How Do I Vacuum And Remove D.E.?
by Gene
I cannot remove expelled D.E. from the walls and bottom of my pool. Vacuuming only disperses it. With the skimmers shut off, I've tried(many times)to brush the D.E. into the drain at the shallow end. Twice I've backwashed and dismantled the filter for a thorough cleaning. The pressure is at 8 lbs. Hopefully, I can rectify this problem without a complete draining of the water. Thanks for the question Gene First I would encourage you to read some posts that are applicable to your situation: Pressure Builds Up In 30 minutes And DE Flowing Back Into The Pool DE Filter Problem..DE Coming Back Into The Pool.. WHY AM I GETTING DE BACK IN THE POOL? Here are some troubleshooting tips on another page: Look at the manifold at the top of the grid assembly. Check for cracks or for grids that aren't fully seated into it. Look at the air vent/relief strainer. This should be on top of the manifold. This part is often a source for DE going through the filter. Some other reasons are: Torn filter grids - Remember to check the end of the grid. Broken manifold Broken and/or missing air relief strainer Broken filter necks - Normally if the grid neck can be squeezed together, then it won't fit into the manifold. You won't have a good fit and the DE will pass right through. Bad backwash valve - You may need to disassemble and inspect the valve. I will assume that when you do vacuum the DE is coming back into the pool through the returns because this happens alot with DE filters. The above links will give you the information you need. Also, what kind of vacuum head are you using? Is the hose connected well and free of holes or cracks? The vacuum head I've used is the Pentair Pool Products R201276 14 PRO-Vac Flexible Vacuum Head. You can also get them with bristles which make vacuuming finer particles and debris a little easier. Be sure you're going slow enough so the vacuum has time to suck up the DE. I've always vacuumed by counting. This may seem a little elementary, but it works. Count to seven while extending your arm. At seven your arm should be fully extended. Then count to seven while pulling the vacuum back. That's the speed that you want to vacuum. It's slow enough that the vacuum should be able to pick up the dirt, but fast enough that you're not spending hours and hours vacuuming the pool. Be sure to clean the pump strainer basket. I learned this by vacuuming my customer's pools for literally thousands of hours after huge wind storms hit the Phoenix, Arizona area. You can also turn the system off and gently brush the walls of your pool. It may cloud up a bit, but don't worry about that. Allow the pools to sit for a few hours. The DE will settle on the bottom. Turn the system back on and vacuum as stated above. If you have any additional questions or would like to comment on your post, you can find it on the Q&A page in the "DE Filter" category: Swimming Pool Questions and Answers Hope this helps and have a fun and safe swimming season. Question: What Is The Problem When DE Settles On Bottom Of Pool? By: Lori From: Clear Lake MN U.S. Date: July 3, 2011 How to resolve DE settlement on bottom of pool? Is there a crack or broken valve on/in the DE filter system? How can this problem be fixed? Answer By: Robert Date: July 3, 2011 Thanks for the question Lori I have answered similar questions in these posts: WHY AM I GETTING DE BACK IN THE POOL? Cleaning Pool Bottom Is Difficult With A DE Filter Due to space and consistency, I'm going to merge your question with this one: How Do I Vacuum And Remove D.E.? You can find this post on the Q&A page in the "DE Filter" category. If you have comment, another question, or clarification on an existing answer, you'll need to go to the "Vacuum and Remove DE" link above. Hope this helps and good luck with your filter. Robert |
