DE Filter low flow

[Chreepo]

I just opened my pool today and it was real dirty. I set up the filter and ran it. About 3 hours later, the flow back to the pool was so low that it wasn't even even moving the water. I regenerated the filter, because the water was so dirty when I opened, that worked for about 20 minutes then it was right back to low flow. I regenerated a few more times, with similar results. So, I decided to put in new DE. I emptied the filter and put in new DE. That worked for about 2 hours and I was right back to the slow flow. Is my water that dirty or is my filter gone. The pump is only two years old. Any suggestions and advice would help.

Thanks

[Sumo1]

I've had good success with my DE filter but I'm not sure what you mean when you "regenerate" your filter. Is that backwashing? Also, when you "emptied" the filter, that sounds like backwashing, too. Any time you backwash a DE filter you need to add more DE to coat the grids so the filter can do its job. I've had times at spring start up when I've had to backwash 2 or 3 times a day until the water was clean enough that the filter pressure didn't go excessively high. Also, I would recommend, if you haven't, that you take the grids out of the canister and clean them, first by hosing off the old DE, and then by soaking them in a bath of water and muriatic acid. In a tub large enough to hold one grid I put water 3-4" deep, then add maybe a quart of muriatic. Wear rubber gloves! Soak each grid in the acid bath for 2 or 3 minutes then hose them off. Reassemble the grid assembly and reinstall in your system and you'll be amazed at the difference. I got a 10psi drop in pressure after this year's cleaning. Some people clean it twice a year but I just do it each spring. Pay close attention to how the grid assembly fits together BEFORE you take it apart. Not doing so can leave you with a large puzzle to figure out.:confused: With a friend to help it took about an hour to clean the filter. The improved peformance was well worth the effort. Hope this helps!
Hal

[fog80]

I had the same problem this year and opening the filter and hosing the grids wasnt enough.

I soaked mine in a muriatic acid solution for 24 hrs and when i put it back together I had a starting psi of 7 and good water flow, when before it wouldnt start off lower than 15.