what is backwashing

[Guest]

I inherited a above ground pool with a house purchase. Totally clueless about care. What is back washing and how do I vaccum the debrie out/

[twmackey]

back washing is the cleaning out of the crap you have screend out of your pool. For me I have a sand filter. The filters get clogged and they need to be back washed. Then I rinse the filter with clean water from the pool and then place the selector on recirculate.

[ricappy]

Vaccuming is quite the process for a newbie. I had no idea how to do it the first time either! You need a long hose... you can pick one up at a local pool shop... called a vaccum hose. You'll also need a vaccum head. Mine has little bristles at the bottom so when the suction is going it won't get sucked to the bottom of the pool so I can't move it, plus it helps with brushing the dust/dirt up from the floor of the pool. Attach the vaccum head to one end of the vaccum hose. and put it in the water. You'll also need a long handle to attach to the vaccum head so you can have something to push it around with.

You'll have to fill the vaccum hose with water... you can use the return do do that while the pump is running... just place the other opening of the hose in front of the water jet and let it fill the hose up.

While the pump is running it pulls water from the pool in through the skimmer down to the pump, into the sand filter and back into the pool.

Once you have the hose filled with water... keep it under the water while you bring it over to the skimmer.

This is the tricky part. I always say vaccuming is a two man job.

You have to somehow get the end of that hose into the skimmer opening that the water gets sucked down into. How you do it will be trial and error. I've tried doing it with the pump on, off, over the pool, in through the wall of the skimmer. I've tried it with hoosits and whatitzs and every other thing I can think of, but however it's done... the hose has to either go into that hole at the bottom of the skimmer or it needs to be attached to another part that will set on top and cover the opening of the hole that leads to the pump. However it's done it has to maintain the suction to have the vaccuming affect. If you lose pressure there'll be no suction, therefore no vaccuming affect. It loses pressure if air gets into the line and that's easy to do while your trying to get the hose into that skimmer!

Once it's going it's cool to watch the pool get sparkling clean. They even sell automatic pool cleaners, but you still have to get the suction going before they'll work.

Of course you could always get one of those aquabots. They work independently without using your existing pump/filter... Alot less work too! But I think the cheapest one out there is like $300.

Once my pool is clear... LOL... I'm actually looking forward to vaccuming it!