How to install a sand filter

Operation of the sand filter

A sand filter won’t work if you do not have a swimming pool pump; you need both system components to make sure your pool water becomes crystal clear again. Once the water gets to the pool sand filter, it is pumped through the sand filter from top to bottom.

A Rule of Thumb

Generally running your pool pump for 12-hours a day is a good option. This is based on the assumption that your average pool pump has a turnover rate of about 8 to 12-hours. That means that the total volume of your pool water will filter through your system 2 to 3 times per 24-hour period.

For pool owners, the normal range is around 10 PSI; check your owner’s manual for more information. Once you know what’s normal for your filter, get in the habit of checking the pressure gauge once a week as part of your pool maintenance routine.

The sand filter can be the best way to remove deceased algae from the bottom of the pool. So keep cleaning them out and rinsing them off. It would help if you backwashed sand filters or D.E. filters to make sure it is clear to remove all the algae.

To begin vacuuming your pool:

If you have a sand filter and are vacuuming to waste, set filter to “waste” option. If you do have this option, it is highly recommended that whenever you have algae, you will need to vacuum to waste.

You can vacuum a pool on backwash, in theory at least, but it would have no benefit. The water would be pumped backwards through the filter, trapping much of the dirt, before passing out through the backwash hose. This dirt would then end up back in the pool once the pump was back on the filter setting.

How Often Should I Backwash? A good rule of thumb is to backwash once the pressure displayed on your pressure gauge is 8-10 psi over the starting level. Backwashing after heavy rains, treating for algae, or when trying to clear cloudy water will keep your filter working efficiently.

Vacuuming to waste can only be done with filter systems controlled by a multi-port valve, commonly seen on sand filters. Normally, vacuuming is done on the “filter” setting, as “waste” sends both water and contaminants out of the pool through the backwash hose.

Using the filter setting will save water, but you have to backwash the filter when you are done. The best way is to put the hose in the water, take the vacuum end, put it up to the pool “jet” (output of water flow). This will fill the hose with water.

Then you rinse to help settle the sand and flush the last bit of crud and dust down the drain not back into your pool. if you don’t rinse you will see cloudy water coming out of the jets for the first 30 seconds or so when u turn the filter back on.

Can You Backwash Too Much? If you backwash your pool too much i.e. time duration and/or close frequency then yes you can cause a lot of problems. Some problems that can arise from backwashing your sand pool filter too much are: Loss of water – 500+ litres of water can be lost in each backwashing cycle.

Low chlorine level is the primary cause of cloudy water. If all the chemicals are balanced, but water is still cloudy, there might be fine particles inside the pool, and you need to use a clarifier or pool flocculant and then vacuum up the pool. If all do not work, try backwashing your filter since it might be clogged.

An excessive amount of pool chemicals can cause your water to be cloudy. That includes: high pH, high alkalinity, high chlorine or other sanitizers, and high calcium hardness.

Having too much chlorine in your pool water can be dangerous. Exposure to high levels of chlorine can cause lung irritation, skin and eye damage, and provoke asthma. High chlorine levels decrease the pH of your pool’s water, making it more acidic.