Operating & Cleaning a DE filter

[packerfan]

i agree with you for the most part and after reading it i say to myself why did i switch to DE. After having several sand filters over the course of 16 yrs, i couldn't stop sand from appearing in my pool, no matter what i did. new filters,different sand,etc. so i got frustrated and changed. i didn't know this DE would require so much work when opening my pool though. oh well got it now so will use it.

[kingbud]

"A 1 lb. coffee can only holds ~ ½ lb. DE"

Hi- what about the modern plastic coffee cans that hold 33.9 oz. of coffee? I'm thinking they measure about .102 cu. ft. but am having trouble getting an answer on the actual wt/cu ft of the DE filter media. Does 14 lb/cu ft sound right? that would make the plastic jugs hold 1.43 lb. of DE.

By the way the hill beside my pool did not slide and collapse my pool wall, even with the wettest winter an spring in a long long time.

...(your treatise on DE filters is terrif.)

[kingbud]

OK, figured it out, if a 1 lb coffee can 4" dia x 5.5" long holds 1/2 lb, how much does the bigger 33 oz plastic jug hold? the math was simple, works out to 1.1 lb or something. Silly me, never mind. Thanks all.

By the way, our first pool had a DE filter and it worked great except for once when a cracked manifold was letting DE into the pool, so DE is all I have ever known. I bought a new Hayward 48 sf Progrid last year and love it. Backwashing is much simplified

[kingbud]

ah, yes, a little scientific weigh-in using the ultra precise UPS package scale endorses my hazy calculations, figure 1.06 - 1.1 pounds DE to fill the large, modern, plastic coffee container.

[stlbill]

It's ~ 1 cup to every 5 gallons of water

Happy pooling to all!

I've been using TSP substitute liquid from Wal-Mart with success, but now see real TSP in powder form at Lowes Home Improvement stores. The above ratio sounds like a liquid measurement. If using TSP powder what is the ratio? Thank in advance!

[FRANCIS]

My Hayward EC-65 Perflex manual recommends soaking the nest in 20% strength muriatic acid blended with water 1:1. So why does Waste mention 10:1?

[PoolDoc]

Dunno.

Either will work. BUT, most DE filters do NOT need acid. Acid removes calcium scale, which is somewhat rare. TSP removes body oils, etc, which is universal

ALWAYS, do TSP first. Acid reportedly 'sets' grease, creating irremovable goo.