Help with Quad DE

[JoyfulNoise]

16k gallon pool + QuadDE 100 = no backwashing ever...and last year it went almost 14 months before I opened it up for a deep clean. I typically clean twice per year but only cuz I feel guilty if I don't.

 

[Redshift]

It seems to be that maybe part of the overall performance issue is far too much backwashing. It seems you are doing tit every week when once or twice a year is plenty unless you have constant and heavy use.

Even then hen maybe once every 4 months. Your Quad 60 is oversize for that pool (which is really great by the way), so I'd suggest a good Dee cleaning once a year unless you have crazy use and or crazy trash in your pool.

As as a comparison, I've got a Q80 and 28k gal. I get crazy trash in my pool. Constant leaves, pollen, dust, etc. so much so that I have to run my robot every day and sometimes 2x a day jut to keep up with it.

I recently cleand my filter filter after 9 mos and it was not very dirty at all. Wish I had waited a year.

So so you have a significantly better water to filter size ratio than I do, likely less trash load, so Backwashing at all seems to not make sense. And cleaning it every 6montha I'd expect is overkill.

Now maybe this SLAM introduces an insane amount of stuff to filter. But if you are truly done, and your CCs are staying low, I'd suggest you Dee clean it, put the right amount of DE, and then don't tough it for 6 mos at least.

Nope. Only been backwashing it more these days due to issues with clogging. Very infrequent in the early days.

Now that the filters seem much cleaner I'm gonna leave it alone.

 

[Redshift]

FC not holding. Was 0.5 this morning. Do I need another SLAM?

 

[xyz]

My bad. By not touching it, I meant stop backwashing it. Many are removing the backwash valve with the Quad DEs since they work so well for so long without doing anything. backwashing a Quad is largely an obsolete thing, in my experience. There really is no upside to backwashing, and there are downsides. The one that comes to mind is too little or too much DE. Both of these conditions will cause your symptoms if they are far enough out.

So Take it apart, clean it completely, add the right amount of DE, and don't even think about doing anything else for at least 6 months, with the exception of watching %PSI growth at a medium RPM.

In summary, hat I'm suggesting is you are smothering your new child! Let em go out and play in the mud!

 

[Redshift]

My bad. By not touching it, I meant stop backwashing it. Many are removing the backwash valve with the Quad DEs since they work so well for so long without doing anything. backwashing a Quad is largely an obsolete thing, in my experience. There really is no upside to backwashing, and there are downsides. The one that comes to mind is too little or too much DE. Both of these conditions will cause your symptoms if they are far enough out.

So Take it apart, clean it completely, add the right amount of DE, and don't even think about doing anything else for at least 6 months, with the exception of watching %PSI growth at a medium RPM.

In summary, hat I'm suggesting is you are smothering your new child! Let em go out and play in the mud!

Understood, but again I was only backwashing when the pressure went WAY up, not because it was the fashionable thing to do. Believe me I'd not want to touch the thing for months if possible.

Now, after all this, my pressures look great and the pool is crystal clear. All the measurements are in range except the FC. It was darn near zero yesterday! Was 31 last weekend.

The salt is 3200ppm and the cell seems to be working so what does this mean? Another SLAM?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Understood, but again I was only backwashing when the pressure went WAY up, not because it was the fashionable thing to do. Believe me I'd not want to touch the thing for months if possible.

Now, after all this, my pressures look great and the pool is crystal clear. All the measurements are in range except the FC. It was darn near zero yesterday! Was 31 last weekend.

The salt is 3200ppm and the cell seems to be working so what does this mean? Another SLAM?

To determine what's going on, you need to do an OCLT. Tonight, raise your FC up high to 8ppm or so (some large, easily measurable number) and get a good read just before bedtime then shut everything off (including the SWG). Wake up early in the morning before sunrise (I know how much you love that....) and measure again. If your loss is less than 1ppm then a SLAM is not indicated. If a SLAM is not indicated, then something else is off (bad cell, CYA too low, etc).