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Home-pool filters
Cleaning the Sand
filter
It is important to use the proper size and quality of sand in your
filter, because if the particles are too small it will clog the
laterals and if the particles are too large, the smaller particle
filtration will not occur. It is recommended that you use #20 sand
in your filter.
Backwashing is the simple and best process of cleaning a sand
filter. You should find the correct steps to take for the procedure
printed on the rotary valve. The multiport valve is on the top of
the sand filter so that the dirt flows up and out because the
backwash goes from the bottom to the top. The tank will be filled
with water that is circulating which causes the lightweight sand to
keep floating in the tank. Although the sand is heavy enough so that
it doesn't flow out of the tank while backwashing is occurring.
In order to start backwashing, first turn off the pump and turn the
valve to the backwash position; open the waste drain; turn on the
pump. The water flowing out will look clean, then dirty, then clean
again. (You can see this through the glass.) Turn off the pump and
turn the valve to rinse once the water is relatively clear. Then
turn the pump on and rinse for approximately 30 seconds. This will
clear the dirt out of the plumbing unit. Turn the pump off again and
turn the valve back to the filter position and restart the pump.
Filter as normal.
There are three main ways you can tell when it's probably time to
backwash: If you find dirt going back into the pool, or when your
don't have much suction when vacuuming, or if the reading on the
filter gauge is 10 psi more than the reading when the filter is
clean.
You probably should add water to the pool or spa before you backwash
because there must be sufficient water in the pool while
backwashing. Much of the water will flow down the drain during the
process.
As a result of pool chemicals and pool plaster that has dissolved
into the pool, sand will become calcified or form clumps (that
eventually become hard as rock). A smaller amount of water is
filtering through the sand because it must go around the clumps.
Passages are formed around the clumps so that the water may pass
through. When this situation occurs, it is called channeling. You
probably need to teardown the unit to prevent this problem or to
correct it.
Continue with
cleaning sand filters...
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