Swimming Pool Filter Repair

Your swimming pool filter is the best defense against particles and impurities that can’t be picked up with a standard pool skimmer.  It is important that it is properly maintained and replaced quickly if a problem arises.

When it is time for maintenance or repair of your swimming pool filter we have the expertise that comes from 20 years of experience troubleshooting and resolving any issues your may have.

FILTER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

DE powder in the pool? You either have holes in the fabric of the grids, or a crack in the manifold that the grids attach to. It can also mean a broken air bleeder tube or assembly. Finally, DE in the pool can mean that the multiport or push-pull valve is allowing powder to bypass the filter. You will notice this most when adding new DE powder after backwashing, but you can test this at any time. The best method to determine the cause is to remove the grids and clean / inspect thoroughly.

Filter Grid replacement: Grids and manifolds vary by manufacturer, and can be expensive. $25-45 per grid; up to $100 for a manifold. Labor is usually under one hour.

Filter is clogging up rapidly; high pressure building up fast? You may have clogged pores in the fabric. First, we hose grids or Hayward Perflex “fingers” very thoroughly clean. They may need to be soaked in a degreasing solution such a TSP or Simple Nine or commercially available filter grid cleaner. We hose thoroughly and then soak in a 10% solution of Muriatic acid. We use a high-pressure hose or a pressure washer (below 2000 psi) to clean the swimming pool filter grids. Then we reassemble pool filter and add DE filter powder in proper amounts.

Poor water Quality? It could be a problem with your multiport or push-pull valve. It could be allowing water to bypass the filter and return to the pool unfiltered. Perhaps you are not running the filter long enough. Perhaps there is not enough DE powder in the pool filter, or too much. We will backwash the filter or remove the grids and clean them manually. It could also be poor sanitation and poor water balance and pool circulation and have nothing to do with the filtering at all.

How long should my filter run each day? Well, just as much as you need. Careful experimentation will show you when the water quality begins to suffer. Many people with smaller, older equipment (filter/pump) run their systems 24 hours per day. The average (I would guess) would be about 16 hours. BUT! It depends on your system. Undersized? Old? High pool Use? Large Debris Load? Heavy Sunlight? No pool cleaner? Poor circulation? Low level of active sanitizer (chlorine) being used? Any of these factors call for extra filtering. If you’re too frugal with the electricity, you may have to pay more in chemical costs.

Leaking Filter? Most DE filters have a belly band clamp with a large O-ring between tank halves. The o-ring can become distended or flattened and may need to be replaced if water is dripping from the center clamp. Caution: Do Not remove the center clamp while the pump is running, and without first releasing pressure inside the tank. You may notice your multiport valve leaking in one or more areas. If your push-pull valve is leaking out of the backwash port (where the hose attaches), the plunger either needs replacement, or a new set of o-rings.