I have noticed if I backwash until clear, rinse, and backwash again, water comes out dirty again. I have repeated this 3 times and still not quite satisfied with clarity- makes me want to open it up every time I need to clean
DE backwash: how many times do you repeat the backwash/rinse cycle?
- Thread starter archer636
- Start date
I open mine every time. I don't tear it apart, I just remove the top plate so the grids can be spread a little and blast the sticking stuff off with a hose. It's brief backwash, open and spray, reassemble, backwash again briefly. Half an hour twice a year is no big chore.
archer636
I use 10 Backwash cycles but am aware that is not the norm from what I've read here & elsewhere.
I have a Multiport Valve so doing the large cycle counts are not an inconvenience for me.
Most likely that's overkill but I've found that with 10 cycles, I can see virtually no DE exiting the Filter from the Sight Glass at the 10th cycle and according to my Filter's PSI Gauge & a Flow Meter that I have installed on the Return Line, I'm removing almost all of the DE from the Filter before charging with new DE.
I still use the "80%" rule, charging 80% DE amount after each Backwash.
The last time I pulled my Grid Assembly & did a complete clean was in Sept 2013. My 'clean' PSI (reading right after a Backwash & before loading with new DE) has increased about 1 PSI over ~4 years since the last complete Filter clean.
The Flow Meter is about the same; almost no loss of flow since I installed the Flow Meter & began tracking flow readings.
I use 10 Backwash cycles but am aware that is not the norm from what I've read here & elsewhere.
I have a Multiport Valve so doing the large cycle counts are not an inconvenience for me.
Most likely that's overkill but I've found that with 10 cycles, I can see virtually no DE exiting the Filter from the Sight Glass at the 10th cycle and according to my Filter's PSI Gauge & a Flow Meter that I have installed on the Return Line, I'm removing almost all of the DE from the Filter before charging with new DE.
I still use the "80%" rule, charging 80% DE amount after each Backwash.
The last time I pulled my Grid Assembly & did a complete clean was in Sept 2013. My 'clean' PSI (reading right after a Backwash & before loading with new DE) has increased about 1 PSI over ~4 years since the last complete Filter clean.
The Flow Meter is about the same; almost no loss of flow since I installed the Flow Meter & began tracking flow readings.
Once a year, I do one backwash cycle to get rid of a lot of DE on the grids to make the filters lighter to handle then tear down the filter and do a completer clean out. That means everything in the filter is removed, cleaned and inspected. All Orings cleaned and lubribated. To be fair, I use hairnets in my skimmers, and use a robot to clean my pool twice a week. The hairnets prevent a lot of small stuff that would normally get past a regular skimmer basket and pump basket from getting into my filter grids. I also have a VS pumpl that I run at 1500 RPM once a day for six hours that does not drive a lot of debris at a high rate of speed into my filter grids. This has worked great for me for the last few years and I would not change a thing.
that is 20 on/off cycles within minutes- wouldn't that damage the pump windings electrically?
It may reduce my Pump life over years but my Pump Motor is about 25 years old and I have been using the 10-cycle method for about 2 years.