Hayward Pump And DE Filter With No Pressure
By Question:
I have the same problem with no pressure. Have an above ground pool with a Hayward pump and DE filter. We took the filter apart and cleaned it, the pressure was great for a few days, now nothing again. Took each hose connection apart and the water flows through with no problem, but there is no pressure when everything is connected again. ~Ellen
Answer:
Hi Ellen,
Are you adding DE into the filter after you clean it out?
After washing the entire filter are the fingers inside of the filter nice and white?
Is this a Hayward Power Flo Pump Or Super Pump?
Those are some common problems that many people experience.
THE PUMP:
Make sure you pump impeller is not clogged and the eye is free of debris.
Sometimes the impellers on the pump get clogged and then the pump will not ave enough pressure to pump through the filter.
I would check the above and let me know if you need more help or ask more questions.
Joseph
Yes, I added new DE after the filter was cleaned, which was a little difficult because there was very little suction to draw it through the skimmer; some kept flowing back out into the pool, so I had to do it very slowly, the fingers were clean and white, the pump is a power flo XL, only 1 year old, I changed the bucket inside the pump, not clogged, pumped the filter over and over, backwashed, disconnected and reconnected the hoses several times, when I turn everything off and pump the filter, then turn it back on, there are bubbles in the pump bubble for a few seconds, then they stop, I can feel water going through the hoses, but no suction or pressure. I’m about ready to give up. The pool is 19 years old and this is the first time I have had such a hard time getting it going, usually after the filter is cleaned, it works fine.
Hi Ellen,
Don’t give up yet, there is hope. Let me ask, Is this an above ground pool or an in ground swimming pool?
Please let me know,
Joseph
above ground
Hi Ellen,
Solution #1
OK – I just re-read all the above and let me have you try this,
1) Shut the filter off
2) make sure the water level in the pool is at least mid skimmer
3) Go to the pump and open the lid a bit, and then there will a big rush of water that comes out from the pump.
What this will do is remove the hydro-lock that often happens in above ground pools.
Once the water rushed out of the pump for a few seconds , close the lid.
4) Start the pool pump and see if you now have good return pressure.
Solution #2
This will test the pump and let you know for sure if its the pump or the filter.
What we will want to do is to bypass the filter to test the pump.
1) Remove the end of the hose from the “top pool” that connects to the filter, The other side of this hose hooks to the pool wall / return.
2) Now disconnect the hose that is connected to the discharge (top) of the pump and connect the end that you just removed,
This will make the flow go from the skimmer into the pump and then back into the pool.
If you have super awesome pressure you will know that your pump is good and so will I and then we can go through the troubleshooting for the Filter.
Let me know if you have any more questions, and let me know the results.
option # 1 didn’t change anything, option #2 worked!! That’s the kind of pressure I want! Now what do I do??
Hi Ellen.
Great, now we know the the problem is the filter for sure.
When the filter (This is an EC series correct?) is off is the “bump handle” easy and loose to push or does it feel like there is resistance when you push it up and down?
2) What size EC Perflex is this, EC40 , EC50 or EC65?
3) Have you looked at the internal check valve to make sure its not jammed with DE? This is also a common problem. Many people clean the DE filter and then DE gets jammed in the check valve and the filter doesn’t get enough water.
Look at PART #23 #24 AND #25 in this below image and look at your filter and make sure that check and elbow are not jammed or caked with DE.
See if any of my suggestions including the latter help you and if not let me know we will move on to the next set of troubleshooting steps.
Here is that parts diagram that you will want to inspect the numbers I mentioned above (23, 24, 25)
Let me know,
Joseph
1. There is a little resistance in the bump handle at first, then it bumps easily.
2. It’s an EC 40
3. The elbow doesn’t seem to be caked with DE, when the hose is off, water flows easily. I would have to disconnect the filter and take it apart again to visually inspect it to be sure.
Hi,
Are you sure you have the direction of flow correct?
Could you possibly email me some pictures of your filter system?
Joseph
Joseph – My husband and I are having the same issues with our 30′ above ground pool. Our EC50 is 7 years old and will not hold pressure below 20psi for more than a minute or two. Our pool has been a nightmare this year. Although we continue to dump hundreds of dollars of chemicals in it to keep the green out, we can’t run the pump continuously as recommended because the pump will just not hold any kind of pressure. My husband has washed the fingers, but they are a really ugly gray/green in color. Does this indicate that they need to be acid washed again (which was done professionally two years ago) or replaced? We are so discouraged and frustrated. We are listing our house on the market next week and a cloudy discolored pool will not be a good selling point. Please help?!?!?!
Thank you.
Hi Yvonne,
Here is what I would do, and I have been working on pools for a while now.
I would acid wash the fingers as gray is not the color they are supposed to be, they should be white,
I would then get “Natural Chemistry’s Pool Perfect with phos free” and do an initial treatment and then follow the maintenance doses each week .
