sand filters

[swimmer]

My sand filter is new, and new to us. When the gage shows 22, we backwash. It seems to need backwash really quick. Is this normal? It really waste's a lot of water. Any one have any suggestions?
How do I get my free chlorine and total bromine to go up to the correct level?

[BraddockPools]

What does your pressure read after you backwash? Make a note of that and only backwash when it gets 5-8psi above that.

Are you using Bromine or Chlorine?

Justin

[vaughanwilliams]

Hi Justin,

Do you think that 10psi is too high a reading before backwashing? Here in Cyprus water is scarce and expensive, so we backwash only when absolutely necessary.

What do you think of Zeolite instead of sand? It is reckoned that backwashing can be less frequent and for shorter periods with this sand substitute.

[BraddockPools]

Vaughan,
To be honest, I clean so many pools I can't remember the guage readings on all of them. I can tell when a pool needs backwashed by the flow of the returns. I just tell people who care for their own pool 5-8 as a good safe number.

I'm still unsure of the Zeolite. I used it in 3 sand changes year before last and I am satisfied with it in 2 of the 3 cases. It does make the water clearer but in one instance it hardened up like concrete in a TA-60 and the filter had to be replaced. If it were up to me sand filters would be banned in all 50 states. They give me more headache than anything.

Justin

[swimmer]

Do you think paper filters are better?? I am not positive but I think my pressure reads 16 to 18.

[swimmer]

My gage reads 16 most of the time start up.

[swimmer]

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks for helping

[Kim]

Hey Justin,
How do you know when it needs to be backwashed? We did ours because it would shoot dirty water into the pool when we turned the pump onto high. How would I know otherwise?
thanks!

[BraddockPools]

Swimmer,
Yes, In my opinion cartridge or DE filters are better than sand. If your guage starts of at 16 let it get up to 24-26psi before you backwash.

Kim,
Your filter should never shoot dirty water into the pool. The way I can tell is by the flow of the water. Fountians, and return jets will have very low flow if your pressure gets up too high.

Justin

[swimmer]

Thanks for the help. If you dont mind me asking, what makes the filter better than sand? We purchased our pool knowing nothing at all. The pump system that came with it was a complete joke. It was to small to clean the pool. Then a week later the pump burned up. Come to find out the filter stopped the flow of water. So we went with the sand filter cause that is what they used for display. The dealers explain nothing at all for new people. And the instructions are very shallow.
Thanks