Above Ground Sand Filter Connection Guide

If you have a sand filter and an above ground pool you will need a few tools so you can get the filter hooked up. You will need a Philips head and Flat head screwdriver. You will also need the hoses that connect to the filter and to the pool return and also the pool skimmer.

So basically if you have a standard above ground swimming pool you will be connecting two or three hoses to the pool, the pump and of course to the sand filters multi-port which is the valve that sits on the top or side of your sand filter depending on what brand you have.

If your pump is not connected you also will need you get your pump out of the shred or the basement and get that out to the area where the pool filter system is to be hooked up. Once you have the pump, the filter and the hoses you will be ready to connect your above ground pool filter to the pool.

Connecting The Sand Filter To The Pump & Pool Return

You will need to connect two hoses to the sand filter. One hose will hook from the out on the filter and then the other side of the hose will hook to the pool return fitting that is sticking out of the pool wall. On each end of the hose you should have a hose clamp. You will need to tighten down the hose clamp with your screwdriver.

The second connection you will need to make is to connect the top of the pump to the in on your filters multi-port valve. One side of the hose will hook to the in on your sand filter and then the other side will hook on to the discharge side of the pump which is usually the top on most sand filters with multi-ports. But if you happen to have a Hayward Power-Flo pump you could have a side discharge, instead of the top. You also will need to have hose clamps on each end of the hose. You will also need to tighten these down with your screwdriver.

Connecting The Pump To The Skimmer

You will now need to connect the pump to the skimmer. You will need to take another pool hose and connect it to the front of the pool pump which is also known as the suction side of the pump. Then you will want to take the other end of the hose and connect it to the bottom of the skimmer. You will also want to make sure you have hose clamps on each side of the hose connections just like all the other hoses. You will also want to tighten these hose clamps after you install the hose between your above ground skimmer and the front suction side of the pool pump.

Priming The Pump & Starting The Filter

Once you have all the hoses connected you will want to fill the pool up to mid-skimmer or if your pool is already full you will want to remove your winter closing plate or Aquadoor cover from the skimmer so some water can start going into the pump. Once you have some water in the pump you will want to open the lid of the pump and allow some water to flow out. This will prevent your pump from getting hydro-locked which is when air gets trapped in the hose between the skimmer and the pump.

If you have any questions or if you need additional help with the connections on your above ground filter system, please leave your questions below.