DE Pool Filter Questions

[greilly]

I have Triton Nautilus DE Filter. When I "recharged" it by pouring DE into skimmer I saw cloudy water being pumped back into pool for a few minutes then it stopped.

The water is clear and chemicals all balanced. I can see the bottom of the deep end.

So I decided to vaccuum and again I see clouds pumping into pool as if not filtering these particles.

Next I open up the filter because I was convinced something wasn't right. I gently hosed off the elements and checked them for holes or rips. They check out fine. So I then made sure that each element was seated and put it all back together.

Once again I mix up 6 coffee cans full of DE into a pail, add water to make a slurry and poured it into the skimmer. And again I see clouds begin jetting from the inlets but they stop after a minute.

Hours later the pool is again clear and I can see the bottom but the particles from the clouds have accumulated on the bottom.

1. Is it normal to see clouds jetting from inlets while adding DE into the skimmer?
2. Will Clarifier clump these particles into size that will catch them in the filter?
3. Or Is it possible there is a tear in the elements that I could not find?
4. Has this happened to anyone else?
5. If so, what did you learn?

I am afraid that if I vaccuum the stuff will just circulate back into the pool like an endless cycle.

Any and all DE Filter owners your comments are welcome!!! Please Help! Thank you!

[BobK207]

I do not currently own a home wil a pool or a Spa (yahoo!) but I have YEARS of experience owning / working them.

First of all, let me say, you are doing all the right things.

The mesh size of the nylon fabric on the filter grids will allow "some" DE to pass until the DE builds up on the grids to form the filtering layer

take a look at

typically clarifiers / flocculating agents are not needed in DE systems (we never used them). Spas with cartirdge filters are another story, used them all the time to good effect.

When a DE filter is recharged correctly & settles down, you will get no recirculating particles upon vacuuming.

Cloudy water from the return lines means particles getting thru the filter; (damaged mesh, hole, seam failure, leak at junction with filter tree, ???)

but you looked for that, so.....I don't know?????

could also be poor DE distribtuon over the filter grids, but you're doing it correctly by premixing the DE.

we used to cheat & just dump DE in the skimmer & depend on the pump to mix it :)

we gave the filter a couple turns to distribute the DE & everything was fine

some how stuff is getting by your filter & IMO a clarifier is not the answer; you've got some sort of internal leak path.

Maybe at the grid tree / internal plumbing; grid plumbing to tank receiver? O-ring?

let us know how it all works out

cheers Bob

[greilly]

Thanks Bob,

I took your advice and started this new thread. I also went to the website you recommended and read that the clouds I see may actually be normal. I will vaccuum tonight and see if I have finally got a good filtration going. If not I suspect I will dissassemble again and scrutinize each individual filter element, there may be a rip that I didn't see before because I washed it as a complete assembly. There was a tip on the website you mentioned that said a rip or tear can be temporarily fixed with PVC Cement! Wish me luck!

~G

[greilly]

Well, I got home last night and set-up the vaccuum and right away the material came jetting out of the inlets again. So I stopped. I figured I would be dismantling the filter and replacing elements. However..... I figured I would try one more time with the DE. This time I did not pre-mix into a slurry. I merely added it into the skimmer basket slowly. And guess what!!!? None of it made it back into the pool!

morning, so I fired up the vaccuum and everything worked as it should!!! Lesson learned? Pour the DE ito the skimmer AS IS!! Now if it would just stop raining!!

Thanks for the help,

~G

[rb608]

I probably missed the previous discussion; but I'll offer my experience with that returning DE. In my case (Doughboy Sequel II), I had a filter fin inside that had somehow come apart at a seam. I was able to successfully dry it out and epoxy the seam back together.

Joe

[John]

Sounds like you may have blocked a leak in the filter element with a nice big clump of D.E. The problem with not doing the premix is that the DE often will not spread very evenly inside the filter so you get big clumps in some areas (usually near the middle or corners, and thin cover in others. I would just enjoy the clean pool for now but the next time you do a backwash, you probably want to open up the filter, pull out the element, and check for the leaking area. If the media elements are shaped in a spiral this could take a little time.

When you put the filter tank back together remember to use a torque wrench and tighten exactly to the spec torque, alternating tightening with the wrench and gentle pounding all around the O ring with a rubber mallet or something similar.