Protect Your Pool Over the Cold Winter Season
Sand filters are devices that keep the swimming pool water free of debris and dirt, and are essential for the maintenance of the pool water. However, sand filters encounter various problems, which need to be looked into for proper maintenance. Let us learn more about some pool sand filter problems…
Swimming is a wonderful way to beat the summer heat. However, appropriate cleaning and maintenance of a pool is crucial. Improper maintenance can lead to allergies and water borne illnesses. Different types of swimming pool filters are available in the market today, such as cartridge filters, diatomaceous earth filters and sand filters. These filters help maintain the swimming pool water quality, and remove debris from pool water. In this process, they accumulate grease and dirt, which have to be removed on a regular basis.
Problems occurring in Pool Sand Filters
Sand in a pool sand filter (#20 silica sand; 45-55 mm) is designed to trap particles in the range of 20-100 micron. Moreover, greater the amount of dirt collected in the sand filter, more the dirt is trapped by it. Pool sand filters comprise a tank or a vessel in which sand is present. Water is pumped into the top of the tank and the internal distributor, thereby causes the pool water to flow through the sand media in the tank. As the pool water flows through the sand, the debris and dirt in the water gets adhered to sand particles. The water coming out of the sand filter is clean and free of dirt and debris. Filters must be cleaned, when the pressure gauge shows a reading of 8-10 lbs.
However, pool sand filters have their set of drawbacks and problems. Pool sand filter problems cannot be easily identified as they are not clearly visible. Most of the times, if the sand goes bad, one cannot detect it by simply looking at it. The sand may appear to be in perfect condition, however, the debris from the water does not get filtered. The water appears cloudy in spite of good flow. In such a case, one must test the water chemistry and confirm that its not the issue. When its confirmed that the pool chemical treatment is not causing the problem, one must check the backwash valve and make sure the water is not bypassing the filter. If all these tests are negative, then its confirmed that the sand in the filter has gone bad, and needs replacement.
Another pool sand filter problem is when the filter goes for less than a day between backwashing. A properly sized sand filter should ideally be able to run for 4 weeks between backwashing. Short filter cycles imply that the filter is undersized or the filter sand is clogged with the dirt and sand. When the sand in the filter becomes too muddy, the water does not flow easily through the non-porous areas, thereby reducing the effective filter area. This results in short filter cycles and the solution to this problem is replacing the sand.
To replace the sand, one must first empty-out all the existing sand from the filter. One method is by spreading a tarp beneath the filter drain assembly. Next, remove the entire assembly, turn the pump on and step aside. The water pumping through the sand filter will cause the sand to be removed via the drain hole. Another method is by removing the drain plug and allowing the filter to drain for next few hours or days. Then, the top dome or multi-port valve is removed, after which one must gently twist the pipe out of the way to be able to scoop the sand. While scooping, one must be careful not to break the filter laterals, which are located under the sand, at the bottom of the tank. Laterals allow pool water to exit the tank and flow back to the pool. The sand beneath the laterals can be removed by using a hose. Once the tank has been emptied, fresh sand can be filled.
Another problem faced by sand filters is ‘bad laterals’. One will observe that a large amount of sand is being dumped into the swimming pool via the pool returns. This happens when the filter laterals have cracked. To solve this issue, one will have to empty the sand tank and check the laterals for breakage. Broken laterals have to be repaired and then the tank must be refilled with fresh sand. In another case, if the sand returns to the pool right after backwashing, then a displaced air tube can be the cause. The filter will have to be opened to see if the air tube has been displaced from its position. Checking air tube’s position does not require the removal of the entire sand in the filter.
Pool sand filters rarely leak, and when they do leak, it occurs around the multi-port interface. The common complaint is that water is leaking out of the backwash port of the muli-port valve. Sometimes, slight adjustments of the handle can solve this problem temporarily. However, a permanent solution would be to replace the ‘spider gasket’ inside the multi-port. If the leakage is around the central portion of the handle on the valve, then the replacement of a Teflon washer and a spring is necessary. The drain plug can also leak if not secured properly and tightly. Filters tanks can crack and will also require replacement.
Backwashing a sand filter once every month is essential to get rid of the collected debris. Moreover, the sand bed in the sand filter ought to be replaced after every seven years. Regular pool maintenance throughout the year, irrespective of the pool type, increases the life of the swimming pool filters.
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