Most people that own swimming pools don’t understand that your pool filter is one form of treatment a very important part of treatment as is chemical treatment and each treatment works off the other if one treatment is inefficient then it affects the other. Filter systems depend on the sand as media and backwashing to maintain efficiency. How Long do you Backwash a Sand Filter?
You should backwash a sand filter for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the sight glass located on the top of the pool filter underneath the pressure gauge turns clear after which turn the system and set the multi-port position to rinse for around 30 seconds-1 minute before resetting to filter.
It’s important to shut down the pool filtering system each time you set the multi-port filter selector handle or else you break it under pump pressure or cause the gasket to fail.
How Long Do You Backwash a Sand Filter
Turn the pool filter system off. Attach your pool hose to the backwash port on your sand filter. Select the Backwash position on your multiport valve handle selector for the filter. Always turn the pump off before selecting operation on the multiport valve.
Turn the pool filter system on and allow it to rush out of the backwash port and through the backwash hose for two-three minutes or so until the water in the filter’s sight glass runs clear.
Turn the filter off again and set your multiport filter selector valve to the Rinse position. Turn the pool filter system back on and allow it to run for a minute or so. Turn the pool pump off and switch the multiport valve to its original setting usually the Filter position.
There will be times when the filter’s backwash water doesn’t need a full 3 minutes and 2 minutes will do then there will be times when the filter needs a little more time for backwashing and rinsing.
This might happen after a long hot weekend with high usage or an algae bloom.
You should try and keep backwash and rinse time to a minimum because after a while sand filters will start to lose sand and pool water unnecessarily.
Turn the filter system’s power off Attach the backwash hose Set to the Backwash position on the multiport valve Turn the filter on & backwash for 2-3 min or until the sight glass clears. Turn the filter off again Set it to Rinse.…………………………….read more
How Long to Rinse Pool Filter
Because the flow of water pumped through the sand filter is reversed in order to clean the sand-filled vessel the dirt that is washed off the sand is collected inside. If you were not to rinse the inside of the filter that dirty water washed off the sand would end up in the swimming pool.
By using the Rinse selector on the multiport the dirt will be pumped outside of the system through the Waste outlet on the filter
Turn the filter off again and set your multiport filter valve to the Rinse position. Turn the pool filter system back on and allow it to run for a minute or so. Turn the pool pump off and switch the multiport valve to its original setting usually the Filter position.
Where Does Backwash and Rinse Pool Water Go
When you vacuum your pool backwash or rinse the sand after backwashing water moves through or around the filtering system depending on where you have the multi-port handle selector positioned.
- The Backwash position is at the 6 o’clock position
- Rinse is at the 10 o’clock position
- Waste is at the 2 o’clock position
If you are backwashing or rinsing the sand in the filter you will position the handle in the Backwash slot where the water will be wasted to the opening at the top of the filter where normally there is a 20-25-100 foot backwash hose that will take the backwash water and waste it away from the filtering system. The slots on the multi-handle can be viewed in the picture at the top.
There are sometimes regulations on where you can discharge the water from the backwash or waste hose port coming out of the filter but in most situations drain the backwash hose in your yard out the back of your pool away from the filtering system and the pool itself
How often should you backwash a sand filter
As a general rule of thumb, you should backwash and rinse your filter about once a week or after you vacuum high usage, or according to the filter’s system pressure gauge if it rises above 8-10 psi above baseline.………………………………read more
JimGalloway Author/Editor
