Pump weakens when vacuming

[Watermom]

DE looks like baby powder. You ought to be able to tell if it is DE. Do you have the manual that goes with the filter and if not, can you do a search (brand and model) online to see if you can find some info about it?

[Poconos]

DO NOT dump DE in until you figure what you really have. A sand filter is nothing but a container almost full of filter sand. Incoming water is sprayed on the top and there is a mechanism to drain water from below the sand for the outlet. The valve assembly can be either top or side mounted but they do the same. Control the path of water flow between inlet from the pump, outlet to the pool, and waste. Have no idea what the other stuff is but something could have gunked up the top layer of sand. If you dig below the surface a couple inches see what you find. Should be just dirty sand. A DE filter is constructed totally differently. Please dig up any model numbers and any info that you can find to identify the equipment. Some info on the history of your pool would be useful too. You said it was one year old. Did you acquire it with a house? Install it yourself or have someone install it?
Al

[britinusa]

Could you post a picture of the filter?
Is there a label on the side?
I have a DE filter.

[Coach]

Sorry I have been out of town, but while gone one of my friends told me they were having the same problem and changed their filter sand. I did figure out that mine was a sand filter by the way. So this morning I pulled out the old sand, about the last 6 inches of it on the bottom was as hard as concrete, had to break it up to get it out. I guess this was the problem as it works like a champ now. I'm not sure what caused it to do this in just one season but I was vacuuming to my filter alot. Thanks for the help maybe this thread will help someone else too.