Please help me figure out my DE filter. I think the pool guy gave me bad info.

[mukherjeeprem]

I just got a new pool. When the guy came to open the pool, he mixed 5 small scoops of DE into a bucket, mixed it with water and slowly added it to my skimmer.
He told me that if my pressure got too high that I need to turn it off, bump the handle, backwash it and then add more DE. The pressure got too high so I did what he told me.
Within a few hours, the pressure got way too high again.
When I called the installer he said that I must have not properly washed out the old DE and then added too much back in. He then had me take apart the whole thing and hose it off.
Keep in mind, this is all brand new equipment that was only used a week.

When we talked to people at another pool place, they agreed and said that there was probably too much DE in there.
Then they explained to me that you have to weigh out the DE to put the right amount in the pool. When I read the directions, I realized that I need 6 lbs of DE and when I measured out what the other guy put in, he only put in about 2 lbs worth.

question 1) can the pressure be too high when there is not enough DE?

question 2) when I put more DE in, won't the pressure increase? Basically there was not nearly enough DE and the pressure was already too high so adding double or triple the DE would make it worse wouldn't it?

I read this thread: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?9189-cleaning-a-DE-filter
which said that the filter should run 8-20 psi. my filter started around 15 and then was up to 30 within a day.
Do I add MORE DE in now?

When the pressure was running way too high, I bumped it, backwashed it and then did NOT add more DE in and now the pressure is normal but according to everything I'm reading, I probably only have about 1/5 of the proper DE in there now. Am I damaging the filter?

Please help!!

[Watermom]

I'm sorry but I don't know enough about DE filters to advise you. Just wanted to let you know that your post was read and someone will be along soon who can give you some advice. Just wanted to welcome you to the Pool Forum. Lots of knowledgeable people on here who love to help people with their pool problems!

[Manslick]

question 1) can the pressure be too high when there is not enough DE?

question 2) when I put more DE in, won't the pressure increase? Basically there was not nearly enough DE and the pressure was already too high so adding double or triple the DE would make it worse wouldn't it?

I read this thread: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?9189-cleaning-a-DE-filter
which said that the filter should run 8-20 psi. my filter started around 15 and then was up to 30 within a day.
Do I add MORE DE in now?

When the pressure was running way too high, I bumped it, backwashed it and then did NOT add more DE in and now the pressure is normal but according to everything I'm reading, I probably only have about 1/5 of the proper DE in there now. Am I damaging the filter?

1. Yes. Pressure can rise due to any type of blockage on the filter ie hair, dirt, leaves etc, but your pool is new so I doubt that is the case..

2. Well it depends on how much "more" you add, but yes too much DE will cause an increase in pressure.


Am I damaging the filter?
Probably not but you should make sure it isn't caked with a film of debris.

I have a DE filter that is 36 SF and takes 4.5 lbs of DE. I weighted it out the other day using a food scale. The pressure was 10 psi which is normal for my pool. After some vacuuming, it rose to 15 so I backwashed and reloaded it. It is now at 12 psi.

HTH

[waste]

Mukherjeeprem, welcome to the Forum!

Kindly check out this (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?9189-cleaning-a-DE-filter) thread (second post) for some info on using and caring for your DE filter.

[mukherjeeprem]

Manslick - I guess my concern is that I finally got my filter to have the right pressure but there is only about 1/5 of the correct amount of DE in there.
I'm concerned that my pool isn't filtering properly and that I might be hurting it by not having enough DE but when I put in more DE, the pressure skyrockets.

Even when I only had about 1/3 of the DE in there, when I took it apart, there was DE caked on the filter fingers.

[mukherjeeprem]

Hi Ted,
Thanks, that's actually the post that I had quoted in my original post that I had read which lead me to believe something is wrong. That post has mostly the same info as my instruction manual except you wrote a lot more detail which I appreciate. However, I still don't know what to do because if I add the right amount of DE, the pressure goes way too high even after cleaning. I've had my pool for just over a week and I've already had to take apart the filter to hose off all the caked on DE.
I would call Hayward directly but they don't provide a phone number on their website. I tried to fill out their webform but so far nobody has called me back.
I've talked to 4 different pool companies and all of them are telling me that I'm doing everything right yet that doesn't make sense since I'm only using 1/5 of the correct amount of DE...also my pool isn't crystal clean. It's only 5 ft. deep and I can't see the bottom but that also could be a chemical issue and not a filtration issue.

[Manslick]

Manslick - I guess my concern is that I finally got my filter to have the right pressure but there is only about 1/5 of the correct amount of DE in there.
I'm concerned that my pool isn't filtering properly and that I might be hurting it by not having enough DE but when I put in more DE, the pressure skyrockets.

Even when I only had about 1/3 of the DE in there, when I took it apart, there was DE caked on the filter fingers.

Adding the DE slurry is exactly the way I do it because the bag has instructions on it that say to do it that way.

I have had pressure spikes many times but usually after I'd brushed the pool to dislodge algae and then vacuuming. All the matter in the pool simply clogs the filter. And every time I have ever back flushed my filter and the vision glass showed clear water, when I took the filter apart there would be DE caked on the filter elements and in all the little corners. It's the DE on the filter elements that do the filtering. Don't worry too much about the corners but take the time to get all the caked on DE off the filter. Use a hose with a brass nozzle on the end and the water full blast to get a nice tight high pressure stream.

My guess is that your water has too much matter in it. If that is the case then the only thing you can do it keep back flushing and reloading the filter until things clear up.

So can you give some specific details?

1.Volume of water in the pool?
2.Exact make and model of the filter?
3.How long has the water been in the pool?
4.Above or in ground pool?

