Pool sweep hose filter/screen constantly clogging - help!

[Absolutely_Pitted]

Have a polaris zodiac pool sweep. Just fixed my actual pump after being down for about 2 months. Upon firing back up the sweep, the little screen/filter that goes in the quick connect end of the hose fills up almost instantly with debris and worms...

The filtration system is a Waterway Crystal Water. Links removed by Jim R.

Here's where things are currently at: After constant clogging of the little sweeper hose screen, I opened up the filter system to check the cartridges. Noticed that they were loose and appeared to have popped up slightly from the lower manifold. So it would appear that those coming loose is the issue and why the little sweeper hose screen keeps getting clogged. I think debris is getting past the cartridges from underneath. So I cleaned the cartridges, secured them back to the manifold and fired everything up. Worked flawlessly for several hours. When I checked on it again the sweep had stopped moving and the screen was clogged again. So i opened up the filter again and the cartridges were once again loose. So I think I've narrowed down the issue to the cartridges popping up, but I can't sort out why that keeps happening.

I theorized pressure was getting too high due to the cartridges being dirty (the pool is a swamp right now...) so I degreased them overnight, totally sprayed them out and tried again. Worked great for an entire day this time before running into the same clogging issue. Noticed on the gauge pressure climbed about 15 PSI in a day before clogging again. Does this sound like the issue is just the cartridges getting too dirty which raises pressure to the point of popping them up? Maybe I'll just have to clean them everyday til the pool is back to normal?

The other weird thing I was thinking of is if the cartridges are coming loose and water is bypassing them underneath, wouldn't you expect pressure to lower significantly at that point? It has stayed high throughout, even after the "moment" I expect them to be loose. Would expect pressure to drop if they're loose but I could be wrong!

Any help or insight would be much appreciated. Going crazy over here!

 

[Bperry]

Have a polaris zodiac pool sweep. Just fixed my actual pump after being down for about 2 months. Upon firing back up the sweep, the little screen/filter that goes in the quick connect end of the hose fills up almost instantly with debris and worms...

The filtration system is a Waterway Crystal Water. Links removed by Jim R.

Here's where things are currently at: After constant clogging of the little sweeper hose screen, I opened up the filter system to check the cartridges. Noticed that they were loose and appeared to have popped up slightly from the lower manifold. So it would appear that those coming loose is the issue and why the little sweeper hose screen keeps getting clogged. I think debris is getting past the cartridges from underneath. So I cleaned the cartridges, secured them back to the manifold and fired everything up. Worked flawlessly for several hours. When I checked on it again the sweep had stopped moving and the screen was clogged again. So i opened up the filter again and the cartridges were once again loose. So I think I've narrowed down the issue to the cartridges popping up, but I can't sort out why that keeps happening.

I theorized pressure was getting too high due to the cartridges being dirty (the pool is a swamp right now...) so I degreased them overnight, totally sprayed them out and tried again. Worked great for an entire day this time before running into the same clogging issue. Noticed on the gauge pressure climbed about 15 PSI in a day before clogging again. Does this sound like the issue is just the cartridges getting too dirty which raises pressure to the point of popping them up? Maybe I'll just have to clean them everyday til the pool is back to normal?

The other weird thing I was thinking of is if the cartridges are coming loose and water is bypassing them underneath, wouldn't you expect pressure to lower significantly at that point? It has stayed high throughout, even after the "moment" I expect them to be loose. Would expect pressure to drop if they're loose but I could be wrong!

Any help or insight would be much appreciated. Going crazy over here!

Are you sure the filters cartridges are correct size? If your pool is a swamp, you can’t use the filter for much or you’ll be cleaning it several times a day. You should proceed with the SLAM process.

 

[Darin]

SLAM it hard then vac all the "gook" to waste bypassing the filter.

