixed it...

That concludes the first day's work, as the pictures didn't turn out well due to lack of light. I'll pick this back up tomorrow and clog up more bandwidth as I go!

 

[usafssk]

This is as far as I got last night. Of course it's raining this morning...

I have my valves in place to bypass the cartridge filter so I don't have to completely shut down in order to clean/change the cartridge. I'll get back on it as soon as the rain passes.

P.S. That little clear bottle over the pump outlet is also what I placed over the stand pipe inside the sand filter when I was adding my sand and gravel. Worked like a champ, I just verified after each time I added something that the stand pipe was still centered. 100# pea gravel, 400# of filter sand.

 

[linen]

Wow, now that is a dual filtering setup. From your other thread...did you figure out how to clean your cartridge more efficiently?

Keep in mind that your head lost due to filtering is going up and there may be times where your pool is clean/not being used much/not getting pollen etc. where you may just want to run the cart... :blah:

 

[257WbyMag]

Nice work. For a minute there, I thought you were going to pour yourself a pad.

 

[usafssk]

did you figure out how to clean your cartridge more efficiently?

Cleaning, though a bit of a chore, never really was too much of a problem. I was just unhappy that I couldn't wash from the inside-out. Washing from the outside-in simply goes against everything I've ever known about cleaning a filament type filter. Once I identified the fitment issue with the aftermarket replacement filters, and had the pool store swap me for an OEM filter off of a floor model, I haven't had the issue of junk bypassing the filter media. I should probably stop obsessing about it and move on. It's not like it's a multiple-layer filter that is protecting an engine, sensitive electronics or a sterile environment. I over-complicate and over-think things on a regular basis. Par for the course for me.

For a minute there, I thought you were going to pour yourself a pad.

I definitely would rather have poured a pad. This is such a small project, though, and the sand/gravel bed with the pavers will more than be sufficient until I'm ready for some of my larger concrete projects in the future. I'm planning a full wrap-around porch on the house and will incorporate a new equipment pad into the East side of the house (about 10' away from the current filters).

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I intend to finish up the plumbing today and have the system up and running by tonight. Yesterday was a complete loss. Like a big dummy, when I brought in everything night before, I not only left my PVC glue and primer outside (as seen to the left of the filters in that last photo), I didn't have the caps tightened on them. We got an inch of rain, and water got into my glue. I poured the water off and removed the "booger" that formed on top of the glue, it looks fine, but I don't trust it. I'm plumbing in the line from the pump to the filter next, and I don't want a simple mistake like trying to save $5 worth of PVC Cement to ruin $30 worth of specialty unions (on pump outlet and filter inlet) and the PVC pieces in between.

Has anyone seen any obvious no-no's in my current setup? Anything I should/could correct before finalizing the plumbing? Open to all suggestions!

 

[usafssk]

OK! I am officially in full-filter mode! Photobucket isn't cooperating at the moment to post my finished photos, so they will have to come later.

Let all of the fittings cure for about two hours before getting them wet. Started the system on low speed, sand filter only, set to rinse. After it seemed to have "burped" sufficiently and rid itself of air, I stopped the pump, switched to backwash, and ran that for about 5 minutes. Switched it back to rinse for 5min, backwashed again, rinsed, then set to filter. I assembled the cartridge filter, opened it's air bleed, and slowly introduced water to burp that system. Opened all of it's valves and closed the "bypass cartridge" valve on the sand filter. I am officially in double-filter mode! Switched the system to high. Reading on the sand filter was 11 psi, on the cartridge was 5 psi. Currently running without the "eyeball" installed, so open return. I expect pressure readings to rise slightly after re-installing but I wanted an unrestricted baseline on clean sand, clean cartridge. I'm going to let it run for about an hour or so and recheck pressures.

Currently the pool is "as-left" condition (nice and green). I need now to get a good test kit and stock up on chems and prepare to reclaim!

EDIT: My new laptop doesn't like Google Chrome

Here's the freshly uploaded pics!
See that awesome green in the skimmer! Nice, huh? lol.

Consumed the remainder of last seasons Cal-Hypo, just to start the initial shock. I was surprised this morning to find that there's no green in the pool! NONE! The pressure on the sand filter had increased from 11 to 12psi, the cartridge from 5 to 9psi. Pump is still running strong. I gave the pool a full brush-down (whaletailXL) and the only thing that stirred off the bottom was a very few oak leaves that blew in over the winter. Visibility is about 12" right now through the cloudy white.

I thought about going ahead and buring power out to the pump, but I know that this is not the long-term placement. I should at least place my power distribution panel on the house, though, and get a proper ground bed set. The pump has yet to ever trip my GFI, but I'd feel better with a site-specific ground.

 

[Speedo]

Nice setup! looks good. I have the same pump, I need to do my homework on the connecting pieces to the skimmer and the pump itself, possibly even the filter connectors and then setup my piping using all pvc. Mine will be much less involved, my piping from the filter to the heater and back to the return are already pvc.

This is exciting - I'm sure most people down south are already opening

 

[usafssk]

Nice setup! looks good. I have the same pump, I need to do my homework on the connecting pieces to the skimmer and the pump itself, possibly even the filter connectors and then setup my piping using all pvc. Mine will be much less involved, my piping from the filter to the heater and back to the return are already pvc.

This is exciting - I'm sure most people down south are already opening

I was pleasantly surprised to find that ALL of the connections could be made with 1 1/2" male threaded PVC. Even turning the pump on the motor was easy, and I was dreading that at first. The only original connection I have left is the union at the pump strainer from the skimmer, and frankly, that is due to laziness on my part, lol. I like the pump so far, my only complaint is that the low speed is lower than I would like.