Deep Cleaning Sand Filter In Pool House

[MarkVT]

Hi Everyone,

New pool owner here. We purchased a new home a few months back and are just opening the pool. The previous owners didn’t have it open for almost a year and it was in pretty rough shape when the cover came off. After some frustration with the pool store I’ve ordered my town Taylor test kit and plan to see what I can do on my own (with the internets help of course). In the meantime though I was thinking about doing a deep clean of the sand filter since we really worked it to get the pool moderately clean and given everything else I doubt the previous owners ever did it. However, the filter is in the small pool house so I can’t flood it over. Any ideas? Best option to use a hose in one hand a shop vac in the other to keep the water from overflowing? If I lose a bit a sand to the vac can I just add pool sand back from a new bag or do I need to match types?

thanks for the help! (And much more to come I’m sure!)

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP! The sand should not float out during a deep clean, just water and gunk. If you stick the shop vac in the filter while trying to deep clean you will probably loose a lot of sand. What some members have done is to get a wheelbarrow and vacuum up the sand from the filter, put it in the wheel barrow and deep clean it in the wheelbarrow then put it back in the filter. That may be the best option for you.

If your drain at the bottom of the filter does not have a valve this would be a good time to add one so you can attach a backwash hose and direct water out of the pool house if you ever need to drain the filter.

 

[splashpad]

Welcome!! Glad to have you here, obviously you've seen the step-by-step offered here for Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

Is there anyway to get it out of the pool house (disconnecting plumbing and using dolly, etc)? Flooding it would be the "easiest" AND most efficient. But you could theoretically use a shop vac, some water will still likely end up on the floor.

And yes, if the sand level is low after cleaning, you would simply top off with Pool Filter Sand, brand not important, but size is

 

[MarkVT]

Great, thanks both you guys! I dont think there is a way i can get it out of the pool house, It’s a large filter :-( But I should be able to make do with a wheel barrow and a shop vac, I’ll top off the sand if i lose any.

Is there usually a line or something on the filter showing how much sand should be in there? I know it says the total weight on the side, but curious how i can tell if the levels are right without taking it all out and weighin it? Thanks!

 

[splashpad]

Great, thanks both you guys! I dont think there is a way i can get it out of the pool house, It’s a large filter :-( But I should be able to make do with a wheel barrow and a shop vac, I’ll top off the sand if i lose any.

Is there usually a line or something on the filter showing how much sand should be in there? I know it says the total weight on the side, but curious how i can tell if the levels are right without taking it all out and weighin it? Thanks!

Try to see the current level (before) you start taking sand out. Most are usually full all the way to the top of the widest part (but below the tapering)

 

[duraleigh]

Most all sand filters run optimally at about 2/3 full.