Too much DE in pool

[SL Dan]

I know that the filter has a leak - I've been looking for the source of it for about 3 years. But it's not any worse than it was, and this incident happened some time in March.

[PoolDoc]

I'm not talking about a water leak. DE will not pass through a functioning DE filter.

In fact, it won't even pass a functioning sand or cartridge filter ( though it can DAMAGE cartridges!). I've actually used that fact for years to test sand filters.

[SL Dan]

Ah, OK, thanks.

Well, I can take it apart again, the 3rd time, and see if I spy anything. But I'm pretty sure it would have turned up before.

[PoolDoc]

It's actually pretty straight forward:
+ You put DE in the skimmer.
+ DE shoots out of the returns.
+ Ergo, EITHER the piping is malfunctioning, and bypassing the filter
+ OR the piping is working AND the FILTER is malfunctioning.

DE does not pass THROUGH properly functioning DE filters.

Period.

But unless you REALLY know the filter . . . and how ALL the icky bits actually WORK . . . finding the bypass point can be a challenge.

[SL Dan]

Yeah, that's what I can't figure out. How could the piping be malfunctioning? It was laid underground almost 60 years ago; I've lived here for 25 years. How could it possibly be bypassing the filter (which is what it seems to be doing)?

[PoolDoc]

My wife used to say we needed a son named "Frank" so I would not be (frank).

But I'm gonna be, anyhow: the odds are VERY high that you are simply overlooking the problem inside the filter.

If you can't find it yourself, get another filter. In theory, you could hire someone, but most of the pool guys I've seen couldn't find their way around a DE filter with 2 flashlights, a manual, and a factory rep helping!

[SL Dan]

Yeah, I get it. And I agree. Today I've attempted to recruit my neighbor to help, because the filter has to be semi-inverted with all the piping glued in place.

Here we go again.

IF I have to get another filter, what do you recommend? And hopefully as inexpensive as possible.