Sand Filter Issues

[Watermom]

What size sand filter and what size pump. It may be that your pump is just too powerful for the filter and is blowing everything through it too forcefully. We see this a lot. People think bigger is better but with pool pumps, that is not the case. (I have a 24ftAG -approx. 13K gallons- and a full-rated 1/2 hp inground pump with a 200# sand filter.)

[CarlD]

Does sound like an oversized pump. The solution is to get a bigger filter, a smaller pump, or replace the impeller with a smaller one.

Carl

[chinewalker]

The only problem I have with the oversized pump theory is that a friend had this pool for 10 years and never had this issue. It is still the original pump and filter. The filter is a 90# and I'm not sure of the size of the pump. It's a matched set that came with the pool kit.

uhhh...as I was writing "the filter is a 90#..." I realized that I used two 50# bags to fill it. Could an extra 10# of sand cause such a problem?

Any ideas about the big brown plume problem? The pool looked so nice before I flipped the switch this morning. It clouded the whole pool.

BTW, My pump is a 1hp. Filter says 20 gal/per minute.

Thanks!

[not2high2fly]

I'm not sure but could it be you didn't wash the sand first? Did you backwash before you set it to filter on start up? how about your multiport is the o ring and the spider gasket in good shape?

[BigDave]

I would make sure the borwn stuff (sand?) doesn't go through the solar loop.
I have a 1/2 hp pump that's rated at 40GPM...your filter may be too small. Do you have a valve that you could use to throttle the flow?

[chinewalker]

I'm not sure but could it be you didn't wash the sand first? Did you backwash before you set it to filter on start up? how about your multiport is the o ring and the spider gasket in good shape?

I backwashed the filter before using it, but I think that I should have possibly rinsed it longer before putting it into service. The sand flow has diminished to almost nothing after a couple of weeks. I believe that the o-ring and or the spider gasket could be bad because I have to fiddle with the lever every time I move it to stop it from leaking. The unit is quite old and I'm having trouble finding a clear replacement. I hate to tear it apart until I am sure I have the right parts.

I would make sure the borwn stuff (sand?) doesn't go through the solar loop.
I have a 1/2 hp pump that's rated at 40GPM...your filter may be too small. Do you have a valve that you could use to throttle the flow?

I do have a ball valve in the return line that I use to throttle the flow down some.

Thanks for the responses guys!