How Often To Change Sand In Pool Filter

Efficient, cheap, low-maintenance puddle filtering is ever the goal. Y'all don't want to spend all your time and money but making sure your filter does what information technology's supposed to. That's probably why you have a sand pool filter in the showtime place. They rarely clog, they're easy on your wallet and your dorsum, and they work well. You go crystal articulate pool water, and the nigh piece of work you lot have to do is swap out the sand once every few years.

How do you modify pool filter sand, anyway? Beginning by deciding which type of sand y'all'll utilize—y'all've got a few options. Learn how to tell when it's time for a alter, so you lot won't have to constantly battle dirty, cloudy water. When you're set up to tackle it, change your sand and get back to swimming in no time.

What is Pool Filter Sand?

Expressionless bugs. Bacteria. Algae. Your pool filter traps these things so they can't hang around making the water cloudy or getting swimmers ill. The filter media is the stuff that grabs those contaminants. In this case, sand is that media.

Sand is such excellent filtration media, it's used in other water condom applications such every bit wastewater treatment, septic systems, and fifty-fifty for drinking water.

To the untrained centre, most sand looks pretty much the same, and then you lot might recall all sand is created equal, but that's not the case. Don't be tempted past that bag of cheap play sand in your garage. Information technology volition destroy your filtration system. Always make sure to use one of three types of sand in your pool filter.

Silica Sand

The most commonly used puddle filter sand is #20 silica sand. It comes from basis quartz, which creates sharp silica grains with jagged edges first-class for trapping particulates from passing h2o.

Silica sand is mined, not manufactured.

Drinking glass Sand

If you're looking for filter media with low ecology touch, glass sand is an effective alternative to silica. It'due south fabricated from 100% recycled drinking glass and is polish to the touch, but nonetheless captures particles as small-scale as two microns—that'due south one millionth of a meter.

The glass grains are all different sizes, so it minimizes channeling, which occurs when pool water cuts a path straight through the sand and slips through the filter nearly unfiltered. Drinking glass sand also has a negative charge, so it excels at capturing iron and manganese particles. This is specially helpful if your puddle is filled from a hard h2o source.

Zeolite Sand

Created from volcanic rock minerals called zeolites, this silica culling boasts 100 times greater surface area than standard filter sand because of its sponge-like honeycomb shape.

Zeolite chemically traps chloramines—the chlorine byproducts that sting swimmers' eyes—through a procedure chosen molecular sieving. That'due south a fancy way of saying chloramines get trapped inside the zeolite sand particles indefinitely.

If you're finding you lot demand to shock your pool oft, zeolite sand could help become chloramines under control without having to utilize every bit many pool chemic additives.

Why Alter Your Pool Filter Sand?

The pool pump pulls muddy water to the filter, where it passes through the sand, where contaminants get trapped. The clean water flows back into the pool. How exactly does the sand hold onto the icky stuff, while allowing the cleaned water to laissez passer through?

Though it'southward much as well small to run across with the naked eye, all three types of sand accept a rough surface where contaminants become caught as the h2o flows past.

Over fourth dimension, the rushing water wears abroad the prickly surface of the sand, leaving it smooth and round. When you look at sand from beaches with intense waves nether a microscope, information technology's noticeably smoother than sand from calmer beaches. The same principle applies to pool filter sand, which has water flushed through it for several hours a twenty-four hours.

This smoothing is the result of a process called weathering. Ironically the same process that creates sand too wears it down into grit, useless for filtering annihilation.

When puddle filter sand is weathered smooth, it doesn't have whatsoever jagged edges to grab and hold contaminants. Your puddle may start to look cloudy or require more than frequent shock treatment as the filter media nears the end of its lifespan.

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When to Change the Sand in Your Filter

Like fine vino, pool filter sand gets better with age, just then it peaks and eventually declines. Its lifespan is rather short—just three to 5 years. Over the class of a few years, contaminants build up in the sand.

For the first couple of years, this actually enhances the filtering ability of the sand because in add-on the sand's own crude edges, the contaminants building up also human activity as filtration for the water that passes through the filter.

Only somewhen, all that extra gunk builds up so much that it makes the filter prone to clogs. At the same time, weathering renders the sand incapable of collecting more contaminants. Your filter's efficiency drops, and your pools water quality suffers.

Two other things may happen when your sand is by its top. Pressure tin can build upwardly within your filter as it becomes more hard for the water to laissez passer through gunked-upwards sand. And so the water may seek a path of to the lowest degree resistance and cut a channel through the sand, which may reduce some of the pressure, but will well-nigh eliminate filtering.

Can't I just Clean or Backwash my Sand Filter?

You'll need to backwash your sand filter whenever the force per unit area estimate climbs to 10 pounds per square inch (psi) higher than the normal running force per unit area. You can too backwash if the water is a fleck cloudy, but the chemical science is okay.

Backwashing rinses the sand, flushing debris to waste material. It can exist done as part of your routine pool maintenance, and you may need to top off the pool afterward.

If yous want to give your sand a little extra cleaning, use sand filter cleaner annually. Call up of this stuff as a degreaser for the sand. It helps wash out oils and other contaminants backwashing can't quite get rid of.

Both backwashing and filter cleaner help with climbing force per unit area and water clarity, just eventually the sand will vesture downward and demand to exist replaced. If your sand is in the 3- to 5-year window, and pressure and clarity are ongoing problems, it'southward probably time for new sand.

