The process of backwashing dislodges trapped debris and contaminants, flushing them out through your value's waste line or a hose that is connected to the pool pump. When the filter media is clean, the pressure gauge is lower and water can easily flow in and out of the system.
Bottom line, the filter must be backwashed on a regular basis to ensure that your pool water is clear. "When do we need to backwash?" - It is recommended to backwash your filter once every 4-6 weeks of regular use.
The backwashing process reverses the flow of water to flush out contaminants from a swimming pool filter. It should be carried out until water runs clear through the waste line.
Open the air bleeder assembly on your filter and turn pump on. 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.
Backwashing reverses the flow of water, lifts up and flushes the sand, and then expels the dirty water via a waste line into the ground or drain. In order to prevent residual blow back into the pool, once you've finished backwashing it's highly advisable to rinse the filter.
Drain/Waste: Opting the drain or waste setting will remove pool water without forcing it through the filter. Backwash: This clears out any debris, dirt and other contaminants that may have accumulated on the filter.
In general, you shouldn't be losing sand from your sand filter. Nor should any sand be coming out during backwashing, rinsing or filtering. If sand is coming out, something is wrong. You shouldn't need to be topping up the sand in the filter either.
The process of backwashing dislodges trapped debris and contaminants, flushing them out through your value's waste line or a hose that is connected to the pool pump. When the filter media is clean, the pressure gauge is lower and water can easily flow in and out of the system.
That said, many pool owners backwash weekly as part of their summer maintenance routine, often after they vacuum to collect the remaining particles that are often stirred up.
For inground pools with a sand or DE filter, the easiest way to quickly lower the water level is to place the multiport valve into the waste position and roll out the backwash hose. If instead, you have a slide (push-valve), backwash the filter to lower the water level.
Backwashing can take only a few minutes to complete, but for a typical pool, it consumes approximately 200 to 300 gallons of pool water! So, while your filter is losing unwanted dirt and debris—your pool is losing a ton of water.
Can You Backwash Too Much? If you backwash your pool too much i.e. time duration and/or close frequency then yes you can cause a lot of problems. Some problems that can arise from backwashing your sand pool filter too much are: Loss of water – 500+ litres of water can be lost in each backwashing cycle.
You should backwash your DE pool filter about once a month during pool season. In addition to the regular schedule, you'll want to perform additional backwashing if: You've been running your pool filter for 48 hours straight. This can cause a pressure build-up, even if the filter grids look clean.
After backwashing, new DE must be added to the filter. Add the entire amount of DE the filter recommends. If you see DE returning to the pool, vacuum it to waste, after it settles. The next time you backwash and recoat, decrease the amount by 1 pound.
After a backwash, to get the amount of DE powder, simply take the recommended amount of DE powder for a new filter and multiply it by 0.8, or 80%.
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.
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.
On average, sand should be replaced every 3-5 years. This may be longer if the pool stays clear, or shorter, if the filter runs all the time. The jagged edges of the sand wear down and become smooth as the sand ages.
The dead algae is likely too fine to be vacuumed through your sand filter, therefore owners of sand filters must vacuum on the waste setting. Cartridge filter owners can vacuum up the dead algae but need to clean the filters thoroughly after doing so.
Rule out the obvious causes of poor vacuum first. Make sure the water level in the pool is sufficient and air is not being sucked in through skimmer inlets. Add water to the pool to submerge the skimmers if necessary. Verify that the pump strainer basket and the skimmers are free of debris that may obstruct water flow.
Backwashing a filter too frequently will keep the sand so free of dirt buildup that it will not have the ability to remove the smaller particles of dirt and they will simply pass through sometimes causing cloudiness in water.
Replacing a sand filter in your pool has a similar cost of installing a new one. You will pay for the unit itself, with sand models ranging from $300 to $1,200 and the professional installation. In some cases, you may be able to replace just the sand, which only costs about $25 to $35 for a 50 lb. bag.
Before we begin, it is worth noting that you need to use the correct amount of sand that your filter requires. 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.
To begin vacuuming your 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.
Vacuuming to WASTE can only be accomplished if a multiport valve controls your pool filter system. This position bypasses the filter and sends all the unwanted debris through the waste line. Note: Vacuuming to WASTE drains the pool, so keep an eye on your water levels.