How Do I Acid Wash My Pool Filter

If you don't know how to do a proper DE filter Cleaning, you might remember DE is the worst. Every bit a pool owner for 17 years, and having been servicing them for 30 equally a business possessor, trust me when I tell you, DE is the best way to go. But, if you don't know how to accept care of one, you might just want to blow up your pool and be rid of it. I take heard information technology a g times.

DE Filter Cleaning

It all starts with mis-data… "But the guy at the shop said Bla Bla Bla"… The first affair I tell customers who practise their own weekly maintenance, is this… The instructions for your filter are correct on the side of it. That utilise to always be true, only now it is only sometimes truthful. I encourage anyone reading this post, to also read the instructions on their filter. You will literally exist an skillful having read both. Don't y'all prefer to have an expert servicing your pool?

If you don't have instructions on your DE filter, the model number and brand name are sure to be there. Google your model # + these keywords… Instructions + pdf. EXAMPLE: If y'all ain a Hayward EC50, Type this into Google: "Hayward EC50 instructions + pdf" The very showtime article is this. It volition not just tell you lot important information, like how much Diatomaceous Earth (DE) to put in it, it will requite you insights into plumbing your filter correctly, and usually like a uncomplicated eight step procedure to backwashing (aka cleaning your filter).

DE Filter Backwash

Backwashing is just a fancy way of saying get the old DE out of the filter. Y'all tin disassemble your filter and utilize a garden hose to clean off the DE, and rinse the filter housing. That is the most thorough way to clean a DE filter. Just the beauty of most DE filters, is that you can get the old globe out without disassembling them.

Muli port Valve Backwashing

multi-port-valve If you take a multi way valve, you just close the pump off, plow the valve to backwash (usually 180 degrees from filter), and turn the pump dorsum on. You run information technology in backwash mode until the water coming out the aftermath line looks clear. Thats it… Now but reverse the procedure. Shutting the pump off, turn the valve back to filter, and turn the pump back on. Add the recommended corporeality of DE for your filter, and your good to go.

Remember to always shut the pump off be for turning the valve. Turn back on to operate. Yous might think that last office is common sense (turning the pump dorsum on), you lot would be wrong.

Slide Valve Backwashing

Backwash Slide Valve — Aftermath Slide Valve

Some filters merely have a slide valve, those are simple too. Just shut the pump off, twist the T-handle to unlock, and pull information technology up. Plough the pump on and run until the water coming out is clear. To go back to filter, once more merely reverse the procedure.

No Valve DE Backwashing

Some filters dont have a valve to reverse the water period. These are Hayward Perflex Filters. Models that begin with EC, as in the EC40, EC45, and EC50 for above basis pools. Or, EC60, EC65, or EC75a for inground pools. To aftermath these filters, kickoff you close off the pump, and then bump the handle, become down with the handle real slow, so wiggle information technology upwardly, do this viii times. Then either open the valve at the bottom of the filter tank, or take the plug out. I like to open the bleeder valve / air vent and permit the filter gravity drain out before turning on the pump to flush information technology.

With Bump handle filters, I like to do this process twice before putting in new DE.

It doesn't thing what brand you have, they all work the same. It will help if you try to wrap your head effectually how the filter works. Unfiltered water is delivered to the filter tank via the pool pump. In order for the water to get back to the puddle, it has to laissez passer through the grids, or flex tubes. And then when you put DE into the filter, commonly via the skimmer, it as well tries to get back to the pool, but the grids forbid the DE from getting back to the pool, thus the grids go coated in DE. As the h2o passes through the DE coated grids, the water is filtered. Water is existence forced from the outside in.

When yous backwash the filter, as with the case if you lot have a valve, the pump water is directed to the within of the grids, blowing the DE off the grids, and usually goes out to waste matter via a waste line. Water is existence forced within out.

DE filters are useless with out the DE powder. Worth repeating… DE filters are useless with out the DE powder in them. I should add that you need plenty DE powder every bit well. Most filter take five lbs (read how much yours takes). That is equivilent to 5 1lb coffee cans. My favorite DE is chosen Celatom.

Filter Force per unit area Guess

This gauge is used to tell how dirty your filter is. H2o goes into the filter housing, and hands passes through make clean DE, returning back to the pool. Once the DE is dingy, the h2o cant pass through information technology as easy, and the filter pressure rises. Once the filter pressure rises 7 lbs, it is time to aftermath. Pregnant it is time to get the old earth out and put the new earth in. Alphabetize the gauge afterward cleaning so you know when it goes up vii lbs.

