Brown water while vacuuming - Possible filter problem

Hello all,

First off, I would like to thank you all for your prompt replies. Now I want to confront my latest issue. Since the pool water started to clear up over the last couple of days, I decided to vacuum the dirt and leaves out of the bottom. Well I started vacuuming, and the suction was great because of my skimmer elbow repair. (Thankfully!) The dirt was being sucked up, and I then noticed that the pump was losing prime, the water flow was reduced, and brown water started flying out the jets along with small debris. This is the first time I've seen this, and don't really know what could be causing it. At first thought, I thought it was the filter, but the pressure is great when not vacuuming. Do you think its anything related to the filter? Sand problem, long shaft problem, or multiport problem? After all, my filter is a Starite Swimquip Pantera model, which is said to be obselete since 1988. 25+ years seems to be a long time on the same sand. Even though the sand may be old, I think the problem relates to the multiport. After I shut the pump off, I can hear air gurgling back, and a hissing noise is present for a short period. The gurgling noise is also present while the system is on. (but that nay be due to the small amount of air in the system)

If the problem is related to the multiport, I found an alternate to the current model which is the Sta-Rite 14962-0105. The replacement model is made by Praher Canada, and that model is TM-12-E.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Have you cleaned the strainer basket lately?

I’m not a sand guy but it seems to me that 25 year old sand may be ready to be replaced.

I have a DE filter and I have gotten debris out the jets too.

When that happens I back flush and recharge it with the proper amount of filter medium.

sand almost never needs replaced- other than after a Bacquacil conversion or similar where the filter is clogged.
The sand you replace in your filter is 1000's years old- the same chemicals that sanitize your pool will sanitize your sand!
Now, as far as the gunk returning to your pool- it's in the system somewhere, possibly in your sand; did you vacuum a lot of organics (leaves and such) through the filter?
if so, they should come back out during a backwash- just needs to be very thorough!
Is there sand coming out also? that would indicate a problem in the filter needing repair.
As far as the gurgling, you have an air leak somewhere- possibly the muliport, but more probably in the suction side as the multiport would not tend to cause the suction loss...
Check your pump strainer lid and gasket, and the piping between skimmers and pump... assuming you vacuum through your skimmer.

try vacuum to waste to get all the heavy dirt out