Reduction of Backwash water loss ideas.

[JohnT]

John,

For #2, there is a device called a separation tank. They are actually required were I live for sand and DE filters. The sole purpose of these devices is to reclaim backwashed water. They have an internal screen/filter which removes the dirt/DE from the backwash and returns the water to the pool. Here is an example of one:

http://www.cheappoolproducts.com/Separation~Tank~for~any~Pool~Filter_52_1293~produc t.html

Worth considering. I've been reading up on them. Does the bag in the ones I'm reading about catch dirt and DEas it comes out of the filter? Thanks.

[JohnT]

A hitch in #4 pointed out by a co-worker is that pool water could be forced back into the drinking water line while the pump is on if the valve were to leak

[tphaggerty]

One small thing to try is the "skimmer socks" that were in another recent thread. These are fine mesh bags that fit inside of your skimmer basket. They really do pick up a LOT of stuff, including very fine stuff. We have a combination of high pollen and dandelion/cottonwood tree fluff here and the socks work great at keeping almost all of it out of the filter.

I keep several sets of these on hand, each time I empty the skimmer, I replace the sock with a cleaned/dry one and wash and hang out the old one. Keeps the labor pretty low and really does seem to significantly extend time between backflushing (with a DE filter).

[mas985]

Worth considering. I've been reading up on them. Does the bag in the ones I'm reading about catch dirt and DEas it comes out of the filter? Thanks.

I don't have one myself, but from what I understand is that they simply filter the backwash coming out of the main filter in the bag.

I figured that if I had to clean a sep tank bag, why not just get a large cartridge filter so I would only have to clean it out twice a year and save me time in the process.

[Poconos]

John,
Since you live in a rural area do you have a stream on your property? Water wouldn't be as clean as a well and you would have to shock it to get rid of critter doodoo etc but the TA would probably be a low lower. 800...wow. I have two wells and a stream and when fill is needed I use the stream. Also, any way to cat rain water from roof gutters, if you have them, and use that for fill? Just a couple thoughts.
Al

[duraleigh]

Hi, John,

I'm a sand filter guy, too.

I swear to you I have not been drinking (yet)

Two sand filters. (plenty of folks giving up perfectly good ones cheap) Backwash one into the other. When the backwash cycle is complete, valve off the one you just dirtied up to remove it from the system.

Go back to filtering from the one you just backwashed. At your leisure, "backwash" the now "removed" filter with a seperate water source. What that source might be is the snag. I doubt a garden hose will do it so you'd have to probably cycle some well water through the pump into the filter which would call for another valve on the pump.

Hmmm, after rereading this post, maybe it IS time to start drinkin'!

[JohnT]

John,
Since you live in a rural area do you have a stream on your property? Water wouldn't be as clean as a well and you would have to shock it to get rid of critter doodoo etc but the TA would probably be a low lower. 800...wow. I have two wells and a stream and when fill is needed I use the stream. Also, any way to cat rain water from roof gutters, if you have them, and use that for fill? Just a couple thoughts.
Al

I do have a pond, but at the time when I most need to add water in the heat of the summer is when the pond is lowest, and I'm afraid the deal would be the same with catching rain water. I have considered that though, and am still seriously considering it for irrigation of landscaping. The part that hurts is that I have pumped more than enough water out of the pool due to rain over the off season to cover the backwashing and evaporation all summer. I always vacuum and backwash when I get enough rain that the water level is high to take advantage of it.

Our water is so bad that if you wash a car with it, you have to use the windshield washers to remove the film that is left on the windshield before you can drive! I have never used borax or baking soda in my pool, and probably never will. I started on my 5th gallon of muriatic of the season last night to get my pH down from 7.8 to 7.5. I don't want to make it worse! Thanks for the comments.

I'm leaning toward seeing what running tapwater through to backwash does for me during the move, just to see. Maybe it would cut my backwash time enough to be worthwhile.

[Poconos]

FYI with my little squirt stream, during really dry times, it's only flowing maybe 5 GPM. But so what. If I only get 1 GPM into the pool and it takes a 6 hours per inch with a 1/6 HP Flotec sump pump...so what. When I do fill from the stream I dump it into the skimmer so it's filtered before it hits the pool. Last year I was chasing a leak and had to use an old 1 HP Jacuzzi pool pump in the stream. Flow was good in the Spring. Ran the flow backwards thru the sand filter....put the filter in Backwash mode, fed the waste, clean filtered water came out the skimmer. Another trick.
Al

[cleancloths]

When we have had water restrictions rather than backwash my DE filter I would just take the band clamp off, open it up and wash it off with a hose. This would use maybe 30-50 gallons of water versus 300-500 when backwashing it. Actually gets the filter a lot cleaner than backwashing.