Backwash 101- Question

[DeeT]

Hello all!

First time pool owner here.. We have a sand filter pump and an inground chlorine pool. We just opened the pool a few days ago. Water level is currently mid-skimmer. I would like to backwash the sand filter, for how long do i run it at backwash mode? and do i need to add any water to the pool once it is done? If i add water, do i need to add any chemicals to it?

 

[Bperry]

Backwash until the water coming out isn’t dirty anymore. Typically about 30 seconds for me. Make sure the water doesn’t get below the skimmer or it’ll suck air. Just add water to make up for whatever you lost during backwash.

 

[DeeT]

Backwash until the water coming out isn’t dirty anymore. Typically about 30 seconds for me. Make sure the water doesn’t get below the skimmer or it’ll suck air. Just add water to make up for whatever you lost during backwash.

Thank you! Water is currently mid skimmer. Should i add more? Do i need to add any additional chemicals when adding water?

 

[Bperry]

Thank you! Water is currently mid skimmer. Should i add more? Do i need to add any additional chemicals when adding water?

If you want to follow the advice of this community, you should get your own test kit. The two recommended are the Taylor k-2006C or the TFT-100. The strips and pool store tests are not very accurate.

So add your water to keep it in the middle of the skimmer and then test the levels and adjust as needed. Look through some of the articles on this site to learn. Its not hard. First bit of advice is to make sure you maintain enough chlorine in your pool.