Sand can last 5-7 years or longer, on a large size sand filter (large in relation to pool size). steps for changing the sand in a sand pool filter: Remove the old sand from the pool filter - You need to remove all of the old sand that is in the tank. Unscrew the bolts that separate the clamp, and pull deliberately and consistently to lift the valve off the pipe. Replace … In the meantime, if you’re looking to find out HOW to change the sand in your pool filter, check out … Replacing the sand in your swimming pool filter should be an easy task. Inspect the laterals for damage, replace any that look broken or worn out. The filter. Skip to content. I hope this new pool lasts another 4 years! Yanking too hard will likely break the lateral pipes at the bottom of the tank. Today Davey recommend 16/30 grade sand which is very fine. If you have any questions about what kind of sand you need, check with your local pool retailer. Only use pool filter sand that is approved by your manufacturer. Australia . (If your filter doesn’t have unions, glue the pipes back together with straight couplers.). Find pool maintenance at Lowe's today. I soon realized that it would take much time. So how can it wear out. The most commonly used is the sand filter but on a small pool or above ground pool, the cartridge filter is a good option. The tiny bits of dirt, algae, dead bugs, and other contaminants gets snagged by the tiny burrs on the sand and clean water passes on through. Here’s a basic rundown of the different types of filter sand out there. Pool and Spa Filters manufacturers are slowly slowly recovering from the filter shortage caused by the pandemic. We had a pool similar to this for the last 4 years. For the correct procedure for your filter, refer to the owners manual that came with your filter. Pool supplies & pool parts is our business. Continue to pour the sand until the filter is filled to the height indicated in the filter manufacturer's instructions. However, the step where most pool owners go wrong is determining how much sand has to go back into the filter tank. Changing the sand in your pool filter is not difficult if you have some common tools and follow these simple techniques. Make sure to remove the covering from the standpipe before reattaching the multiport valve. Multiport valves are a filter backwash valve to easily reverse the flow of water through sand and DE filters, and discharge dirty backwash water out of the waste port. Please note that these are generic directions for a unit with a removable, top mount valve. To minimize the chances of infection, we used a small shovel to scoop out the sand. Switch the multiport valve to “Rinse,” then turn the pump back on. This is made from ground quartz that’s around 0.45-0.55mm in size. Level the sand as you pour to ensure even sand distribution for effective filtration and water circulation. This roughness is the component that provides the filtering component. In most cases, we do not recommend changing sand just because your filter is a few years old. Good luck with your next sand change. Here are MrPoolMan, we recommend that you absolutely change your filter media sand at the very least three years and at seven years at the latest. Yes, this can take a long, long, time. Designed for easy set up and disassembly, features of this pool include: - Powder coated galvanized steel walls for strength and rust resistance. Since you only perform this procedure every 5 years or so, it’s a smart choice to go ahead and replace the O-ring now, even if yours is in decent shape. To change the sand in your sand filter you will have to remove the Multiport Valve on the top of your filter. If nothing works, then change the sand in the filter. If the granules are too big, you’ll see less filtering efficiency; if the granules are too small, you risk clogging the filter quickly. The best way to tell if your sand filter media is nearing the end of its lifecycle is that your pool may cloud up more often and you’ll notice that you’re shocking your pool more often than normal. If you find any, patch them up or consider replacing the sand filter tank to avoid any emergencies down the line. The surfaces of the rocks (and in our case sand) gets smoothed out over the years, and while you’re left with nice smooth sand, it’s useless as a filter media. The ULTIMATE Stock Tank Pool DIY Setup Guide (3 easy steps)! How to Clean a Pool Filter Cartridge. Spa-Daddy is a first-tier filter supplier and will be the first to have the filters available. To those of you who would blame the operator, I have owned and maintained this pool for over ten years. If you notice a change in your water quality, inspect the filter for damage/tears, and a cleaning may be needed. Try a sand filter helper and check the chlorine, pH, alkalinity and calcium levels. Turn the pool pump back off and set the valve to “Filter” (the normal operating mode). Once your pool is vacuumed to your satisfaction, you can disconnect your vacuum head and hoses. For ease of use and sanity, we do upgrade a few of its features I.e the cover and filter to other options from the local pool store. Make sure to clear out the bottom of the skimmer, too. Scoop it out with a plastic cup – or vacuum it out with a shop vac – until the top of the laterals at the bottom of the tank are visible. Pro tip: Use a very gentle twist to pull the valve off the pipe. [Want crystal clear water and squeaky clean pool? Sand … book now Call … Changing Sand In A Pool Filter In Under 6 Minutes! Glass sand filter media comes in two grades, coarse and fine. Once the multiport is off, you should see the standpipe in the middle. Alternatively, you can use a shop vac or a wet and dry vacuum to suck out all of the sand. Be sure to backwash your sand filter for a minimum of four minutes; otherwise, you will see filthy water shooting back into the pool. The sand needs to be changed when it’s too full of debris to function correctly—usually every 3–5 years. Fine grade glass sand is then layered on top of the coarse grade glass sand to complete your setup. Keeping the pipe centered in the tank, carefully and slowly pour sand into the filter unit. Give it a through rinse with a garden hose and the remaining sand should exit via the drain plug you removed earlier. Turn off the pool pump and timer (if you have one). New Zealand ; 1300 991 104; Home; Filter Sand Change; Filter Sand Change. Once the pool filter tank is half filled with water, you can now start filling it with sand. The reason you have to change the sand in your pool filter is that, although dirty sand actually filters more effective than fresh sand, after a while the sand starts to clog, limiting your pool’s ability to filter at all. We’ve broken the process up into small steps, but it’s overall a fairly simple task. As the sand bed begins to accumulate the impurities, the