sand in inground pool - multiport valve stuck

[patplh]

so, we have some very active chipmunks/mice in our area and this year, they burrowed a huge hole inbetween our diving rocks and displaced over 5 gallons of sand. I thought we got it all, until i realized that a lot of it has fallen into our pool.. my husband was vaccumming it up and our pressure dropped to 0. we then realized it was sand and starting filtering to waste, but now the multi-port valve is stuck.. we're trying to open the valve to unclog it b/c it's clogged with sand, but according to the directions (hayward SP0715 multi-port valve), it has to be in the filter position, but we can't move it from the waste position. there's also sand in the DE filter, since i can see sand in the backwash viewer.
any thoughts on how to fix this? and how much damage has been done?

 

[JasonLion]

That shouldn't be very serious. The sand in the filter is harmless and will come out when you clean the filter. The sand in the multi-port is a little more challenging. Running the pump for a minute and then off and back on might clear it out. If that doesn't work you may need to open it up and wash it out with a garden hose.

 

[patplh]

thanks jason.. we were able to open up the valve and clean it out.. we're in the process of putting it all back together.. at this point, there's still sand at the bottom of the pool.. should we just vacuum to waste?

 

[JasonLion]

Either way. I would vacuum to the filter, but you can vacuum to waste if you want to.

 

[patplh]

we vacuumed to waste a majority of the sand. now, i'm trying to vacuum to filter, but i find that the pressure in the pool drops to 0 after using the vacuum for a short period of time. what could be the reason for this? is it because air gets into the filter? what should i do when the pressure drops to 0?
thanks

 

[JasonLion]

Check to see if the pump has lost prime, ie there is a lot of air in the pump strainer basket. If so, re-prime the pump. If not, check and clear the skimmer basket and pump strainer basket.