Filter sand — clean enough?

[whittenorganizedchaos]

This is our third season with this pool and our first deep clean of our Hayward S220T. I have followed directions and rinsed for nearly an hour … and there’s still gunk. How good is “enough?” Or should I just replace the sand. I have no idea how the pool was maintained before we bought it 3 years ago .

Part of me wants to replace sand so I know what I’m working with and can inspect the laterals but I also don’t want to go stirring up problems… thanks!

 

[PoolGate]

It's cheap enough I would just replace it all. Well, actually, I would replace the sand filter with a cartridge filter, but that is another topic.......

 

[whittenorganizedchaos]

It's cheap enough I would just replace it all. Well, actually, I would replace the sand filter with a cartridge filter, but that is another topic.......

Am I likely to cause damage to old equipment by replacing it ?

 

[PoolGate]

Am I likely to cause damage to old equipment by replacing it ?

Replacing the sand or replacing the entire filter? Sand no, filter, also no. But would require cutting out the multiport valve.

 

[Bill1974]

If you have somewhere to get rid of the old sand and/or it's really dirty, then its usually easier to replace the sand. You do risk breaking the laterals when you replace the sand, but that's an easy fix too. Getting the wet sand out is the only pain in the butt part. Trying to tip it over to dump the sand out is likely going to ruin the tank, then you buying a new filter.

 

[1poolman1]

This is our third season with this pool and our first deep clean of our Hayward S220T. I have followed directions and rinsed for nearly an hour … and there’s still gunk. How good is “enough?” Or should I just replace the sand. I have no idea how the pool was maintained before we bought it 3 years ago .

Part of me wants to replace sand so I know what I’m working with and can inspect the laterals but I also don’t want to go stirring up problems… thanks!

The level of the sand in the tank should be right about up to where the tanks starts to curve. If its not there, add some sand. It doesn't wear out so what you have is probably good. The sand is a "garbage collector." You will never get all the dirt out of it, no matter how hard you try, unless you start new, then it will just get full of stuff all over again.
If you want to replace the sand, go ahead, just be careful. Can't see how large that filter is, but it weighs at least 3-400 pounds with the sand that wet.