Sand filter clog up

[shadowman]

My previous post on my pressure problem got no replies but I think I answered my own question through research. Now that the heavy algae growth is dead and the water is nearly clear, I still have a filter pressure problem. I have to backflush many times a day to keep the pressure down. Is it possible that the slimy residue was so thick on the sand that a simple backwash will not remove it? I removed gross quantities of it from the skimmer and pump baskets but that is all gone now. Why is the pressure still building so fast?

[AnnaK]

How long do you backwash? You may not be getting all the dirt out. A good technique is to catch some of the backwash water in a white plastic pitcher and run the cycle until the water in the pitcher is clear. And don't forget the rinse cycle for a good 30 seconds or longer to pack the sand back down.

This can take quite a bit of water so be sure your pool is very full when you start.

[CarlD]

Do you have a "spyglass" you watch when you backwash?
Are you backwashing until that spyglass first goes cloudy and then clear?
If so, then you are still collecting a lot of stuff from your water.
Try adding a skimmer sock to your skimmer (they are cheap) and see if it clogs up instead. You can rinse it out and reuse a skimmer sock for about a month.

Carl

[shadowman]

Yes, I always watch the "spyglass," but I don't see much coming through. I can't catch my waste water because it is plumbed to the street. I try to keep the water bill down so I probably haven't been backwashing long enough. It is getting better though and the water is crystal clear. Thanks Carl and Anna.