Filter repairs and maintaining as much DE as possible

[brew4eagle]

Just want to check with the community to see if I'm going about this the best way. I have a new pressure relief assembly and a new drain plug o-ring to install on my DE filter (have leaks at both spots). I recently broke the whole thing down, cleaned well, and loaded up new DE. This was an attempt to fix the drain plug leak with new teflon tape and lubing o-ring (didn't work, now replacing o-ring).

Does it make the most sense to put the multiport valve in recirculate, remove the top relief assembly, remove the drain plug, and let the water drain out, in an effort to retain as much DE as possible? I want to take the grids out to access the female threads at the drain plug while retaining the DE on the grids.

 

[kimkats]

Here is a bump for more eyes. Sorry you have not had an answer yet

 

[steevo]

I would just clean the grids again. BUT... I guess if you really want to, you can put the grid assembly in a clean garbage pail, rinse with a hose, then pour the slurry water from the pail back into the skimmer when you start it back up....

 

[Oly]

I think that would work. It would be messy. You would have to take care when removing and replacing the grids already caked with DE. Use a container large enough to keep the grids upright. I expect you will lose some DE in the process when removing the manifold on top.