DE Filter tank pressure goes up very quickly even after backwashing

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okapy

0
Apr 23, 2018
7
Franklin Lakes
I bought a house with a pool last year. It has old Anthony Pools equipment. Last year everything was working perfectly. Water was clear and pressure stayed 9-10 PSI. Pool was property winterized.
Several days ago I opened it. Water was pretty green with some stuff on the bottom.
I vacuumed the bottom "to waste" than run Dolphin cleaner. Bottom is pretty clean now.
I put shock and some other pool opening chemicals ("Metal Out" and stabilizer). Test shows 7.4 PH, 120 Alkalinity, 30 Stabilizer, 300 Hardness.
Couple days after opening I noticed that pressure went up to 25-28, so I thought that its time to clean the filter. I opened the filter and power-washed all old DE, then sprayed it with "DE Filter Cleaner", let it stay and power-washed it again. Than I put it back and added DE.
Pressure went back to 8PSI .. for about 4 hours.
That's it. No matter what I try pressure stays at 29-30 PSI and there is almost no water flow. If I backwash pressure goes to 8 PSI for about 10-20 minutes then raises to 30 PSI.

Everything was normal last year, so it's not an "over-sized pump" issue.
I see some tiny air bubbles flying though the check valve, tried to check for air leaks, could not find any. I also tried to open filter, take out the grids and run it empty. Pressure was steady 8 PSI. So I doubt its an air issue.
Water is still a bit greenish and cloudy, but much better then it was right after opening.

So what could it be and what could I try to diagnose or fix it?
Thank you.
Michael

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If your pool water has even a little algae or dust in it, a DE filter can get dirty very rapidly. You also need to periodically removed the grids for soaking and cleaning. The process varies by manufacturer.
 
You have the curse of DE filters. They filter so well that they load up in no time. If there's any cloudiness, you've still got algae. It may be time to try the SLAM Process and be rid of it. Otherwise, you'll be at a stalemate, killing it at the same rate it grows, which leads to a cloudy pool and an endless supply of dead algae carcasses to clog the filter.
 
Thats what the problem is. How can I do the SLAM Process if it says, "you must run your pump and filter 24hrs/day". Even after soaking grids in cleaner and powerwashing pump and filter were able to run for only 4 hours. After that it was 30PSI and almost no water flow. So what should I do? Run it for several days without grids in the filter? Or should I powerwash the grids every several hours? Refiling the grids with several pounds of DE every several hours does not seem like a good solution.
 
okapy said:
Thats what the problem is. How can I do the SLAM Process if it says, "you must run your pump and filter 24hrs/day". Even after soaking grids in cleaner and powerwashing pump and filter were able to run for only 4 hours. After that it was 30PSI and almost no water flow. So what should I do? Run it for several days without grids in the filter? Or should I powerwash the grids every several hours? Refiling the grids with several pounds of DE every several hours does not seem like a good solution.
Click to expand...

You could install an MPV valve which has a RECIRCULATE mode.

You have the right idea. You need to do the SLAM Process in stages with your current setup. Run your filter without the grid with first stage being algae eradication. Then on a day you want to devote to the pool put the grids in and DE and you will need to go through cycles of backwashing. No way to not go through a lot of DE. I would only put about half of your normal quantity of DE in each time knowing you will backwash it soon.

Go through cycles of eradication and filtering. Over time you should see longer intervals between backwashing.

Your setup does not make dealing with a large algae bloom easy.

Now here is an alternative, drain 70% of your pool and refill. You will still need to do the SLAM Process but with much less algae. I am 20 miles away from you. You on Suez water or a well? If you want to go down this path let's discuss more.
 
okapy said:
Thats what the problem is. How can I do the SLAM Process if it says, "you must run your pump and filter 24hrs/day".
Click to expand...
That's just what you do.
, Even after soaking grids in cleaner and powerwashing pump and filter were able to run for only 4 hours. After that it was 30PSI and almost no water flow. So what should I do? Run it for several days without grids in the filter? Or should I powerwash the grids every several hours? Refiling the grids with several pounds of DE every several hours does not seem like a good solution.
Click to expand...
If you get the FC level up real high and keep it there, you'll kill a whole bunch of algae and load up the filter. But the next interval will be longer. And the one after that longer yet. All I read is that you threw a bunch of "shock" in the pool once and haven't tested the FC since. Lots of readings but no FC. It makes a man wonder :scratch:

If you give a big dose and then let it ride, the algae that didn't get killed continues to grow -- and it will be the hardier strains that are more resistant to chlorine that survive. You must deal a death blow. Knock it down and don't let it get back up. Kick it while it;s down and finish it off.
 
Thank you ajw22 and Richard320. I will try SLAM.

Current chlorine level is 4 and FC is 2.
I am on the well water.

All thise makes me wonder. What did I do wrong? It sounds like the wasting several boxes of DE or draining 70% of the pool every spring is not a fine way to go. How it suppose to be with this kind of setup?
 
If you follow TFPC methods you can avoid every dealing with algae. I have a DE filter and not had a major algae problem in 20 years of openings and closings. I got a touch of algae last September when my SWG died and a week of the SLAM Process cleared that without the water ever showing any green. You have to catch problems early and never let the algae overwhelm your equipment setup.
 
okapy said:
Thank you ajw22 and Richard320. I will try SLAM.

Current chlorine level is 4 and FC is 2.
I am on the well water.

All thise makes me wonder. What did I do wrong? It sounds like the wasting several boxes of DE or draining 70% of the pool every spring is not a fine way to go. How it suppose to be with this kind of setup?
Click to expand...

CYA 30 your SLAM FC is 12. The more often you test and raise the FC back up to 12 the quicker it will go.
 

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