DE Filter Help/Guidance

[Brtd90]

Hi All,

I'm a new pool owner as of last year and this is my first time opening a pool and I'm hitting a few speed bumps I was hoping to get some guidance on. I have a Hayward Perflex DE Filter. We had a mesh cover over the pool during the winter so we had a pretty dirty pool as of this weekend. We've been running the filter and vacuuming it daily and it is getting better. I can actually see the entire pool now. But the pressure maxes out really fast. I'm bumping the handle every few hours. Default pressure of about 15 psi, and we lose flow at around 25, I try to bump it once its at about 23ish. This is even worse when we vacuum. It needs to be bumped after about 10 minutes and just gets worse. We've back washed it maybe 5 times now and it seems to immediately help the problem but doesn't take long to be back where I was.

Currently the plan is to vacuum again tonight and bump it till it stops being effective, backwash and repeat until the water cleans up and I'm hoping once the water cleans up it'll be more stable.

Am I going about this right? Should open it up and hose down the fingers (this was done at closing). I am aware of acid baths but not sure if they are appropriate for my filter or this problem.

Thanks

Edit: Oh and I'll add that I'm working on the chemical levels as we speak. Everything is pretty good, chlorine overall is high but just shocked it last night.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Do a SLAM. I also have a DE filter, and I find it helpful to run on recirc for a couple days during the slam, then shut down the pump for about 12 hours, let all dead algae settle, then vacuum to waste. That will greatly reduce how much you have to backwash. Then bring your filter online and backwash when pressure goes up by 25%. Once your pool is clear, take down your filter, clean the elements with a hose, reassemble, and add a full charge of DE. Make sure you tighten the holddown bolts correctly and apply pool lube to the big o-ring.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Vaccum to waste, not into the filter! And don't forget to clean your pump basket.

 

[Brtd90]

Figured I'd report back here incase anyone else comes across this. Once I managed to get all the Crud off the floor and did a SLAM, no issues with the filter. Next year I'll probably just use the skimmer a bit more for the bottom of the pool. If I can find a way to effectively vacuum externally I'll do that as a "vacuum to waste" since I don't have that option.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

If you don't have a multiport valve, consider installing one next season. That will give you the options of Recirculate, Backwash, Rinse, Waste, Filter, and Closed. I usually do my first 2 days of opening SLAM on recirc so none of the Crud goes near my filter, then I shut the pump down for about 12 hours and vacuum anything dead on the bottom right out to waste, then I start filtering to clear the water. Makes it 10x easier with a DE filter when you don't have to tend it 3-4x per day! Having the "Rinse" option after backwashing helps to keep any DE from the backwash from flushing back into your pool. Also, when closing, you can drain your filter separately and easily blow out your lines with the valve set on Recirc.

I don't understand how it is even possible to effectively manage a DE filter without one.

MULTIPORT VALVE 101 | Browning Pools & Spas | Custom Inground Swimming Pools | Montgomery County, MD

There are three types of pool filters: cartridge, sand, and DE (diatomaceous earth). Sand and DE filters use a multiport valve to help clean or backwash the filter media. Multiport valves are called multiport valves because they have multiple ports inside the valve that allows the water to move in

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