The Diatomous Earth swimming pool filter, commonly known as the “D.E. Pool Filter” for short can be a great asset to your pool water during the summer. However when your D.E. pool filter starts to give you trouble or causes problems you will have to preform something called “Pool Filter Troubleshooting”. When you troubleshoot your D.E. pool filter you will be eliminating what parts are good and won’t need to be replaced. You will also be able to find out what parts have failed on the D.E. pool filter and then be able to replace them.
Even though there are many different models and styles of Diatomous Earth swimming pool filters, the internal / external parts like filter grids, filter grid manifolds, o-rings and multiports work in the same way. These parts are also the ones that commonly fail or will need to be repaired no matter what brand or model filter you have. Most problems that you will experience with a D.E. pool filter will be caused by lack of proper maintenance by the owner. This includes leaving the pool filter out in the winter elements in the off season, not acid washing the pool filter grids, not replacing needed parts like failing mulitports and leaking o-rings. All of these parts will start to show age and wear before they fail but often they are not replaced until they completely fail. There will of course be unique situations where your D.E. pool filter is experiencing something that no one has ever seen before but there are also many common problems with D.E pool filters.
There are also two different types of D.E pool filters. Some D.E filters will use grid to filter the pool water and others will use something called “fingers”. These finger filter grids are found mostly in the Hayward EC-series pool filter line. Filter Grids and Filter Fingers can give you the same kind of problems as they are both covered in a fine mesh. If this mesh becomes damaged on either a D.E. filter finger or on a grid the D.E. powder will wind up back in the pool. So just because one is shaped like a finger and one is shaped like a grid, that doesn’t mean any one is stronger or won’t give you less problems, as they both will if damaged.
Problem: “My Pool Filter Is Putting D.E. Back Into The Pool”
Solution: When a D.E. swimming pool filter lets d.e powder back into the swimming pool it means that the filter grids, filter fingers, filter manifold or the multiport is bad. When the filter grids have a rip or tear in them they will allow D.E. to pass back into the pool. When the manifold is cracked it will do the same. If the multiport is bad it can cause the D.E. powder to not go into the filter at all and instead go directly back into the pool. If you are seeing small amounts of D.E. powder in your pool chances are that you have a rip or tear in your filter grid.
Problem: “My Hayward EC-series D.E. Pool Filter Is Allowing D.E. Powder Back Into The Swimming Pool and I have found no rips or tears in the fingers”.
Solution: The Hayward EC series line of filters not only uses filter fingers but also uses something called “tube sheets”. These tube sheets are the plastic disks that all of the fingers slide through. There is a top and a bottom tube sheet in all Hayward EC series pool filters. Chances are that you have cracks in your tube sheets. Look in the center of the tube sheet and you will see spider cracks in the tube sheet. These types of cracks are caused by bumping the handle to hard when back washing. Replace the cracked tube sheets and D.E. powder will not go into your swimming pool any longer.
Problem: “My multiport is on filter but the pool is not clearing up”.
Solution: Just because the multiport dial is set on the filter mode does not mean its actually working correctly. Many times the spider gasket inside of the muliport will go bad and then you will think the pool is set on filter mode but the water is really being diverted to the pool or out the backwash line instead. Replace the multiport or the mulitport gasket to correct this problem.
Problem: “My D.E. Pool Filter Gauge Shows High Pressure Even When Its Not Running”
Solution: If the gauge on your D.E. pool filter shows a high pressure even when its off then most likely your gauge is broken and needs to be replaced.
Problem: “Where Can I have My Pool Filter Acid Washed?”
Solution: Most swimming pool supply centers will offer swimming pool filter acid washing. You will usually have to bring down your pool filter grids or fingers and they can acid wash them for you. You can also soak your grids in white vinegar to help cleanse your filter grids as well.
Problem: “How Do I access My Filter Grids Or Fingers?”
Solution: You will need to remove the bolts around the flange or remove the belly bad nut and spring. Once you do either one you will be able to access the filter grids.
Problem: “My Backwash Line Has Water Coming From It When On Filter.”
Solution: If your backwash line has water coming from it when the swimming pool pump is running and the mulitport is set on filter then this means that you have a bad multiport gasket or possibly the entire multiport is bad. You should change either the gasket or the multiport.
Problem: “How Do I bleed The Air From My D.E. Pool Filter?”
Solution: You can bleed the air out or your D.E. pool filter by using the air bleed screw that will be on top of the filter. Most new filters will have an auto air bleed that will bleed the air for you. If you are looking to bleed the air out of the Hayward EC style filters then you will find the air bleeder screw right by the discharge fitting. On other D.E. pool filters the air bleed screw is usually near the gauge on the pool filter. The air bleed screw is also always on the highest point of the filter.
