DE filter constantly at max pressure?

[znelson]

I opened the pool on Tuesday. The DE filter was packed with DE so I hosed all that down. The company I used to close the pool never cleaned it. Started up with four scoops of DE. Starting pressure is 20, max is 35. I hit 35 pretty quick and assumed that makes sense since the water was so dirty. But I’ve had to backwash roughly every 1-2 hours since then.

At first I added 2 scoops of DE after a backwash but with the pressure issue I thought maybe there’s too much in there. So I reduced it to 1 scoop and eventually half a scoop after each backwash. Today I decided not to top off the DE at all and it still hits max pressure after a couple hours. So I backwash and repeat without adding DE.

Is this a normal thing? It requires a whole lot of babysitting and more than the previous owners would ever give. Plus, the water is still pretty cloudy so that’s depressing.

Inground bromine pool, 50K gallons.

 

[jblizzle]

This is the downside of DE filters. They are very efficient at capturing debris. If your water is not clear, it is not surprising that it is filling up quickly. Just remember you should never run it with no DE in the filter as that can clog up the grids.

 

[znelson]

Thanks! I had read that DE is very efficient, almost too much. I guess this is just the startup dance. I’ll make sure I top it off with DE tomorrow and after each backwash. It just seems weird that I hit that pressure after a few hours even without topping off. Wouldn’t particles just pass through the screens?

Should I top off with 4 scoops or assume that some DE remains behind and just add 2?

 

[Richard320]

Thanks! I had read that DE is very efficient, almost too much. I guess this is just the startup dance. I’ll make sure I top it off with DE tomorrow and after each backwash. It just seems weird that I hit that pressure after a few hours even without topping off. Wouldn’t particles just pass through the screens?

Should I top off with 4 scoops or assume that some DE remains behind and just add 2?

A fresh fill with a brand new filter or immediately after a teardown and cleaning gets 100%. After a good backwash, 80%.

I suggest that once you get the pool clear to the point you can go a week, do another full teardown.

 

[znelson]

Awesome, will do - thanks!

 

[zea3]

Your first post lists this is a 50,000 gallon pool, is that accurate? If so how large is the filter? Any label details would be helpful. I ask because my old DE filter was 36 sq ft and took 4 scoops of DE to fully charge. It was a small filter and my pool only held 11,400 gallons.

 

[jblizzle]

I had the same question. That is a very big pool and there are not many DE filters that are actually large enough for it

 

[mknauss]

And it is bromine ----------

 

[jblizzle]

And it is bromine ----------

Yeah I noticed that too. I think that would be a nightmare and very expensive

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

50,000 gallons of Bromine? ugh.
I would perhaps try use a good size submersible pump to continue circulation and clear the algae (or drain and refill with fresh water and switch to chlorine). Use the sub-pump to circulate and SLAM, while you are breaking down the filter and following the steps for Cleaning a DE Filter in Pool School.

Your grids are clogged. I guarantee it. Do the detergent soak/hose off step, then do a diluted acid soak/hose off second. Do not go straight to the acid soak.

Good luck!

 

[znelson]

We’ve only owned the pool for a year, we didn’t build it. I was told by a pool company it was “50K” but you know how people can assume things. The pool measures 40’ x 24’ free form with an 8-person spa. The deep end is 8.5’. So whatever that calculates to...

I backwashed the DE filter and added 3 scoops. The pressure is still going up though. Fingers crossed.

This morning I just noticed the bromine levels are non-existent despite having the control valve on the hopper at 3 (5 is max) and exactly where it left off last season, didnt touch it. Checked the hopper and there’s very little dissolving taken place. I made sure to bleed the air out of the hopper to prevent air lock - learned that lesson last season. So not sure what’s up there but turned it up to 5 and crossing fingers.

The water is clearish, not green/brown anymore (it turned clear within 48 hours) but I can’t get it better than slightly cloudy. For example, you can see the bottom in the shallow end but not the deep end.

Thanks for all your help, everyone!

 

[znelson]

Thanks to everyone who helped! I've finally got the DE filter to the point where it runs for 24 hours without needing a backwash. The bromine levels are still low/non-existent but I think this is just part of the startup dance.