 

[Newdude]

I vote for the reverse order as any gook will chew through your chlorine as fast as you can add it. I watched my own swamp go blue (but still cloudy) in front of me when I got the last scoop of crud out.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

You need to clean your swamp in at least three phases:

1. Remove the filter cartridge and vacuum to waste as much crud as you can
2. Begin the SLAM process following the instructions step by step. Leave out the cartridge.
3. Once the color of the water has changed to more grey then begin filtering while continuing the SLAM process. Install the cartridge and babysit the filter pressure and clean the cartridge every few hours as it clogs. Over time you should see the time between cartridge cleaning getting longer as the water clears.

Plan for this to take a week or two or more. This will not be a fast process.

How many gallons are in your pool?

What is the size of your filter?

 

[Absolutely_Pitted]

Welcome to TFP.

You need to clean your swamp in at least three phases:

1. Remove the filter cartridge and vacuum to waste as much crud as you can
2. Begin the SLAM process following the instructions step by step. Leave out the cartridge.
3. Once the color of the water has changed to more grey then begin filtering while continuing the SLAM process. Install the cartridge and babysit the filter pressure and clean the cartridge every few hours as it clogs. Over time you should see the time between cartridge cleaning getting longer as the water clears.

Plan for this to take a week or two or more. This will not be a fast process.

How many gallons are in your pool?

What is the size of your filter?

Thank you everyone for the replies!

Is there somewhere I can read more on the SLAM process? And how would I go about vacuuming the "crud", what does that process look like?

Pool is ~15,000 gallons

 

[ajw22]

Table of Contents

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SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

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Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

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[ajw22]

Filter size?

 

[Absolutely_Pitted]

Filter size?

Waterway 325 Sq. Ft. 112 GPM Crystal Water Cartridge Filter, 570-0325-07​

 

[Absolutely_Pitted]

SLAM it hard then vac all the "gook" to waste bypassing the filter.

Maybe a dumb question, but how do I go about vacuuming while bypassing the filter? Is this just removing the cartridges and running the sweep? Would I also have to remove the small screen in the sweep-hose to wall connection that keeps clogging?

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Cartridge filters generally lack the multiport valve needed to vacuum to waste. You might be lucky if your cartridge filter replaced a previous DE or sand filter. Look at the inlet to your filter and see if there's a multiport valve there. If unsure, post a photo.

Lacking such a valve, "vacuum to waste" means dropping a submersible pump into the cruddy water and pumping the crud into a sewer via a hose. If more crud is floating than is on the bottom, you'll just have to net it out.

Don't remove the small screen and run the sweep. That will just cause the sweep itself to become clogged.

I would also double-check that your cartridges are the right size for your filter housing and the filter innards are correctly assembled. The cartridges shouldn't be moving around in there.

 

[Newdude]

but how do I go about vacuuming while bypassing the filter?

You need a 3 way valve to waste and most cartridge filter equipment pads don't have one. It's a code by me now that all pools need a dry well because sand and DE people were flooding theirs neighbors when they backwashed. So my new pool needed one eventhough my carts don't backwash because codes don't have to make sense.

Scoop what you can and vac the rest to the filter, then clean the filters. I appreciate all the cleaners for lessening the chore, but nothing cleans like a manual vac. Not even close.

 

[Absolutely_Pitted]

Cartridge filters generally lack the multiport valve needed to vacuum to waste. You might be lucky if your cartridge filter replaced a previous DE or sand filter. Look at the inlet to your filter and see if there's a multiport valve there. If unsure, post a photo.

Lacking such a valve, "vacuum to waste" means dropping a submersible pump into the cruddy water and pumping the crud into a sewer via a hose. If more crud is floating than is on the bottom, you'll just have to net it out.

Don't remove the small screen and run the sweep. That will just cause the sweep itself to become clogged.

I would also double-check that your cartridges are the right size for your filter housing and the filter innards are correctly assembled. The cartridges shouldn't be moving around in there.

Ok makes sense, doesn't look like there's a multiport valve on my setup. I'll look into renting/buying a vacuum as you described. Any suggestions on a good vacuum?

Cartridges are the right size. I put them in at the beginning of last summer and had no issues until my pump quit on me 2 months ago.