Pentair DE Filter without 5 way valve - ports labeled wrong

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Jul 27, 2019
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Satellite Beach, FL
Hello, to all. I have a Pentair FNS Plus DE pump. It has Inlet and Outlet clearly marked on the unit. I am installing this without a 5-way valve. In doing so, I have discovered that Inlet doesn't mean Inlet, and Outlet doesn't mean Outlet. Why have they intentionally mislabeled this? What is the point of calling the supply line from the pump, the "outlet"?

I found this out after pumping my pool full of DE. When I looked at the 5-way valve normally supplied with this filter, and ran water through the supply line, it was running into the "Outlet" of the filter.

Unless I'm a complete dolt, there is something wrong with this picture.
 
Do you have a picture?

The filter Inlet is where the water goes into the filter. This is the line from the pump.

This is basic plumbing for all filters.

It doesn't really matter what filter you have. The Inlet is where the water goes into the filter from the pump.
 
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FNS® Plus Filter

FNS Plus filters were designed for easy maintenance, convenience, and long-term reliability. Browse all product information here!
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There is no instruction for hooking up this filter without the supplied valve. Nothing inside the filter is broken or torn. (manifolds, screens, piping, etc) I have a pool full of milky murk. The "Outlet" is labeled as the top opening, the "Inlet" is the one closest the bottom, near the drain. As stated previously, I took an old 5-way, set it to "Filter", stuck a hose in the line that would have been pump fed, and I got water out of the hole corresponding to their labeled "Outlet".

I'm an educated person, so my understanding of "inlet" and "outlet" is very much the same as yours. Pentair customer service has not responded after a week since the inquiry. So this is what I have to work with.
 
What is the model number of the valve?

The correct valve sends water to the bottom port when on Filter.

So, maybe you have the wrong valve or someone took it apart and reassembled it backwards.

Where did you get the valve?
 
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X,

Please looks at this logically.. Water goes in the bottom port and fills the filter, it then goes through the grids and up into the top manifold and out the top port... Is the inside of your filter different than this?

Is this how your filter is marked?

Jim R.
 

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X,

Just want to make sure we are on the same page.. Does your DE filter have grids or cartridges? It should have grids if we are talking about the same one.

Does your filter have a standpipe that the top manifold fits over? Is this standpipe connected to the top port?

How about a couple of pics to show us the error in our thinking???

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
The bottom port is the inlet. You're doing something wrong. The inlet and outlet are marked correctly. If the filters are self destructing, it's probably because you're plumbing them incorrectly.

Post a picture of silver barcode labels from the filter and the multiport.

If water is coming out of the top port when set on Filter, you either have the wrong valve or it was disassembled and reassembled backwards or you're putting the hose in the Return port of the multiport and not the Pump port of the multiport.

Post a picture of the multiport and point out what line you're putting the hose in.
 
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I'm going to have to hold off, because I'm not there right now. There is only one way the water can go in, for all the positions to work properly. Everything else is plug and play.

The valve self destructed, because they're garbage, and poorly made. It was material quality. (I sent the issue up to Pentair, they told me to go pound sand) There were stress risers in the plastic, from being molded with too sharp of corners. These cracks eventually propagated all the way across the dome, and it split like a grape. Even if it had been plumbed backwards, it would still need to be able to withstand the backwash pressure, lest it incur the same problem. And I had never even taken it apart.

I'm just saying that as purchased, in that picture that I posted from Amazon - that's the exact part - excluding the ruptured plastic, it did its job for 3 years.
 
What port are you using as the multiport inlet from the pump?

Pentair makes good quality equipment.

Your problems are probably due to improper installation.
 
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X,

Ask your self this... Since everyone else in the world get 20 years, or more, out Pentair multiport valves, why do I only get three years?? What does that tell you?

You never answered any of my questions... :scratch:

Jim R.
 
JamesW said:
What port are you using as the multiport inlet from the pump?

Pentair makes good quality equipment.

Your problems are probably due to improper installation.
Click to expand...

I'm an engineer by education and trade. I deal with this kind of issue frequently, with both metal and plastic parts, not unlike this one. It's not 1 time that it's happened, but twice. 2 of the same part, exact same problem. None of the bolts that hold the dome were torqued. (as they shouldn't be, lest they stress the flange) In fact, 1 of them even fell out. And while, I'm not going to say conclusively that the installation was bad or good, I will say that that type of failure shouldn't occur with a simple reversal. The highest system pressure doesn't even occur from either of these 2 settings. A properly designed and tested part, would be subject to fail at some safe margin in the neighborhood of - as an example - 2-3X the max working pressure. (that's just a guideline, many parts are designed at much higher safety factors)

There is specifically a "no torque" spec on the bolts, when replacing the internal seals, because it would preload the flange, and could cause the valve to develop fatigue cracks under pressure. Mine developed these cracks, having never been serviced. I attempted to send the part back under warranty, but was told that it was just out of warranty. (barely 3 months) The cracks started in several places: around the fasteners, and in the radius between the fastener and the dome. One of those cracks started small, and ran all the way across the top of the dome, from one side, to the other.

So in short, the parts were junk This pump literally should never have been able to generate enough pressure to split the plastic, without some mitigating circumstance - which isn't present.
 
Jimrahbe said:
X,

Ask your self this... Since everyone else in the world get 20 years, or more, out Pentair multiport valves, why do I only get three years?? What does that tell you?

You never answered any of my questions... :scratch:

Jim R.
Click to expand...

"Everyone" is a pretty bold claim. I took to Twitter and Google, and in fairly short order, found that your assertion is not quite correct. There have been material quality issues with Pentair products.

I will answer your more technical questions when I am back at the point where I can access the hardware.
 
X,

OK, I should have said "Almost" everyone... But I think you are missing the whole point..

And now I am confused... We started talking about the filter being labeled wrong and now we are talking about your multiport being bad.. What say we determine if the filter is actually labeled wrong first and then see how that might effect your multiport's operation..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Simple question, what port of the multiport did you connect the pump to?

What pump do you have?

Note: For the FNS Plus DE filter, the bottom hole is the inlet. The inlet and outlet are marked correctly.

Almost definitely the multiport was plumbed incorrectly if the valve is the model number given and it was never disassembled.

It's not fair to complain about the product not working correctly when it was not installed or operated correctly.
 
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