Problem with DE Blowing through Sand Filter

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You are correct, that many gauges have the arrows at 10psi ... mine included. But if you think about it, that recommendation is too general to make any sense. A rise of 10 starting at 20psi is a 50% rise; while a rise of 10 over a starting pressure of 5psi is a 200% rise.

It is just another old-timers "rule" that is out-dated. The 20-25% rule is based on the collective experience here and is applicable independent of the starting pressure. Going much above this and the flow rate starts to suffer as you mentioned.
 
RobbieH said:
My two arrows are 5 psi apart.
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If TFP's is 20-25% recommendation.

Your filter manufacturers recommended change interval is double or more TFP's.

Interesting difference.

I usually only use the gauge as a guideline and check flow at the skimmer and make sure the salt cell didn't fault (when I had it)


UD
 
I corrected it. They are 10 PSI apart. 5 was a mistake.

Mine runs 12 psi clean. Currently sitting on 14 psi. Still not time to backwash. :)

All that is going to change with the new pump. I will have to establish new starting and end points when the pump is at "full" pressure.
 
It similar to the LPS recommendations to add two bags of this and bottle of that. In some cases it is the best thing for your pool and in other cases...the worst. Assumptions are difficult...

I don't have arrows on mine... I guess I needed to learn what is correct for my pool and make decisions based on knowledge. Oh..by the way.. this is the BBB way.
 
RobbieH said:
I corrected it. They are 10 PSI apart. 5 was a mistake.

Mine runs 12 psi clean. Currently sitting on 14 psi. Still not time to backwash. :)

All that is going to change with the new pump. I will have to establish new starting and end points when the pump is at "full" pressure.
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So your pressure does creep up?

UD
 
Of course. As they get dirtier, the pressure rises. When the pressure rise is high enough ... time to clean.

This is true of all filter types (cartridge, DE, sand). Some members have huge cartridge filters and actually see almost no pressure rise in a full year and only clean it out of a sense of duty. :D
 
Once I get the pool cleaned at the opening of the season, I backwash maybe twice. That's because my pressure doesn't rise. That's because my pool is clean and most of the junk is blown in, and not growing in.

I think the requirement for frequent backwashes comes from people having constant low level growth where stuff is constantly getting filtered out. In a properly maintained BBB pool, there just isn't enough getting filtered out to clog the filter because the pool is so clean to begin with.
 
So as a SIDE NOTE - I am still struggling getting this fine dirt out of my pool. I vacuumed a bunch more to waste but it kicks up so fast that this will never end.

So - am I a candidate for a flocculent. Will that force all this suspended dirt into clumps that will make vacuuming much easier ? What do you all think ? Might be easier than changing sand.
 

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Floc's are another one of those hit or miss things. They either work or they don't. People have reported better luck with clarifiers, but they work by allowing your filter to catch the material. I wouldn't normally recommend it anyway, and I especially wouldn't, given your filter problems.
 
Bama Rambler said:
Floc's are another one of those hit or miss things. They either work or they don't. People have reported better luck with clarifiers, but they work by allowing your filter to catch the material. I wouldn't normally recommend it anyway, and I especially wouldn't, given your filter problems.
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DANG IT ! and thanks for the up front advice.

It looks like I have two choices this "late" into the season. Drain the pool and start over OR chuck 600lb of glass and buy some sand :)
 
Some flocs seem to work great..others gum up the works. While we don't normally recommend them, in some cases they have worked well. I have seen some flocs absolutely ruin cartridges.

If you use a floc, be sure you can vacuum the debris to waste without going thru any sensitive devices, like your pre-filter...
 
600 lbs of glass? My understanding was that you use almost half the weight in glass you use as equivalent in sand. Partly because you install a healthy bed of pea gravel first, then the rest is glass, and the glass was significantly lighter than sand, 25% lighter I think. Please understand I'm reaching back to about 3 years ago when a pool guy was trying to sell me on glass media, so I might be incorrect. And you only have a 400lb filter...
 
RobbieH said:
600 lbs of glass? My understanding was that you use almost half the weight in glass you use as equivalent in sand. Partly because you install a healthy bed of pea gravel first, then the rest is glass, and the glass was significantly lighter than sand, 25% lighter I think. Please understand I'm reaching back to about 3 years ago when a pool guy was trying to sell me on glass media, so I might be incorrect. And you only have a 400lb filter...
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First of all my conversion from KG to LB was wrong and I never corrected in my signature.

However...I think my 600LB comment was a bit flippant. Meaning I think I actually have 400 lbs of glass and then pea gravel. Never the less I paid about $500 for the glass upgrade. Remember, I did not want it, PB said he never got that change order, so I did not fight him about it.
 
So update to this year...

I complained and complained to the PB, and he finally said he would come out and check everything out. He claims he checked the laterals and all was fine, however he said it was LOW on GLASS and he added 200 more lbs. No way did he empty the glass and the pea gravel to check the lateral.

Claimed this should fix me up....

Guess what...not even close...trying to vacuum up the silt from the winter mesh cover and I can see dirt POURING out of the returns.

At this point I am ready to buy a new DE Filter and burn this thing. HOWEVER I don't have the $$$ right now...so hopefully someone can verify I am on the right path.

I assume I just use a shop vac to take out all the glass media, then I hope the shop vac will take out all the pea gravel in the bottom. I assume I have to get every last bit of gravel out before I switch to sand? While I am doing this, I assume I would be able to tell if I had a broken lateral.

In the meantime does anybody want a nice large brand new sand filter ?
 
Don't give up too quickly on the sand filter. It is perfectly capable of giving you a crystal clear pool,........something is wrong with it.

I haven't read back through your thread yet but there is no reason to remove every speck of gravel. All you are trying to do is uncover your laterals so you can inspect them and see if you have any issues with them. Check the stand pipe for proper seating as well.

If getting down to the laterals is a huge hassle (and it probably will be), you could cut the pipes to the filter neatly and lay the filter on it's side to hose out and clean out. Then, just use couplers to glue back up when (if) you discover the problem.
 
duraleigh said:
Don't give up too quickly on the sand filter. It is perfectly capable of giving you a crystal clear pool,........something is wrong with it.

I haven't read back through your thread yet but there is no reason to remove every speck of gravel. All you are trying to do is uncover your laterals so you can inspect them and see if you have any issues with them. Check the stand pipe for proper seating as well.

If getting down to the laterals is a huge hassle (and it probably will be), you could cut the pipes to the filter neatly and lay the filter on it's side to hose out and clean out. Then, just use couplers to glue back up when (if) you discover the problem.
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Good news is I have unions already in, due to the massive problems since day one.

If I replace with normal sand, don't I want the pea gravel out of there anyways ?
 
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