[SalemCastles]

Have you tried running the filter at the "higher" pressure levels for any length of time? I'm wondering if the gauge could be faulty since your not getting the filtration performance at the lower DE levels. Have you checked the flow rate when the pressure is reading high? If your water circulation is good I'd leave it for a day and see what happens. Then I'd be looking for a new unit as it shouldn't be your problem to deal with since it's new. Just random thoughts from an old auto mechanic :)

[mukherjeeprem]

Adding the DE slurry is exactly the way I do it because the bag has instructions on it that say to do it that way.

I have had pressure spikes many times but usually after I'd brushed the pool to dislodge algae and then vacuuming. All the matter in the pool simply clogs the filter. And every time I have ever back flushed my filter and the vision glass showed clear water, when I took the filter apart there would be DE caked on the filter elements and in all the little corners. It's the DE on the filter elements that do the filtering. Don't worry too much about the corners but take the time to get all the caked on DE off the filter. Use a hose with a brass nozzle on the end and the water full blast to get a nice tight high pressure stream.

My guess is that your water has too much matter in it. If that is the case then the only thing you can do it keep back flushing and reloading the filter until things clear up.

So can you give some specific details?

1.Volume of water in the pool?
2.Exact make and model of the filter?
3.How long has the water been in the pool?
4.Above or in ground pool?

We just got this pool put in last year and it was closed immediately and then opened and swam in for the first time last week. I've already had to open it up and clean it manually which took about 2 hours and we've literally only swam in the pool twice. Something isn't right.

It's a 14K gallon pool (san juan mirage)
hayward perflex ec65a filter
pool was filled when it was installed last october
inground pool

[mukherjeeprem]

Have you tried running the filter at the "higher" pressure levels for any length of time? I'm wondering if the gauge could be faulty since your not getting the filtration performance at the lower DE levels. Have you checked the flow rate when the pressure is reading high? If your water circulation is good I'd leave it for a day and see what happens. Then I'd be looking for a new unit as it shouldn't be your problem to deal with since it's new. Just random thoughts from an old auto mechanic :)

yes, once the filter gets passed the red line, i lose circulation. it got past the red line when using about 1/3 of the recommended DE

[Manslick]

We just got this pool put in last year and it was closed immediately and then opened and swam in for the first time last week. I've already had to open it up and clean it manually which took about 2 hours and we've literally only swam in the pool twice. Something isn't right.

It's a 14K gallon pool (san juan mirage)
hayward perflex ec65a filter
pool was filled when it was installed last october
inground pool

You have the same filter I had in the beginning.
My guess is the pool is full of some kind of dirt or organic matter that is clogging the filter.
If you are getting the filter clean and adding the proper amount of DE, 6 lbs weighed, and the pressure ramps up too quickly then it has to be something in the water causing the pressure build up.

I'm not an expert on burning up free floating organic matter but I think there are chemicals that will do that. I added some Ultra Bright that claims “Our new stronger formula clarifer clears cloudy or dull water by removing even the smallest particles.” How it removes the smallest particles is a mystery to me.

I am not a pitch man for Ultra Bright Water Clarifier either, but I believe it did help mine.

Then I'd disassemble the filter and hose it with a vengeance, reassemble and get a food scale and weight out exactly 6 lbs of DE, mix it in a bucket with clean water and pour it into the skimmer.

Try the Ultra Bright.

It may take time to get the water “clean”.

[Manslick]

A few duh questions.

The inlets are not plugged?
Your eyeball fitting is not clogged?
The valve to the inlets is fully open?

[mukherjeeprem]

Well...a quick update.
I got my chemicals balanced out and now my pool is ultra clean and clear and looking perfect.
That being said, I'm still only using about 1/5 to 1/6 the recommended amount of DE.

Just to clarify, I have no problem with the water flow in terms of inlets, eyeballs, valves, etc. Everything is functioning totally fine as long as the filter pressure stays in the good range. Once I add more DE and the pressure rises, then the flow stops to a crawl.

[Manslick]

Feels good to have a nice clean pool. Nice to hear a success story.

I am still curious. Are you weighing the amount you are using?

What's you PH level?

[mukherjeeprem]

I'll have to check the pH level...not sure. we had the pool water checked by a pool place last week and they had me set my salt chlorine generator to shock mode and said that after that we should be good and after doing that, the water cleared right up.

I didn't weigh the amount of DE that's currently in there. There originally were about 6 scoops of DE in there. The scoops are small and each scoop weighs about 0.33lb so I have about 2 lbs in there. When I did that, the pressure was too high, so I bumped it, backwashed it, bumped it, backwashed it and after doing that, the pressure got down to normal. In other words I probably have at most 1 lb of DE in there if that.
When I actually weighed out 6 lbs of DE, it was around 29 scoops. maybe my pool isn't filtering properly since there's not enough DE...i don't know... is there a way to know that?

[Manslick]

I ask about the PH because in the guide for the K-2006 test kit it says high PH level can lead to high pressure in the filter. How this works I don’t know but I glean that the PH level needs to be balanced.

As for proper filtering, the pressure should be around 10psi and the flow from the inlets should be fairly strong. My shallow end inlet blows all the way across my 20 foot wide pool. With the pump running it is impossible to put a fitting on the inlet fitting. Not scientific but you get the idea.

My gut feeling is the filter is clogged. I know you cleaned it already but I’d do it again. I know that filter is a bear to open with all those bolts but that’s all part of the pool game.
I opened mine one year when it was acting up and I will never forget the glorious green algae covering all my tubes.