- every 4 years or so it's time to replace the sand in the filter, and this is how you do it: -
- Switch the pump to ‘Off’ and close all Valves
- Set the Multi-port (Rotary) Valve to the ‘Closed’ position
- Remove the lid of the filter and, immediately underneath, you will seea plastic fitting that looks like a large-hole watering-can sprinkler rose
- This is the ‘diffuser’ and must be removed from the filter by gently twisting and pulling, to allow access to the inside of the filter
- Notes: -Some filters incorporate a screw-thread fitting to attach the diffuser. Some filters have a specially shaped underside to the filter lid which acts as a diffuser, so don’t worry if you don’t have a separate diffuser
- Normally there is air relief tube extending up through one of the holes in the diffuser - this tube allows pressure to be balanced between the top and bottom halves of the filter - take care not to damage the tube or breather-cap which is fitted to the top of the tube
- Now you can get at the filter media for removal
- Wear rubber gloves and use an empty can or plastic jug to scoop out the sand
- Put the removed sand into a bucket for later dumping
- Take care not to damage the plumbing inside - feel your way until you are familiar with the layout of components
- Once most of the media has been removed unscrew the collectors from the central hub of the lateral assembly for inspection and possible later renewal
- Use a little residual media and water to scour the inside of the filter vessel and then remove the remainder of the media
- Wash the top and outside of the filter and the screw threads of the collector hub with a hose to remove any grains of media
- Check, and if necessary change, the 8 or more ‘collectors’ or ‘laterals’ in the lateral assembly, which are fitted like spokes on a central hub at the bottom of the filter; buy them at your local pool-shop but take an old one along with you for comparison because there are several sizes
A typical collector from the lateral assembly
Replenishing the filter media: -
- Consider changing the media to Zeoclere-30
- it's a little more expensive than Silex but filters much better and last for 10+ years - far longer than Silex, and also strips ammonia and dissolved metals from the pool.
- There may be an information label, on the outer surface of the filter, which details the filter Make/Model and the quantity of Silex within it
- Very often this is missing or illegible and you will have to guess how much you need, using the amount removed as a rough guide
- Note: Zeoclere-30 is approximately 80% the density of sand so you need only 80%-by-weight: - thus if your filter contains 100Kg of Silex you need only 80Kg of Zeoclere to re-fill the filter
- Place a can or plastic jug over the upward-facing opening to the inlet pipe to avoid filling it with the new media
- Pour new media into the filter and add water to help it to settle
- The correct level is to the top of the horizontal section of the upper pipe. (It’s simple once you see the inside of a sand-filter)
- If you add too much media the level will adjust automatically during routine back-washing, when the excess will be gradually flushed out
- Rinse any grains of filter media from the filter lid, nuts and caps, or lid screw thread as applicable
- Examine the filter lid ‘O’ ring and replace if it is damaged in any way
- Smear the ‘O’ ring with a thin coating of silicon grease or Vaseline and thoroughly clean the underside of the filter lid and the filter seating
- Fill the filter with water, replace the lid and tighten down carefully
- Set the Rotary Valve to ‘Backwash’ and open the Bottom Drain and Waste valves
- Backwash the media for several minutes to remove dust, and then Rinse as normal
- If you are re-filling with Zeolite you should backwash each bag thoroughly before putting the next bag in - it’s more time-consuming but the results are worth it
- Check for leaks during the 'Rinse' process and rectify them
- Repeat the cycle until the water runs clear
- Set all the Pump-room Valves and switches to ‘Filtration’
Congratulations! - you have just renewed the filter media and collectors!
Now go and rest your back for three days
The old media should not be used for building purposes, in a garden or in a sand-pit
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Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©