How To Backwash A Pentair Fns Plus Pool Filter

Guide to Backwashing Your DE Pool Filter

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is fabricated of pulverized plankton fossils (called diatoms) that coat the filter chemical element and acts every bit a filtration medium. This powder works with a specific blazon of filter that pushes the pool water through a set of grids. The grids get caked with the pulverisation that collects impurities to keep the water in your inground puddle or above-basis puddle crystal clear and to assistance maintain your filter'southward pressure.

Are you noticing cloudy or dirty pool water? Or are yous seeing a pressure gauge reading ten psi higher than normal? These are strong indicators that it's time to "recharge" those grids by backwashing your DE filter to strip off the current power and replacing it with a new coat.

Backwashing a DE pool filter is the deed of reversing the flow of h2o inside your filter tank. By irresolute the management of the h2o, you tin can knock off the caked-on DE powder that has accumulated impurities from your pool water and flush it out. This will restore your filter to its highest efficiency to circulate your puddle water and keep it healthy.

Did You Know?

During backwash, y'all can expect to replace almost four-vi pounds of DE powder. Make sure y'all have enough pulverization on hand before you start the process. If you don't add together enough new powder, the grids won't be completely coated, and the dirt in your filter volition attach itself right to the textile on the grids and won't backwash off. You'll know when y'all've added plenty new powder by checking the reading on the air pressure judge. When the approximate hits its "normal" operational levels, stop adding pulverization.

How to backwash a DE Pool Filter

When to Aftermath a DE Puddle Filter

You should backwash your DE puddle filter well-nigh one time a month during puddle flavour. In addition to the regular schedule, y'all'll want to perform additional backwashing if:

You've been running your pool filter for 48 hours straight. This can crusade a pressure build-up, fifty-fifty if the filter grids look clean.
Higher-than-normal amounts of debris have entered your pool water. A heavy summer storm that washes sediment into your pool or a large potted plant that tips over into the pool can overtax the DE organisation.
Your pool has had a heavy swimmer load for an extended catamenia of time. If you lot've had houseguests for several days or your kids had friends over every 24-hour interval of the week, you'll need to clear out the remnants from all the actress sunscreen, beauty products, and even sweat that will clog up your DE filter.

Pro tip: At least one time during each puddle flavour – and anytime your filter pressure remains high afterwards backwashing – take the grids out of your DE filter and clean them more thoroughly.

How to Backwash a DE Pool Filter

Following a scattering of like shooting fish in a barrel steps for a standard three-cycle backwash is usually effective in keeping your DE filter clean:

Pace 1: Turn off pool equipment.

Close off the pump at the main power switch or, even better, at the circuit billow box. Don't modify modes of performance on the valve with the pump on, or you can impairment the spider gasket in the valve.

Step ii: Rotate the valve to the "Backwash" position.

For slide valves, plow backwash handle and pull the valve piston direct upward to the backwash position. Lock it into position so it doesn't slide upwardly during performance. For multiport valves, push button the handle downwardly and rotate valve to the aftermath position. Exist certain the handle is pressed down all the way as you rotate it.

Step iii: Turn equipment back on and run the first wheel.

Turn the pump "in reverse" and run it for 1-3 minutes to strip the old DE powder and impurities off the filter grids. If you have a sight glass, you will meet the water modify from cloudy to clear as it flushes out.

Step four: Turn the equipment off once again.

Pace 5: Rotate the valve to the "Rinse" position.

Pace six: Turn equipment back on and run the second bicycle.

Switch the pump back on for virtually 30 seconds to rinse the grids from the "normal" filter side. The water will flow in the same as in "Filter" fashion, except the water and any remaining impurities are purged out the waste line.

Pace 7: Echo steps i-6 two more times.

Decrease the amount of aftermath time to 30 seconds, then to 15 seconds. Repeating the cleaning cycle helps clear the really stubborn DE pulverization.

Stride viii: Turn the equipment off again.

Step 9: Rotate the valve to the "Filter" position.

Step 10: Plow equipment back on and add together new DE powder.

Add DE pulverization to the filter to supervene upon the corporeality that was backwashed out. Uncover the skimmer closest to the pump and filter, and slowly pour the needed corporeality into the skimmer while the system is running. The pulverisation volition travel through the plumbing and effectively recharge the filter.