help with understanding Haywood DE filter.

[not2hi01]

not sure what model you have, but Hayward has -some- of their filter user manuals online here...http://www.haywardnet.com/products/M...fm#FiltersD_E_

it has instructions on pre-coating, regular maintenence, back washing etc...

[kalan]

Hi, since you are talking about bumping the handle I believe you probably have the EC series hayward filter. I have the EC 40 model with the bump handle. It is my understanding that the handle is supposed to release the de from the fingers and then allow it to recoat, extending the time till you need to backwash and add more De. When you backwash you are removing the de from the filter and it must be replaced. Not all the de washes out but I always add the required amount anyway (mine uses 4 lb. of de). The extra just seems to stick at the top of the filter and does not seem to do any harm. At least once a season I will take the whole thing apart and give it a good cleaning with the garden hose. I also do this at the end of the season so that I am putting away a clean filter. I know there are a lot of bolts to undo and it is a pain but it keeps the filter working without problems.
Ken

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

Search 'bump' on the forum and you will see a lot of DE filter users will just backwash at this point since the bump does little than re-adjust the crapola in the filter. Is it just me or is my DE filter amazingly easy to open, clean, close, etc? It is a three yr old Hayward DE Pro Grid.

[bbb]

Search 'bump' on the forum and you will see a lot of DE filter users will just backwash at this point since the bump does little than re-adjust the crapola in the filter. Is it just me or is my DE filter amazingly easy to open, clean, close, etc? It is a three yr old Hayward DE Pro Grid.

Mine, like many others, is ~20 years old and has 15 individual bolts (the number gets indelibly stamped in your brain every time you have to attack them) to remove in order to open up the filter. It's a real pain, and amazingly difficult, even if you are holding one end of the bolt with a nutdriver and turning the other end with a ratchet driver. I can't do it in less than 10 or 15 minutes - and that's working hard and fast.

However, ever since I got running my pool down to a science, and I have not had any algae in over a year, I rarely need to do it. BTW, bumping is ok and good for the environment, because it saves water and DE. It's ok to have that gunk still in your filter -- so long as your chlorine demand is not raised by having it in there.

Oh, and one other thing - between no algae, using my Polaris, and occasionally using skimmer socks, I haven't even had to backwash yet this year