Filter Pressure High

[Caitlin2980]

I have an in-ground pool with a DE filter. I had a very green pool this year when we opened it. I shocked it and then started the pump. It has been around 25 PSI, which is very high per our normal. I cleaned the filter but the pressure is still that high. Is this just because of how dirty the pool was or could there be something wrong with the filter or a leak? Backwashing seems to help for about 5 min then the pressure just goes right back up.

[PoolDoc]

Upgraded membership and moved thread to 'startup' section.

Without being onsite at your pool -- where I could test the water, check your garbage can to see what you've been dumping in, and check your piping and circulation system -- there's no straightforward way to answer your question.

• Extreme pool dirt will stop up a filter rapidly, but it will be visible on the cartridge, or in the backwash discharge. Was it?
• Something wrong with the piping could cause high pressure.

Other possibilities:

• Freeze damaged pressure gauge. (Does it return to zero)
• Damage to filter (Improperly cleaned cartridge; pool store goop added to sand filter, etc)
• Damaged gate valve (disc stuck)
• and so on.

If you have a knowledgeable service guy who can check your equipment and piping, having him out might be a good idea. Unfortunately, typical pool guys are NOT knowledgeable, and may not help at all. I can't help you there, since I can't 'quiz' the guy.

But . . . few pool service guys know much of anything about pool chemistry. If you are willing to learn, you can rapidly (1 month) know more than 95% of swimming pool service people, using this site and PoolSolutions. But . . .you have to be willing to learn.

I will caution you: every season, pool stores make MILLIONS off people buying quick fixes to problems like yours. Don't be a sucker! 99% of the time, there is no 'miracle product' you can dump into the pool and 'make it all better'!

Do the work. Pools are NOT forgiving, and they are NOT trouble free, and you can NOT have them hauled over to 'the dealer' and have them repaired.

We can help you make it EASIER that it would be otherwise, and if you have decent equipment and piping, we can even help you make it EASY. But we can't make it effortless.

1. Get your water tested. Adjust the pH, if necessary. Add chlorine if necessary. Do NOT add anything else, yet. Maintain chlorine levels if possible
2. If your CYA is zero, but you had stabilizer in the pool last fall, you may have other problems that will take a while to resolve.
3. Check your circulation: is it? If it is, check your gauge and replace it if necessary.
4. Get the test kits you need: http://pool9.net/test/

Post back with that info when you have it.

By the way, people often try to mix-and-match advice from here and elsewhere. You can probably get away with that, if you do that with info from Trouble Free Pools, since most of their stuff originated here. But if you try to mix and match from here and from your pool store . . . odds are, you'll make it worse.

So, for your sake, pick one or the other. In the long run, you'll be much better off with advice from here, and waste much less money. But there's a learning curve to climb.