Sand In Pool After Changing The Filter
by Mrs. Chambes
Our pool person told us because the filter is so old (13 years) it would be better to replace the filter rather than changing out the laterals. We replaced the filter on 6/15/11. Cleaned the sand out the following day & today (6/17/11) I noticed sand again on the floor. Could there be a different problem? Thank you for your question If you have a new filter and new sand, it will take some time for the sand to settle down. What you're seeing is the residual dirt and debris that is in all new pool sand. Sand going back into the pool with new sand is unavoidable but will decrease in time. A sand filter need a little bit of pressure to work properly. The best thing to do is to try to vacuum to WASTE to get rid of the excess debris. Keep an eye on the water level because you're going to lose some water. 1/3 - 1/2 up from the bottom of the skimmer is best. Here are some posts that will help you: Change The Sand In Above Ground Pool Sand Filters Why Is Sand Going Back Into The Pool After Backwashing? Sand Returning Back To Pool After Replacing With New Sand Another thing that might contribute to sand going back into the pool is not doing a RINSE after back washing. Check out the above links. You shouldn't have an issue with the sand after a few day. Have a fun and safe Summer. Robert Comment: Sand In Pool Date: July 3, 2011 I was just reading through your suggestions re sand in pool, they were very helpful. I just put in new laterals and new sand. I put the laterals down and poured in the sand. I checked inside after each half bag. I noticed one of the fingers lifted, likely from the sand. I swept the sand away with my hand and pushed it down. I didn't hear a crack, but it seemed to go past horizontal. I have sand in the pool. So I am not sure if I broke a lateral or if it is just new sand. Should I wait a couple weeks, if no change take all the sand out again? Answer By: Robert Date: July 3, 2011 It sounds like you've done your research and looked through all of the information on why sand returns to the pool. And that's one of the best things you can do. When something like that happens, you know what to look for. As you've probably read in the posts, when new sand is used, there will be a settling time. New sand is full of dirt and debris and there's really nothing you can do about it. I had to vacuum the Y pool for a couple of weeks until the new sand settled in. Hopefully you didn't break any laterals. I instruct people to fill their filters up about half full before they add the sand. The water helps dissipate the energy of the sand going directly onto the laterals. Wait a couple of weeks and see if the sand returned to the pool doesn't decrease. Keep vacuuming and then you can make a decision based on the facts at that point in time. Good luck with your filter and let me know what happens. Robert |
