DE Filters - Lesson Learned

[imfignewton]

Here is a web site with information on DE, cartridge and sand filters.

http://www.poolcenter.com/filter.htm

[edarling]

I thought the same thing this year. I figured I was vacuuming to waste, mostly, but I did run the water through the filter w/o adding DE just for a short time (hour or so in green pool). When I was done, I decided to add DE my usual way - through the skimmer. Well, the filter was so clogged that the DE would not get pulled into the filter. I had to disconnect the filter, take it apart (a big pain on those 15 bolt Hayward filter), soak in muriatic acid to clean fingers, then add the DE into the tank, and restart. I also broke a really old piece on my filter housing, which took 3 stores to get - a piece that is not readily available because it was so old.

To get the DE out of the lines before reconnecting, I had to use my shop vac and blow out the water from the skimmer to the connecting to the pump housing. What a big project. It cost $80 to fix the filter, since taking it apart broke an obsolete piece and the replacement was 3 parts together in a kit that the dealer would not separate b/c it was so old.