Do you have a 6-way valve? If so, turn your pump off, then move your valve from filter to backwash setting. You should have a plastic backwash hose you need to hook up to your backwash outlet. Then turn your pump back on and it should start backwashing through the hose. You should have a little glass bulb that you can see water in and you keep backwashing till it is clear. I then change the valve (after you turn the pump off of course ) to rinse and run rinse for a few seconds. Hope this ,makes since.