Call back of information technology like a vacuum cleaner with a purse… What happens to the suction of your vacuum once the bag starts to fill upward? It is awful… Think of the DE as a vacuum cleaner bag, once it starts to fill upwardly, your filter is not working well. A filter that is non working well, means dingy pool water. but worse.

Another couple ways to know your filter needs backwashing. When your filter is make clean, yous accept a skilful flow of h2o dorsum to the pool. If you become use to how strong the stream of water wait where the h2o is returning to the pool, so you see the flow decrease, you my friend have a muddy filter.

Some people install a flow meter in their plumbing. This is a bang-up style to bank check the efficiency of the filter. H2o flow is effected long before filter tank force per unit area rises.

PRO TIP* Algae grows in areas of poor circulation. A pool with a dirty filter is much more prone to algae growth.

DE Filter Types

There are several brands, with Hayward and Pentair being the virtually popular. Just you may not know, some of the guts are different, and your DE filter cleaning method is different also.

The sometime EC models were my favorite, and nonetheless are for some applications. The inside of this filter looks like fingers hanging downwards. The fingers are chosen flex tubes, and the tubes are just lengths of plastic tubing with holes, covered in socks.

I would recommend disassembling this filter for cleaning afterward having backwashed it twice. The DE jams up near the plates. For regular maintenance, hose off the DE, then spray it down with a product like Bioguard Kleen It, let it soak for five minutes earlier rinsing one more fourth dimension.

Every other yr, you tin fill a bucket with a 20:ane ratio of muriatic acid and soak until all bubbles stops. I personally would simply replace the flex tube every 3 to five years with regular maintenance. Merely for that deep clean, or to get one more yr, go with a muriatic acid dip.

To the lowest degree Favorite DE Grid Filter Type

The nigh popular correct now, and my to the lowest degree favorite DE filter has grids covered in a this weak mesh fabric. These I would disassemble subsequently already having backwashed iii times. These filters practise non always aftermath out all the earth either, so transmission cleaning with a hose becomes necessary.

These are my least favorite considering they are expensive, and the filigree material is decumbent to ripping. These need to be thoroughly inspected every fourth dimension they are disassembled for service. Look closely on the bottom of these grids for wear, and tear. You can expect to replace a couple grids every other year. Not fun 🙁

Whatever hole in the grids means DE will exist getting back to the pool. If information technology looks similar you lot have white pulverisation or sand collecting on the bottom of your pool. Chances are proficient that you take a tear somewhere.

Information technology is all-time for non handy homeowners to just keep flipping the filter over and hosing in the gaps to go the DE out. But your more than handy homeowners may adopt to pull the ii nuts off, and completely detach the grids for cleaning and inspection.

Favorite DE Filter Type

There is a new mode cartridge DE hybrid. The mesh is much more durable, and cleans a lot easier than all other models. They are mainly for inground pools, but I could brand a instance for using the smallest version on an to a higher place basis pool. It'southward Pentairs Quad DE Cartridge Style. It comes in three sizes… The 60, the lxxx, and the 100 square pes model.

Like all other DE filters, I would disassemble and clean information technology every 4th maintenance cycle, rather than Backwashing again. Just information technology cleans up and so sweet. I actually took a video out in the field before this twelvemonth.

Assembling and Disassembling

As yous know now, you lot volition need to have apart your filter and clean it every so often with a hose, and maybe some Bioguard Kleen It detergent. I but want to bespeak out that there are always o-rings. These o-rings seal certain areas and go along h2o from passing by. Someday you see an o-ring, inspect it for wear, and make sure it is lubed upwards. There are a bunch of products similar Jacks Lube, or Haywards o-ring lube. But Vaseline works real well to.

If your worried about remembering where everything goes when putting it back together. Shoot a video equally y'all have it apart. Or Google your brand and model number with this phrase "parts schematic".

Conclusion

This pretty much sums up this article on DE filter cleaning. We have talked about cleaners, instructions, brands like Hayward and Pentair, grid types and my favorite blazon of DE. A couple more names you hear all the fourth dimension is Globe or Diatomite. No matter what y'all phone call it, DE is but crushed up Diatoms.

Ohhh, a fiddling more advice… Dont use your easily to brush off the grids while y'all are cleaning them. Those crushed up Diatoms are precipitous, and will vesture your skin off real piece of cake. Likewise, when scooping up dry DE, or treatment it when its in powder form, don't jiff it in.

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