I suspect I will just disassemble and clean out my one year old Pentair FNS Plus 60 DE filter right before closing the pool, but I was wondering what bad things could potentially happen if I left it charged with DE and then winterized as normal. The filter would be drained and the drain cap would be left off as usual but in this theoretical instance the grids would (maybe) still have DE powder clumped to them. I don't know what will happen in the real world as I haven't tried it.
I thought about this because our fall temperatures are remaining warm and I don't wish to close the pool until the warm weather is completely past us. As a result I was hoping to clean the filter while it's warm out since it is less uncomfortable to spray a hose in 80*F. Then I would charge it and return it to service until I decide to close. When the time to winterize comes I'd drain it like normal and hope that much of the DE stays intact and viable for the following startup.
When I start up the pool every year it is always very full of organics and algae such that multiple filter cleaning cycles are required to clear the water (thanks in part to a mesh safety cover). Would the old DE stay on the grids well enough to function during the first, most intense pool cleaning cycle? Or would it be caked up, dry, and useless in 7 months of storage?
It's not a big deal at any rate, I'm not worried about losing 6 lbs of DE powder but I would like to make every task as efficient as possible while still remaining effective. I have found with this filter that simply backwashing and recharging results in lesser cleaning ability. OTOH disassembly and a full grid cleaning results in perfect crystal clear water every time. I would like to reduce the number of times I have to do the full disassembly but I also don't want to backwash if possible due to lesser performance.
I thought about this because our fall temperatures are remaining warm and I don't wish to close the pool until the warm weather is completely past us. As a result I was hoping to clean the filter while it's warm out since it is less uncomfortable to spray a hose in 80*F. Then I would charge it and return it to service until I decide to close. When the time to winterize comes I'd drain it like normal and hope that much of the DE stays intact and viable for the following startup.
When I start up the pool every year it is always very full of organics and algae such that multiple filter cleaning cycles are required to clear the water (thanks in part to a mesh safety cover). Would the old DE stay on the grids well enough to function during the first, most intense pool cleaning cycle? Or would it be caked up, dry, and useless in 7 months of storage?
It's not a big deal at any rate, I'm not worried about losing 6 lbs of DE powder but I would like to make every task as efficient as possible while still remaining effective. I have found with this filter that simply backwashing and recharging results in lesser cleaning ability. OTOH disassembly and a full grid cleaning results in perfect crystal clear water every time. I would like to reduce the number of times I have to do the full disassembly but I also don't want to backwash if possible due to lesser performance.
