Stop the pump. Turn the lever to RINSE, start the pump and rinse for about 15-30 seconds. Stop the pump and turn the lever to FILTER. This is the normal operating position.
In order to prevent residual blow back into the pool, once you've finished backwashing it's highly advisable to rinse the filter. Just as the backwash lifts and flushes the sand, the rinse resets the sand to its original position for optimum filtration.
Watch the pressure gauge for spikes. After the hose fills with water, backwash your sand filter for 2 - 3 minutes, or until water runs clear.
The 'Rinse' setting should be used after backwashing and again run just for a minute or two. On this setting the water is flowing through the filter in the normal direction but once again is being sent to the waste pipe rather than being returned to the pool.
Turn off your pool pump. (
Set the sand filter multi port valve handle to the BACKWASH position and ensure the handle locks in place. Turn on the pump and allow the sand filter to backwash for 2-3 minutes or until the water in the sight glass (typically located on the top of the filter) is visibly clear.
When you first install a sand filter or renew the sand, you may indeed get a small amount of sand coming out when backwashing, rinsing or filtering. Often, excess sand gets into the wrong places when refilling and will sand to come out into the pool or out of the backwash hose. But it should go away after a few runs.
Set the filter valve handle to the RINSE position and ensure the handle locks in place. Turn on the pump and run the rinse process for 30-60 seconds or until the water in the sight glass is clear. Turn Off the Pump. Close the skimmer valves to prevent water from entering the filter from the pool.
If you do have this option, it is highly recommended that whenever you have algae, you will need to vacuum to waste. This option allows you to vacuum the algae up and send it out through the backwash line, avoiding getting algae into your filter sand.
Run your filter 24 hours a day and backwash 3 or 4 times a day for quickest results. Green or cloudy water will quickly clog a filter, therefore you may have to backwash your filter many times a day until the pool clears. THIS IS NORMAL ! Remember, you cannot over-backwash a pool filter.
As a general rule, you should be backwashing your pool about once a week or in conjugation with your scheduled maintenance. Another industry standard is to backwash when your filter's pressure gauge reads 8-10 PSI (pounds per square inch) over the starting level or “clean” pressure.
* Can i discharge the backwash water onto my lawn, will it harm the grass / plants? The DE doesn't harm the grass or plants, excessive chlorine or saltwater may.
Add diatomaceous earth (DE) to your pool skimmer, stick to around a scoop or two – no more than the size of a 1lb coffee cup. The moment you do this, go to the pool jets to see if it is returning DE into the pool, or if the water suddenly looks cloudy. If it is, you likely have an issue with your filter.
Rinse runs water in the same direction that normal filtering does. Backwash runs it through the sand in the opposite direction. Rinse is to clear any dirt out of the clean side of the sand before you start sending it back to the pool.
In a sand filter, the rinse cycle allows water to flow back down through the sand to flush out any remaining dirt and debris from the filter and piping. The rinse cycle also restratifies (deposits in layers) the sand, letting it resettle in the filter tank.
Your pump may be too large or the sand level too high in the filter. When the filter is backwashing the water flow can cause the sand to rise high enough and overflow into the standpipe, which will allow the sand back into the pool.
Backwashing a sand or DE filter is a simple task. Shut off the pump, set the multiport valve or slide valve handle to the backwash position, roll out the backwash hose and turn the pump on again. Backwash for 3-4 minutes or until the water runs clear, then shut the pump off and return the valve to the filter position.
If the filter runs well at 16PSI and then goes up to 25PSI, your pool needs a backwash. “How often should I backwash my sand filter”? Ensure you do it if there's an algae outbreak or after a significant storm. A DE( diatomaceous earth)filter system needs cleaning six or more times each year.
When a pool is vacuumed with the valve in the "backwash" position, the dirt ends up underneath the bed of sand. The pool will clean up nicely like this...... until the valve is turned back to the normal "filter" position.
Cleaners aren't meant to stay in the pool 24/7. This is true for all cleaners. Pressure side cleaners run on a schedule every day so why take it out? Leaving the cleaner in the pool 24/7 increases its exposure to corrosive chemicals in the water, such as chlorine or shock.
Turn off the pool pump. Turn the valve to the backwash position. Turn on the backwash valve and let water run through the backwash hose for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the water coming out runs clear. This will rinse out any organic matter in the filter.
"When do we need to backwash?" - It is recommended to backwash your filter once every 4-6 weeks of regular use. Additionally, there are several instances that would require backwashing in between the normal monthly backwashing.
Too much sand and your filter will likely not run correctly or may break when reassembling. Too little sand and you will have cloudy water no matter how much your filter runs.
The rule of thumb is generally 8 hours, although it could be anywhere from 6-12 hours, depending on your pool's size. Each pool is unique, so to keep your pool pump efficient and effective, you need to figure out exactly what your pool's turnover rate is.