First time deep cleaning sand filter

[yann]

Hi all

before I start, I've got 1 question for my fellow Aussies here: is DE available in Australia?

now, I'm planning on deep cleaning my sand filter on Saturday following the TFP guidelines.
The reason is at night in the pool light I can see particles that make the pool look "dirty", when it's absolutely crystal clear during the day.

I heard / read a lot of horror stories from people deep cleaning for the first time: lots of water, lots of dirt, gunk, ...
My filter doesnt have a drain plug, which means I won't be able to move the filter to an appropriate location to deep clean, too heavy.
Filter is right against the house.

Any suggestion to keep the process as "clean & tidy" as possible without flooding the house or the equipment pad?

cheers

 

[duraleigh]

The reason is at night in the pool light I can see particles that make the pool look "dirty", when it's absolutely crystal clear during the day

Perfectly normal. Regardless of method(s) used, you can minimize the visible "floaties" at night but virtually impossible to get rid of them.....DE or not.

 

[yann]

Just finished my deep cleaning

wasnt too difficult but quite dirty
i did hit some resistance some times which at first I thought it was laterals, but then realised I wasn't deep enough. Turned out it was very compact sand and pushing a little harder with the hose i went through and some really dirty stuff surfaced.
I'm not sure I got it all, but it took me nearly an hour to get there and nearly flooded the house basement!
I'll do another one at the end of the season, it should be easier and cleaner.

Question about the sand: does it look like filter sand? I never seen filter sand before but I imagined it would be quite fine. Mine is quite coarse. It looks like beach sand to me.
View attachment 69368

Also I don't remember seeing this in the steps but I think I would have benefited from a backwash before I opened the filter and started the deep clean, I guess it would have helped with loosening the deep layers of sand.
Will do next time.

 

[yann]

Filter back together
Backwashed and rinsed
No leaks

Back on filter, surprisingly the was no drop in my "clean" pressure. Still sitting at 130kPa (18-19psi)

Shouldn't a drop be expected?
Or maybe I didn't deep clean well enough

 

[needsajet]

That sand does look a bit odd to me, maybe glass filter media? But I can't really comment usefully based on the picture. Maybe look at some filter sand at a pool shop to compare?

I got DE from directpoolsupplies.com AquaCel DE Powder 4.5Kg - Direct Pool Supplies and at 4.5 kg it will last you many years one cup at a time

Does your pressure gauge read zero when the pump is off?

 

[yann]

Thanks,

Yeah I though it was a bit odd.
The label on the filter says Multi Media filter and the 125kg Sand box is ticked

And yes the pressure is at 0 when pump is off, it is a new gauge I installed when we moved in, as the original one was broken (stuck at 250kPa, pump on or off)
Interestingly I checked pressure in all configs:
Main returns only, no Polaris 360: 90kPA
Main returns only with Polaris 360: 130kPa
Spa jets only: 110kPa
Main returns + Spa jets: 90kPa

If it turns out my media is glass and not sand, is it still ok to add DE to it?

Thanks

 

[needsajet]

Mine is glass media and I add DE without any issues. I would definitely follow the method carefully cause it's easy t go too far with it and then pressure rises more than you want. Also, avoid breathing the dust by adding to a pail of water as you get it out from the box. It's very fine particulate, so it's bad to breathe it.

 

[yann]

Thanks

does your glass media look like my "sand "?

how does it compare to sand in terms of fine particles filtration properties?

 

[needsajet]

Hard to remember, mate. Mine has more colours in it because it's recycled glass (smelled like stale beer when new). And I think mine was more angular and not as rounded as I see in your pic, but I just don't know enough to say.

Glass filter media will filter as well as sand, but not noticeably better, based on people's experience here at TFP. I do three pools - two with sand and mine with glass - and I haven't noticed any difference. The suppliers will say otherwise, but the majority view here at TFP is that glass media is not a bad thing, just unnecessary compared to normal pool filter sand. Positives are that it's productive recycling, and less weight needs to be carried because it doesn't pack down as tight (same volume from less weight). Negative is the higher cost.

 

[yann]

Perfectly normal. Regardless of method(s) used, you can minimize the visible "floaties" at night but virtually impossible to get rid of them.....DE or not.

Thanks Dave.

Would the use of a clarifier help?

I've never used one, but I've got left over from previous owner:
Lo-Chlor ultra-kleer 2-in-1
Active constituent: cationic polyelectrolyte

There are 2 dosages: one for clarifier which I would use, and one for flocculant (about 3 times the clarifier dose) which I would not use.

I'm not keen on adding potions but if it's harmless and can improve general aspect...

Cheers

 

[duraleigh]

I'm not keen on adding potions but if it's harmless and can improve general aspect

I would suggest NOT using it. Over the years, it seems to be a hit or miss solution.

It is unpredictable and we get reports of flocs and clarifiers often doing much harm and no good.

Regardless, you will still see night time "floaties" whether you use it or not. I would throw it away or give it to someone you didn't like very much

 

[yann]

Roger that

Like someone else mentioned in another post, I'll give it to the pizza man for 2 large pizzas!