Cleaning a DE Filter

[Steve #1]

I know there was a discussion recently on the best way to clean a DE filter, but I can't find the thread. Could someone point me to it or remind me what the consensus was?

Also, I'm guessing that big clumps of DE and dirt packed between the grids is a bad thing. Should I be concerned, or just assume that the previous owner hadn't cleaned it in a while?

[Amir]

If it is not too bad, take out the whole thing and hose it down. If the grids do not clean this way you need to disassemble the grids and wash them separately from inside and outside.

[Steve #1]

I found the thread I was looking for. Waste had linked to it in a post he made yesterday.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=6811

[waste]

Steve, there are a couple other posts to look at (I finally made myself a list of them )
Take a few minutes and check here and this and this bad boy

[Steve #1]

Thanks, I read those when I found the other post.

I couldn't remember what you had said to wash it in (the dishwasher detergent).

I got it rinsed good now I'm off to the store for the detergent and some fluids to replace the ones the mosquitoes just removed from my body. I'm thinking if I get my BAL high enough, after a few bites the little guys will be to drunk to fly.

[Lenny]

When I backwash, I reverse the flow a few times for a few seconds after the sight glass is showing clear water. I realize you aren't supposed to run the filter when no DE is in there but I don't do it long. This always kicks up more DE and the sight glass shows cloudy water again. I think this may have been why my grids were so clean when I opened the filter this year. They were clean enough to where I didn't bother pulling them out this time to clean them. They were very clean.

Does anyone else do this?

[waste]

Lenny, if I really want to do a good backwashing - I'll do backwash/rinse 3- 6 times then add a ~1 min filter cycle and backwash/rinse again. Getting the water running the oposite way seems to loosen up more of the DE so you can get a little more of it out. (to prevent any 'back-talk' -- I rarely backwash filters, it's just easier to break them down and hose them off, and this way I can see if the homeowner has been under or overcharging the filter )

[Steve #1]

Observations and fallow up questions from my experience:

I came up with a more effective way to deal with the mosquitoes and put off cleaning the filter and jumped in the pool.

Based mainly on time considerations and the recommendations from the other thread, I used what worked out to be about a 15:1 water: acid ratio. As far as I can tell it got it nice and clean and everything went back together nice and easy.

Then, I started to clean up and realised I had a 25 gal. tub of diluted acid to deal with. Obviously it' a tad strong to just dump in the storm sewer. Not to mention the logistics of getting it to a sewer. Chemistry was never my strong suit(not to mention that my measuring was less than precise), so I decided to wing it and grabbed a box of baking soda (5 lb?), and one box later I was still getting enough of a reaction that I didn't even waste my time with a PH test. After a trip to Costco to pick up a 12 Lb bag of baking soda and using all of it I got the pH to 7.

So..... As I recal I should be left with a tub of salt water right? That I can safely dump?


Also I'm not exacly sure how much DE I should use. All the specifics are faded off the label. Maybe if I post a pic somebody could ID it for me

[waste]

Steve, you did the right thing by neutralising the acid - it's safe to dump now!
If you can post a pic of the filter that'd be great, but also include the rough dimensions of hight and circumfrence - sometimes it's a little hard to tell from a pic, which filter you may have.

[Steve #1]

Hight = 22"

Circumference = 60"