How To Change Sand In Above Ground Pool Filter

How to Modify Sand in Your Pool Filter

A sand filter pushes your pool water through layers of sand, which functions every bit the filtration medium in the filter tank. The precipitous edges of the sand grains capture contaminants as the water passes through the filter.

Most sand filters use several graded layers of material to make clean the water. Coarse sand is the bottom layer of the sand bed, followed past medium then fine sand, with very fine silica sand on the top.

Did Y'all Know?

The size of the sand granules is critical for optimum filtering efficiency. If the granules are besides big, you'll see less filtering efficiency; if the granules are too small, you risk clogging the filter quickly.

Chemical flocculants or diatomaceous earth (DE) powder tin too be spread over the peak layer of sand to amend the filter operation. Flocculants attract floating microscopic debris and cluster the particles together into chunks large enough to sink and be vacuumed upwards. DE powder is pulverized plankton fossils (called diatoms) that coats the filter element to collect impurities.

Exit a space of about half the depth of the filter bed betwixt the sand bed and the overdrain, to requite the filter plenty of room to part properly.

sand and pool filter

How to Modify the Sand

Irresolute filter sand is a fairly complex process. The good news is that a sand filter can go almost a long time without needing fresh sand.

Did You Know?

A little debris tin can actually assistance in filtration. When the sand bed is completely clean, some of the smallest particles volition pass through unfiltered. As the sand bed begins to accumulate the impurities, the filter tin catch more and more than as accumulated particles attract.

Pace 1. Get the Correct Equipment

Be certain you lot accept everything y'all need on hand before you begin the process. Your list of essentials can include sand, a replacement O-band between the valve and the tank, Teflon record, lubricant, and unions.

Only use pool filter sand that is approved past your manufacturer. If you have any questions about what kind of sand you need, check with your local pool retailer.

Pro tip: Your pool filter has many modest notwithstanding important components. Always place items similar your filter drain cap in a safe, memorable identify and then yous tin can find them hands during reassembly.

Step two. Plow the Power Off

Turn off the puddle pump and timer (if yous have one). Meliorate yet, shut off the power to the pump at the circuit breaker.

Stride three. Drain the Tank

Remove the drain cap at the bottom of your filter tank to release the pressure in the filter and drain the water. Give the drain cap at the bottom of the tank just half a turn counter-clockwise to let out all the air. After a burst of air pressure, remove the cap to drain out the water. If you lot don't desire the water emptying directly onto the ground, quickly attach a hose over the drain after yous remove the cap to direct the draining water elsewhere.

Step iv. Remove the Multiport Valve

Disconnect the pump, render, and waste hoses fixed to the multiport valve at the top of your filter. After those port attachments are off, have out the multiport valve flange clamp that secures the filter in identify. Unscrew the bolts that separate the clamp, and pull deliberately and consistently to elevator the valve off the pipage.

If your multiport valve has unions, just unscrew them from the multiport valve. If you do not have unions, yous'll demand to cut the pipes running to and from your filter. It might be a proficient time to install unions earlier reassembling to make future maintenance easier. Brand sure you lot leave enough exposed pipe after the cut to add both sides of the unions.

Pro tip: Apply a very gentle twist to pull the valve off the piping. Yanking also difficult will likely suspension the lateral pipes at the bottom of the tank.

Step 5. Remove the One-time Sand

As soon equally you disconnect the pipage from the multiport valve, tape the end of the pipe airtight to forbid sand from entering information technology and clogging the laterals. Afterwards y'all record off the pipe, empty out all the existing sand. Scoop it out with a plastic loving cup – or vacuum it out with a shop vac – until the top of the laterals at the bottom of the tank are visible.

Pace vi. Withdraw the Lateral Assembly and Pipe

Slowly rotate the ten lateral pipes upwards, and so smoothly pull the lateral associates and pipe out of the rest of the sand. Audit the laterals for damage, replace whatsoever that look broken or worn out. Clogged laterals should be soaked in a bucket of cleaning solution for a few hours, then thoroughly rinsed and reinstalled onto the assembly.

Footstep seven. Wash the Tank

Thoroughly wash out the tank with a garden hose. Check the bleed cap, and swap it out with a new ane information technology if you find any cracks. Fill the filter tank hallway up with water to provide a cushion and protect the laterals from getting clogged when you pour in the new sand.

Step eight. Replace the Lateral Associates and Piping

Insert the lateral assembly and pipe back into the tank, with the x laterals rotated up. Once the lateral assembly is secured, plow all the laterals xc degrees back to their downward position.

Step 9. Add Fresh Sand

Tape off the top of the pipe to prevent sand from entering and bottleneck the laterals. Keeping the pipe centered in the tank, advisedly and slowly pour sand into the filter unit. Add enough sand and then that the laterals are completely covered. Level the sand as you pour to ensure even sand distribution for constructive filtration and h2o apportionment.

Pro tip: When adding new sand, take intendance not to elevator the lateral assembly and pipe off the bottom of the tank. Yous won't be able to button it back downwardly without rotating the laterals up, and upwards-facing laterals volition foreclose proper filtering.

Step x. Audit (and possibly replace) the O-Ring.

Remove the O-band at the bottom of the multiport valve and audit for excessive wear-and-tear. Since you simply perform this process every v years or so, it's a smart choice to become ahead and replace the O-ring now, even if yours is in decent shape. O-rings are really inexpensive, and they exercise wear out.

Of course, if you don't supervene upon the O-ring, make sure to lubricate it sparingly with a silicone-based lubricant.

Step 11. Re-set the Multiport Command Valve

Remove the record from the stop of the pipe, and advisedly set the multiport control valve dorsum in its original position on the key pipe. Secure the valve clamps around the tank and tighten them into place. Reconnect the unions with the puddle pump and the return ports.

(If your filter doesn't accept unions, glue the pipes dorsum together with direct couplers.)

Footstep 12. Aftermath the Filter

With the pump still switched off, rotate the valve handle to the "Backwash" setting so turn on the pump. After it'south fully primed, run the pool pump for about 2 minutes to flush out the impurities in the water and the finer sand particles from the sand media, and to ensure that your puddle h2o waste is exiting at the correct place.

In one case the aftermath water runs clear and clean, turn the pool pump off. Switch the multiport valve to "Rinse," and so turn the pump dorsum on. Later on most a minute, the water in the sight glass should exist clear.

Footstep 13. Enjoy!

Turn the pool pump back off and ready the valve to "Filter" (the normal operating style). Turn the pump dorsum on, and get prepare to enjoy your swim!