Quote Originally Posted by corvairbob View Post
i have a sand filter and i have not had to back wash it since i change the sand 5 years ago. before that i would bw it about 3 times a summer.
There's a very simple rule that's a fundamental part of the BBB method: don't try to fix, what's not broken!

Is your water clear? If so, don't mess with your filter.

HOWEVER, for our sake, feel free. I have no idea how your filter could function that way. So if you do decide to investigate, I'd love to know what you find.