Sand Filter Exploded

[PDER]

Has anyone seen this before? I was just out cleaning up the lawn and noticed that my sand filter looked like it exploded..
Anybody else encountered this before? Going on my fourth season with the pool and everything was closed like previous years.

 

[CJadamec]

That's a pretty significant failure considering there shouldn't be any pressure on the inside of it if it was winterized properly.

But yea cold weather can brake things in some interesting ways. If I had to guess I would say its damage from water freezing inside of it.

 

[tim5055]

So it wasn't started for the season?? It does appear to have failed at a joint.

 

[Donldson]

What was your multiport valve set to?

There should be a drain plug at the bottom of the filter, did you remove that for the winter?

 

[PDER]

Thanks for the replies. I winterized the same as prior years. It hasn't been started for this season, as the weather is still around freezing here (Toronto, Canada).
I thought ice damage as we had quite a few spells this winter of temps yo-yo'ing to well above freezing to well below, and that the crack was right along the seam...

- - - Updated - - -

The valve was left on filter. I drained the water from the bottom and then put the plug back on. Maybe I didn't drain long enough?

 

[Donldson]

The valve was left on filter. I drained the water from the bottom and then put the plug back on. Maybe I didn't drain long enough?

Does the valve have a "Winter" setting? If not then what setting do you put it in? Alas, you are supposed to leave the drain plug off. Essentially you want the filter open so water that is inside can continue to drain (sand is pretty much never going to completely dry out in a filter) and has room to expand without creating pressure. Odds are this is just the year that it finally caught up with it and burst.

If you want to put a 'positive' spin on it, better to happen now than during the swim season. Unexpectedly having to buy a new filter is not good, but if this had happened during the swim season you probably would have also lost the pump and possibly other parts of your system.

 

[CJadamec]

On the plus side now you have an excuse to upgrade to that nice new 27" sand filter. Also way better to have it fail now than when the pump was on and you weren't home so you aren't dealing with a flooded yard, empty pool, and burnt out pump on top of a bad filter.