Pentair/StaRite filter cleaning issue

[Sungar]

My StaRite filter was running at about 35psi and the pool is green. Should have cleaned filter long time ago. Time to clean the filter.

took filter apart, washed the panels, reassembled, added DE, restarted. The pressure is still running at about 35pis or higher, and I’m not getting much water flow through the filter.

I must have done something wrong or missed a step. Any ideas? I really don’t want to go through the whole process again if I don’t have to, and I’m afraid even if I do I’ll end up in the same situation again.

thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Sungar]

BTW, normal pressure after cleaning is mid 20,s

 

[jblizzle]

I'm afraid that what you experienced might be normal. A DE filter will clog extremely fast if you have green water. You need to follow the SLAM Process to kill off the algae while you were trying to filter the water.

 

[jblizzle]

Also how hard is your water? Do you have a set of test results? If any calcium scaling has started on the grids that will make them clogged fast as well.

 

[Sungar]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I need to go with a lot of chlorine, backwashing, repeat. His much DE do you typically put in after you backwash?

water isn’t too hard

 

[jblizzle]

"too hard" is relative

What do you test with? Post up the full set of results.

My grids got calcium over the winter because I ignored the pH and my CH was not very hard at all, just keep that in mind.

You usually only add about 75-80% of the full DE amount after a backwash.

 

[Sungar]

I don’t have a test kit like in the video, just use test strips. Pool is 25,000 gallons.

this morning pool is cloudy but not very green so progress.

ph 8.0
free chlorine 0.5
alkalinity 80
stabilizer 50

So need to add acid and more chlorine

 

[jblizzle]

Well the only thing I would suggest that you "need" to do is get one of the recommended test kits because test strips are garbage.

 

[Sungar]

Pool is no longer green, but water still very cloudy. When I brush there’s a lot of white “junk” kicked up. I assume that’s dead algae?

Is the filter just not able to keep up with everything and need to clean it again? If I clean again is it likely to build pressure right away like it did when al the algae was in the pool?

 

[jblizzle]

Did you get the test kit? And are you following the SLAM Process process?

The filter will likely still clog pretty quickly until the pool starts to clear up