Pool Perfect + PHOSfree
http://wetheadmedia.com/pool-perfect-phosfree/
I would also then backwash the filter once a week no matter what and add 1lb less DE then is required.
BUT you will need to have that filter acid washed before doing the other two things (phos free and back washing), and back wash every week seriously, its really good for the filter.
Let me know if you have any other troubles but what I mentioned above will keep your pool nice and blue, you off course still have to keep the PH, ALK and Chlorine in the correct range as well.
I’m back, and still having a huge problem with my filter. My dad was hospitalized for a week and my youngest went off to college, so the pool wasn’t a priority, although I have been fiddling with it all along. Since my last post to you, I have disconnected the filter and cleaned it out thoroughly twice, the last time two days ago. The pool is a lovely shade of green, and I, too, am dumping oodles of dollars worth of chemicals into the pool. At this point, I just want to clean it enough to close it, as I have had it for this summer. The entire season was dedicated to getting the pool to work properly. When I disconnected the filter this last time, the DE inside was caked and green, but I cannot backwash it out, the backwash is clear, and in the beginning, full of clean DE powder, even though the bump handle moves freely. How can I get my pool clean again?
Hi Ellen,
I would take apart the complete filter and clean it all out, sometimes back washing is just not good enough,
Check out this article on how to clean DE pool filters,
http://wetheadmedia.com/how-to-clean-any-de-pool-filter/
Please let me know if you have any more questions or need more help,
Joseph
Simple question (compared to what I have been reading). I clean filter annually before putting away. Hayward above ground series with fingers (EC-45 I believe). No pressure records on pressure gauge but I get great pressure back into pool. So, safe to assume just a bad pressure meter or is it possible nothing is really being filtered if pressure reads as 0? Water color is good and I am circulating water, but having difficulty eliminating mustard algae even though I have shocked and keeping chlorine levels good. Thoughts?
Hi Phil,
Simple Answer: The gauge is bad and need to be replaced, they are around $7.99 at the local pool store.
Let me know if you need more help,
Joseph
My haward de filter seems to be running well pool water is clean & balanced but the filter keeps dumping earth back into the pool? I have been using nylon stockings to filter the water from the discharge line and it has helped. What can I do to keep this from happening?
Tina
I have a brand new (2 weeks old) EC50 hayward and it slows right down (high pressure) after like 1-2 hours of running on a CLEAN POOL. I ahte this filter. My 8 year old Jacuzzi Avalanche filters much better. Why would this happen after following the cleaning procedures and using new DE?
Hi Joseph,
We have a similar problem – we just opened our in ground pool and started the hayward pump and DE 2420 fiter. We had cleaned up the filter before winterizing.
The pressure builds up after about 7-10 minutes and quickly drops and this cycle repeats till we keep the system on. Could you help us determine the cause and solution to this problem?
Thanks,
Jet
I JUST CLEANED OUT MY DE FILTER, BUT PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS A BANGING COMING FROM THE ELBOW ASSEMBLY CHECK VALVE
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK. TANK WAS REPLACED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, SO IT IS A REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY AND IT LOOKS LIKE
I COULD SQUEEZE THE TOP OF IT AND IT WOULD COME OUT AND I COULD SEE WHATS BANGING OR STUCK. CAN IT BE TAKEN OUT
EASILY, CHECKED AND THEN PUT BACK.
PLEASE HELP, THE RATTLING IS DRIVING ME CRAZIER.
THANK YOU,
BILL KARCHER
Sort of the same problem Ellen is having. At the start of the season, I put everything back together as usual. I turn on the pump and everything is working like it should except that the pressure guage doesn’t register anything. After about 5-10 minutes the return flow back into the pool has almost stopped..I shut the pump off and bump the filter 6-8 times and turn the pump back on. The same thing happens. I have replaced the pump, so it is not the impeller or the pump. I have replaced the pressure guage and it still doesn’t work. I have taken the filter apart 7 times and cleaned every inch of it. I have re-taped each connection with teflon tape and made sure each connection is snug. I have no idea what the problem is. I wish I had a green pool. Mine is more brown than anything and I think I have a family of gators living in it and I live in Ohio. Any idea’s???? I have a Hayward Perflex Extende Filtration D.E. filter with the fingers.
HELP!!!!!
I have a EC-45 hayward, that is registering a 5 on the pressure gauge. I recently replaced the pool return with a new one, put on a new hose for the return that is a couple feet longer, and completely cleaned out my filter fingers and all. Before i replaced return i registered a 7 when i had new DE in the pump, and i was never able to push down on the bump because of the pressure. Now that i have done all these changes, i can now push down on my bump like the filter was turned off. Also, i cannot seem to get my water that clean. Does anybody have any idea what might be the problem. Thanks in advance Kevin
Joseph I just recently bought a house with a in ground pool the pump and filter is a hey ward and I’ve a had it running I’ve backwashed it before and added de but I don’t have any pressure now and now it won’t even let me backwash it please help me lol I don’t know much about pools
when the pressure is up on the hayward pump (in ground pool) why does the vacume not suck