Grid assembly stuck

[Sashka]

I needed to clean my Hayward DE filter after yesterday's flood. Same thing happened last year after the hurricane Ida, so I knew what to do since last year.

Except this time the manifold pipe somehow got stuck to the bottom pipe. I tried the straight lift first, then turning and twisting every which way but it didn't help. I already used all my modest strength and I'm pretty sure, based on last year experience, not much strength is actually required, so something is wrong.

Any ideas?

 

[Poolbreh]

The stand pipe oring can sometimes get pinched making the manifold hard to get off the stand pipe or the stand can get caught on something if you are trying to lift the whole thing out with the grids. You may have to disassemble the manifold and grids in the tank.

 

[Sashka]

The stand pipe oring can sometimes get pinched making the manifold hard to get off the stand pipe or the stand can get caught on something if you are trying to lift the whole thing out with the grids. You may have to disassemble the manifold and grids in the tank.

I don't think it's possible to disassemble the manifold and grids in the tank. at least I can't do it. One has to hold the (unreachable) nut on the bottom to unscrew the nut on top.

 

[Jimrahbe]

S,

I assume before you opened the filter, you backwashed most of the old DE away, and once opened, you hosed off the remainder to make the grids as light as possible.

I find it pretty hard to lift the grids out just because of having no leverage. If I were in your shoes, I'd try to cobble together something around the filter, that would allow you to stand higher, so that you could pull up on the manifold rather than trying to lift the manifold from the side of the filter.

Let me know if that does not make sense and I'll try better to describe what I have in mind.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JamesW]

Take the nut off the top and lift and rotate the manifold back and forth a few degrees to get the bond to break loose.

You can reach in with pliers to grab the rod if you can't unscrew the nut.

Replace the O-ring and use silicone lubricant to prevent further stickiness.

 

[Sashka]

S,

I assume before you opened the filter, you backwashed most of the old DE away, and once opened, you hosed off the remainder to make the grids as light as possible.

I find it pretty hard to lift the grids out just because of having no leverage. If I were in your shoes, I'd try to cobble together something around the filter, that would allow you to stand higher, so that you could pull up on the manifold rather than trying to lift the manifold from the side of the filter.

Let me know if that does not make sense and I'll try better to describe what I have in mind.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Yes, Jim, I did all of that and more: I climbed on the bottom half of the filter can and used my legs to provide a stronger pull but still no cigar. However - see the update that I'm about to post.

 

[Sashka]

OK, I figured it out. The key was not to pull it up or at various angles close to vertical. The pattern of motion that worked in the end was similar to what you do when you dance twist, except here it's the shoulders that do the twist, not your butt. The vertical component of the force that I applied was relatively small, 90% of the effort went into twisting the manifold pipe around the bottom pipe. Back and forth, back and forth ... It was still very very hard and I had to take a few breaks to catch my breath but in the end I succeeded. The reason was the broken o-ring, as @Poolbreh correctly guessed, that was pinched between the pipes.

 

[Poolbreh]

Nice lol, lift with your lower back in a twisting jerking motion. I’m kidding of course.

 

[JamesW]

This is me training to lift a stuck filter grid assembly.