The pressure in my DE filter keeps on rising despite washing the filter fingers with garden hose and soaking it for 8 hours on Bacquacil filter cleaner. What do i do next? Please help.
Kamal
Hi Kamal,
I would “acid wash” the filter or have a pool store or pool guy acid wash it for you.
Let me know if you need more help.
Joseph
Hi,
I have a DE filter. I replaced the grids this year. The system pumps through great on recirc perpetually, but loses good circulation within an hour or two on filter. I have a 1.5 hp superpump two and a pacfab filter. These have worked great together for years, but not this one. I had a little problem with this last year, that is why I replaced the grids, but it is even worse this year, and replacing them seemed to do no good. I am at a loss. I am wondering if the pump is loosing some of its power or something. Any Ideas?
Thanks,
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I have responded to your question here so we can figure out what is wrong with your system,
http://wetheadmedia.com/hayward-superpump-ii-with-pacfab-de-filter-problems/
Joseph
Joseph, this is a test, I tried to send a message the other day, but it does not appear to be working for me. Can you advise if you get this? I have a problem/question on my DE Filter and or pump – no one knows
ok, I can see this posted now and I realize it is really early where you are and I don’t even know if you answer on the weekends, but I’ve called every pool place around and no one can give me any idea of what is going on, so I will ask and hope for a reply. We have a Hayward DE Filter and Super Pump. My husband cleaned the fillter with the garden hose last Saturday like he does about every 3 weeks. On Wednesday, we took the solar cover off the pool and realized the top water was 100 degrees and the water below was cooler, which led us to notice that the pressure of the water circulating in the pool is next to nothing. We turned off the filer and bumped it, turned it back on and it seemed to be fine, but only for 15 minutes and same thing, so we took the fingers down and had them acid dipped. When we put the filter back together, it again seemed to be running fine, but only for about an hour this time. After trouble shooting with the local pool store, we realized that the filter was running longer and much better pressure with no DE. we let it run for a couple hours and then put only 1 1/2 lbs (I think it is lbs) of DE back in through the skimmer – it should have up to 5 lbs normally (I think) and when I checked on the pool yesterday at about 11 after about 2 hours of it being on, it had great pressure so I thought we were all set, but last night again about 6 pm the pressure was very low again, so I don’t know how long it actually ran good for. The local pool store seems to think we have some kind of algae in the pool that got in the filter and when the DE adheres to it it is causing it to clog, again, if we bump the filter, it runs OK again, but we did have the fingers acid dipped already. We don’t know if it could possibly be the pump, which really makes no sense to us because if we bump the filter it runs fine again, or if there is something else in the filter that we need to check or maybe we just need new fingers?? We are totally lost here. Any advice?
Hi Robin,
How old are the finger and the filter? I first need to know that,
Let me know
Joseph
Hi Joseph, they are 4 years old
I HAVE THE EC40 DE FILTER WHICH IS RUNNING FINE, IT’S 3 MONTHS OLD, IN SEPT WHEN I CLOSE THE POOL DOES IT HAVE TO BE ACID CLEANED? AND IF SO WHAT’S THE PROPER WAY OF DOING THIS. ALSO WHAT KIND OF ACID? HOW MUCH OF IT DO I USE? WHAT DO I NEED TOTALLY.
THANKS, LUCILLE
Joe,
DE keeps on leaking back into the pool. I have called 2 different pool services to help sove the problem. One company told me all I needed was a DE filter cleaning, whcih they did, and charged me $160, but said that the cartridges were good. Then a week later, my entire floor of the pool was filled with dirt and DE, so I vacummed, backwashed and added a small amount of DE, but yet again, a few days later the same thing happened. So I then called another service who looked at the grids with myself present. Of the 8 grids, 5 of them had to be replaced as they had rips and or tears in them. I witnessed the entire service call and assumed it was fixed. This cost me $375. I went out for a few hours only to come home and see DE all over the bottom of my pool. I did notice that when the guys added the DE into the skimmer, they just dumped it in. I’m hoping that is why is came back but if it not, what else can it be? The guys today did not notice any air leaks, although I do have solar panels for the pool to heat it. Can that be an issue? I’m at a complete loss.
Hope you can help,
I have a 17 x 34 inground pool that has a shallow end and a 9ft deep end, with a 3/4 hp DE filter. The pool is even screened in. Everybody tells me I should not have to clean filter more than once every couple of weeks. I have to take it apart and flush out the grids every day. I have replaced all the grids and thought that would do it. The pump starts out at about 9 lbs. of pressure, within 6-8 hours its up to almost 20 with almost no flow. It is an older setup, that has no back-flush capability. I have to take it apart and clean it. I am ready to fill the pool in with sand as it is such a pain in the -ss. Is it sized too small, are there different kinds of diatoms. What am I missing?
Thanks
Joe Laberge