DE Filter..Low Pressure And No Suction At Skimmer
by Dan
New O-Ring on DE Filter, new O-Ring/Lid on in-ground Leaf-Vac, new O-Ring on Hayward Super II pump, new diffuser gasket, new set of pump seals, new housing gasket. Still no suction at skimmer and Pool psi is 5 PSI (normally 12-15). Pool also has an Ozone Generator hooked into the bottom of the Hayward housing. If not pump, DE Filter, then what? Will check & replace the Jandy valve O-rings next. Thanks for the question Dan Low pressure will usually show itself as a suction side blockage, an air leak, or a pump problem. If you see any continuous air bubbles out the returns? It could be a suction side air leak. One of the more common places is the gasket on the pump basket lid. The next thing that you'll want to check in the pump is the impeller. It might be gunked up with debris. Turn the pump and breaker off. Remove the pump lid and basket and stick your fingers into the pump. The impeller should turn freely and there should be no debris in it. Be sure you're making a slurry of DE, then put it in the skimmer. If you're adding DE straight into the skimmer the lines can get clogged. Also be sure you're adding the correct amount of DE using a real DE scoop, not a coffee can. Too much DE can clog the grids. DE Pool Filters 1 pound of DE for every 10-12 square feet of filter space. Basically it's this: 48sf. DE filter = about 4 pounds of DE. (check your owner's manual for details and exact specifications) DE Pool Filter Maintenance Do you have more than one skimmer? If so, close one and fully open the other, then check the pressure. Do the opposite. If you lose pressure with the one open, you've found the problem. It's more than likely a clogged line. There is a device that can help unclog lines. It's called an Aladdin Genie Jet. You hook it up to your hose and force water through the skimmer. Other than that and it's probably time to call in the professional leak detectors. Try the above first and let me know how it turns out for you. To post a reply, or if you have a similar question, you can see your post on the Q&A page in the "DE Filters" category. Swimming Pool Questions and Answers Check back to this post for answers. Hope this helps and have a great Summer. Robert Comment: DE Filter & Suction Problem Solved By: Dan From Arizona Date: July 4, 2011 Turns out that the 3/8" OD tubing from the Ozone generator to the Hayward Pump Housing had some hairline cracks in the tubing. I temporarily taped the lines using electrical tape with the system off and within minutes found two more leaks, taped those and repeated the process until no leaks. The pump primed almost immediately and suction was restored to the skimmer, and I was able to get the pool fairly cleaned - just in time for those famous AZ monsoons that you probably don't miss. I will replace the entire length of tubing tomorrow, burying this one in conduit (not sure why the pool builder took a shortcut last time). Comment By: Robert Date: July 4, 2011 Good going Dan. Glad that you found the problem and hopefully it will be an easy fix. And you are correct sir. I don't miss the monsoons. My parents just got up here to Oregon and they said when they left Arizona it was 116 degrees. I'll take calls from customers for their easier above ground pool and 85 degrees heat. That's a little better. Have a great Summer. Robert Comment: DE Low Pressure By: Sharon Date: July 17, 2011 Hi Robert You just saved us a service call and quite a few bucks. My DE filter was running at 5psi. I tried several things and nothing seemed to help. Then I read your helpful tips, and I tried your suggestion to clean the impeller out and sure enough that was it. It is running at 10psi and working fine. Thank you so much. :) Comment By: Robert Date: July 17. 2011 Thanks Sharon. It's always good to hear from someone that I helped. Have a great Summer Click here to read or post comments. |