The Changing of the Sand

One time you've determined your filter is the reason for your cloudy water, get your gear together for sand changing. Yous'll be amazed how like shooting fish in a barrel this is.

You lot'll Need:

• Hacksaw (if pipe needs to be cutting)
• Store-Vac
• Screwdriver
• Garden hose
• Flashlight
• puddle filter sand or filter sand substitute (check your filter'south manual for the corporeality)
• Duct tape or Rubber plug
• Utility knife
• Mask
• Backwash hose
• Diatomaceous world (D.East.) powder (optional)

ane.Plough Off the Pump and Drain the Filter

Turn off the filter and pump. Be sure the timer isn't set to turn on soon, so the pump won't kick on while everything is disconnected. If the pumps kicks on while dry out, information technology may burn out.

Remove the bleed plug from the lesser of the filter tank, and allow all the water drain out.

Tip: Draining the filter tank may have a while, so you could practise this pace in the forenoon, then come up back in the cooler evening air to finish the rest.

two. Remove the Multiport Valve

Remove the hoses or pipes that are connected to the multiport valve. If your valve is hard plumbed with PVC piping, yous'll have to cutting the pipage. If you're uncomfortable doing this, consider hiring a pro.

After the pipes have been cut, you (or a pro) can install spousal relationship fittings so side by side fourth dimension effectually, you'll merely take to unscrew a pipe plumbing fixtures—no hacksaw required.

Utilize your screwdriver to remove the clench or collar securing the valve to the tank.

Gently twist and then pull up on the multiport valve to remove information technology.

Tip: The piping attached to the valve has laterals (like tree roots) branching out into the sand. The combination of weight from sand and twisting can break the laterals, so accept it easy.

3. Embrace the Standpipe

Inside the tank is an open up piping where the valve was only removed. Cover it with duct tape to forbid sand from getting inside. If it does, that sand volition get flushed right into your pool when you start up the pump once again.

iv. Remove the Sand

Use the Shop-Vac to suck out all the old sand. If you don't have a Store-Vac (or you're a large fan of back pain), you can scoop the old sand out by manus with a plastic cup. This volition take forever and ever.

Make friends with someone who has a Store-Vac you lot can borrow, or only invest in one. It will take less time, and they come in handy for a lot of other jobs.

5. Rinse Out the Tank and Laterals

With near of the sand gone, you'll exist able to see the arms branching out of the standpipe. Utilise your garden hose to rinse any remaining sand out of the drain pigsty.

Apply the flashlight to advisedly inspect the standpipe and laterals for damage. Any cracks could let sand into your pool, so brand necessary repairs before adding fresh sand.

vi. Fill the Tank Halfway with H2o

Supersede the drain plug in the tank. Stick the hose downward into the tank and kickoff filling. Eye the standpipe and laterals, and hold them in place while the tank fills near halfway.

Adding some h2o prior to the replacement sand creates a cushion to protect the laterals from the weight of falling sand.

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7. Add together the New Sand

Put your mask on to avoid animate in dust. Check the duct tape on the standpipe and add more if necessary.

Property the bag with a corner extending over the opening of the tank, piece it open with the utility knife. Relax, enjoy the Zen moment watching the sand bleed into the tank. Just don't relax too much—you lot're belongings a 50 lb. bag of sand.

Add together one handbag of sand at a time, letting it slowly cascade into the tank so it won't spill everywhere.

Important: Merely use pool filter sand or filter sand substitute. Annihilation else can ruin your filter.

Tip: You can farther increase the filtering efficiency of sand past adding a few cups of D.Due east. pulverisation along with the fresh sand.

Pool Filter Sand

Coarse filter media for pool sand filters.

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eight. Make full the Tank and Reassemble the Connections

When all the sand is in the tank, fill information technology to the top with water. Supersede the multiport valve, collar, and pipes or hoses. Make certain all the fittings are snug and secure.

9. Aftermath and Rinse the Filter

Attach the aftermath hose and turn the multiport valve to backwash. Prime the pump, and plough it on. Backwash the filter for at least 2 minutes or until the filter's sight glass is running clear. This helps get out all of the sand dust and extra debris from the new sand.

Shut the pump off, prepare the multiport valve to rinse, and turn the pump back on. Rinse the filter for one infinitesimal.

10. Run the Filter

Shut the pump off, plough the valve to filter, and turn the pump dorsum on. Now bank check the pressure guess. This is your filter'southward normal running pressure. Remember it or write it down somewhere handy.

Cheque the gauge when you exercise your normal pool maintenance. When the pressure is 10 psi above normal, backwash the filter. Using the pressure approximate as a backwash indicator prevents you from over-backwashing and removing the dirt and debris your sand filter needs to function properly.

Sand-sational Task!

Choosing which blazon of puddle filter sand to use is the almost complicated part of this process, and you can't actually make a incorrect option. Information technology'southward simply a matter of choosing the ane that will work best for your pool, depending on factors such every bit whether you take hard water, or chloramines are an consequence.

Once the new sand is in and the pump is upwards and running, all yous need to do go along an eye on things so your filter will run at optimal efficiency until the next time you accept to change the sand. With just that little fleck of care, y'all can relax and swim with peace of mind for nearly some other 5 years.

Happy Swimming!

Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim University® and has been in the pool and spa industry since 1995. Since and then, his mission is to make puddle and hot tub care easy for everyone. And each year, he continues to help more people with h2o chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting.

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Source: https://www.swimuniversity.com/change-pool-filter-sand/

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