filter can catch more and more as accumulated particles attract. Clogged laterals should be soaked in a bucket of cleaning solution for a few hours, then thoroughly rinsed and reinstalled onto the assembly. To the naked eye, the sand used in sand filters look just like any old regular sand out there. This will maximize the effectiveness of the filter and help you to maintain clean and clear water. If you do not have unions, you’ll need to cut the pipes running to and from your filter. Be sure you have everything you need on hand before you begin the process. Once the backwash water runs clear and clean, turn the pool pump off. Flocculants attract floating microscopic debris and cluster the particles together into chunks large enough to sink and be vacuumed up. After it’s fully primed, run the pool pump for about 2 minutes to flush out the impurities in the water and the finer sand particles from the sand media, and to ensure that your pool water waste is exiting at the right place. The capacitor is what starts the pump by giving it a jolt of electricity. Write it down (I use a sharpie and some duct tape and stick it to the side of the filter) for future reference. If your multiport valve has unions, just unscrew them from the multiport valve. Yes, sand basically lasts forever but over time, it loses its potency as a filter media. Affiliate Notice: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If your filter was not installed with union connections, you will have to cut the piping to your filter. In the past, my pool pump motors have lasted 5 years or more. There are basically three different types of sand filter media that is available out there depending on your needs. : Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific Glass sand, while more expensive than your regular silica sand, works much better. At the bottom of the tank, the water enters the laterals, which have tiny perforations that keep out the sand. From a manufacturer standpoint it is recommended that you change the sand in your filter every 3-4 years. Slowly rotate the 10 lateral pipes upwards, then smoothly pull the lateral assembly and pipe out of the rest of the sand. Generally speaking, pool filter sand in a private pool must be changed out every 5 years or so. Disconnect the pump, return, and waste hoses fixed to the multiport valve at the top of your filter. If you changed your filter pump settings, make sure to change them back (and if you’re using a sand or DE filter, now’s the time to do a quick backwash). The water pushed by the pool pump flows through this tank filled with a filter medium and comes out of it free of all impurities. The sand in an … First, check to see if the pump is getting power and check your timer to make sure the pump is on. How to tell that you need to change your sand filter? As soon as you disconnect the pipe from the multiport valve, tape the end of the pipe closed to prevent sand from entering it and clogging the laterals. If you’re cutting off the pipes, it would be a great idea to install unions so that the next time you replace your sand, it should be as easy as twisting off the union to remove the plumbing. Replace your filter sand from your pool cleaner every 4-5 years to ensure maximum performance. The Pool Pump Motor is not Working or Turning Off while Running. Please give us a call! Check the drain cap, and swap it out with a new one it if you find any cracks. Cartridge pool filters do not require that you backwash dirt from the system and removes smaller particles than a sand pool filter. It can't. If you have unions installed, this should be straightforward. I answer all emails so don’t be bashful. Depending on the usage, pool filter sand can go for years without needing a change. Pool Filter Sand: Check manufacturer for amount Shop Vac or bucket Backwash Hose Duct Tape Screw Driver Hose Knife Hose Clamp Replacement Laterals if needed Multiport Valve O-ring Silicon Lubricant. If you don’t have a wet and dry vacuum, bring a cold beer to a neighbor who has one. Note: Wear a mask and ask a mate to help to hold the stand pipe in place until the laterals are fully covered with sand. Not only that, V-pumps don't need as much cleaning as wet and dry vacuums, just rinse them out afterwards and you're done. But for those looking just to find out how often you should change sand in a pool filter, a good average is about 3-4 years under normal conditions. Specializing in original Jacuzzi & Sundance parts. Remove the tape from the end of the pipe, and carefully set the multiport control valve back in its original position on the central pipe. In order for your sand filter to run properly, it must be regularly cleaned and maintained. The grinding process creates the silica sand grains with jagged edges that makes it the perfect filter media for trapping contaminants in your water. [1] X Research source The switch for your pool filter should be nearby the … When you reinstall the filter after replacing the … Small sand filters, with sand depths of less than 12″ may need new sand sooner, often every 2-3 years. Another option to easily remove the sand from your pool is to use a Venturi Pump, a V-Pump can drain out all of the sand in no time at all (and save you a beer so you don't have to borrow a vacuum from your neighbor). How to Change the Sand in a Pool Filter: Step-by-Step 1 First turn off the pump and close any valves that you may have attached to your filter to prevent any unneeded loss of water. Generally, residential filters are filled to a height of between 30 to … The only sand appropriate for use in pool filters is #20 silica sand, which is .45 -.55mm in size. It’s affordable and it lasts for years. Absolutely not. Over the years, this texture gets smoothed out due to the amount of water passing through. Make sure the pool pump electricity is turned off, the valves going to the filter are all off, and like I said, the filter should be drained. Fill the tank to the water level, and then stir the sand around to level the surface. This is the most commonly used sand filter media. If your pH is not too high, filtration issues are likely the cause of your cloudy pool. When you order you will have a 'spot in line' and orders will be shipped on a first-come first-served basis. A little debris can actually aid in filtration. Reconnect the unions with the pool pump and the return ports. Experts recommend that filter sand should be changed every three to five years because the sand becomes smoother over time and fails to catch all the miniscule debris, which then make their way back into the pool. Changing filter sand is a fairly complex process. Secure the valve clamps around the tank and tighten them into place. Cover with some duct tape or cloth fastened with string to prevent sand from entering it. 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